Simon Finn is a psychedelic folk musician from England who was first active in the music scene in 1967. Finn only released one album in his early career, Pass the Distance (1970), which has become a sought after record to obtain in the decades after its release due to scarcity. Finn fell out of the public music scene for about 35 years, coming back in 2004 to support a band named Current 93. Since his return, Finn has released another album and has also toured as a solo artist and as a member of Current 93. The album I’m listening to tonight, Pass the Distance (1970), is listed as folk rock, psychedelic rock, and acid rock on the Discogs listing for the album. I’m pretty stoked to check out this album, so with that said, I’m going to jump into the music.
“Very Close Friend” starts out with some really interesting folksy drums that seem to have a mixture of medieval European and eastern Asian sounds. Oh wow, the percussion falls away in lieu of some nearly melancholic vocals and a smooth, passionate acoustic guitar chord progression that remind me of Nick Drake. Wow, great track, and I’m excited to hear more.
“The Courtyard” begins with two different acoustic guitar lines on each side of the soundscape, which evoke that medieval European/British sound. Holy smokes, there’s a mellow bass line that comes into the soundscape just before the vocals enter. There are some really sweet, slick electric guitar lines that evoke a sort of dark psychedelia reminiscent of The Doors. Wow, I’m really digging this track. I’m kind of reminded of The Incredible String Band with the mixture of old European folk sounds with the Indian raga; the simple percussion in this track sounds a bit like a tabla, and the twangy, quick notes of one of the acoustic guitars seems to walk the line between baroque Spanish guitar and raga. Wow, another great track.
“What a Day” starts out with some super smooth, earthly acoustic guitar chords accompanied by a low, sweet bass line. The guitar work reminds me a lot of Neutral Milk Hotel in this track. Oh wow, there’s also a flute that seems to add some folksy flavors for a moment. Holy smokes, there’s a piano that comes in as the flute exits, which adds some super sweet accentuations to the melody that gradually meander about the soundscape. Oh wow, the piano and flute continue to trade coming in and out of the soundscape as the song continues. There’s also this super interesting synth that seems to gradually come more into focus as the track continues, bringing an increasing feeling of psychedelia with it. Great track.
Holy smokes, “Fades (Pass the Distance)” begins with what sound to be some high-pitched church organs that meander about the psychedelic soundscape. Oh wow, there’s some acoustic and electric guitar that comes in, which really enhance the psychedelic flavors of the organs. The electric guitar sounds like it’s sent through an envelope filter, causing the notes to gradually drip into the soundscape. Wow, another great track.
“Jerusalem” begins with a really sweet acoustic guitar chord progression and a big, low bass line, which have a sound that reminds me a bit of both Roger McGuinn’s self-titled album from 1973, as well as Roy Harper’s Stormcock (1971). Holy smokes, the track picks up some psychedelic flavors as the organs come in and the playing of the other instruments intensify, lead by vocals that get guttural at times. Wow, I’m really digging this track so far. Holy smokes, the music seems to continue to get more passionate as the track continues. Holy smokes, the drums and bass start to become unhinged as the track continually intensifies; the organs also become louder and more chaotic, and Finn nearly sounds like he’s crying with passion into the microphone by the end of the tune. Wow, awesome track.
“Where’s Your Master Gone” starts out with very gentle vocals alongside a sweet acoustic guitar chord progression, while an electric guitar meanders about on the left side of the soundscape. Some simple-sounding percussion in the form of a tabla adds some raga flavors on the right side of the soundscape. I’m really digging this track. The center of the soundscape has a traditional British folk feel, while the electric guitar walks a line between British folk and raga. Great track.
“Laughing ‘Til Tomorrow” starts out with a really interesting medley of guitar parts, which range from the British folk to Indian raga again. The acoustic guitar has the British folk sound, the electric guitar on the right side of the soundscape as a raga-inflection, and the electric guitar on the left side of the soundscape once again walks the line between the two styles in a manner that reminds me of Joe Diorio’s song, “India”. Great track.
“Hiawartha” starts out with the sound of slowly running a pick along the bass strings of an acoustic guitar, and then the track gradually begins picking up momentum with what sounds to be a raga style, which is created with a mixture of the tabla-esque percussion, the guitar work, and the vocals that remind me of the vocals from The Incredible String Band. Oh wow, there’s some sort of accordion or droning folk instrument that I’m really digging. Hiawartha was a Native American leader from the 1500s whose name means “He Makes Rivers”. Oh wow, the instrumentation in this track continues building on itself into a really groovy, acoustic, and spiritual acoustic movement. Oh wow, the ending movement in the track starts out with the sound of the pick along the bass strings again, which cues in a sort of dark, folksy section of vocals and acoustic guitar. Wow, great track.
“Patrice” starts out with some very peaceful acoustic guitar that slowly starts out the track in a very flowing manner. The vocals have a really sweet layering to them, and almost remind me a bit of Nick Drake. There’s a really sweet flute that comes into the soundscape as well that adds more to the flowing folksy nature to the track. Super sweet tune.
“Big White Car” begins with a few meandering notes from an acoustic guitar that almost have a bluesy flavor, and other instruments gradually come into the soundscape. The tabla comes in and brings an unmistakeable raga flavor to the soundscape, while the sweet bass line keeps the tune flowing along. Holy smokes, the slick electric guitar lines almost make the soundscape feel as though you’re walking through a desert of some sort while the hot sun bakes the land around you. The vocals get guttural again in this track, bringing a sort of bluesy-inflection to the folk/raga nature of this song. The lyrics and presentation of the vocals almost sound like they’re from a classic psychedelic rock track from 1967. Holy smokes, I’m really digging this track so far. Wow, awesome track, and a great way to finish the listening experience.
Holy smokes, this album is awesome. Every once in a while I find an album that fits my ear really nicely, and this is one of those albums. There are a lot of raga elements throughout the album, which largely add to the psychedelic folk nature of the work. Though I am reminded a bit of The Incredible String Band’s blend of European folk and Indian raga, this album felt like a very unique listening experience from start to finish. I wouldn’t really consider the album to be psychedelic rock, but there are a couple of songs that sound like acoustic versions of what might have been classic psychedelic rock tracks. I think it’s worth noting that originally copies of this record on vinyl are listed at prices upwards of $2000 at the moment, which isn’t hard to understand after listening to it. I’m excited to check out Finn’s second album that he released decades later. If you’re a fan of British folk music and psychedelic folk music, especially from groups like The Incredible String Band, then you might want to consider checking out this album. If you do decide to give this album a listen, then I sincerely do hope that you enjoy the listening experience at least as much as I did.
-A