Truk was a psychedelic hard rock band from Oklahoma that was originally known as No Large Trucks, and was formed in 1967. The group only made one album during their time together, Truk Tracks (1971), which they recorded in California in 1970 for Columbia Records. I can’t find a whole lot more information about the group online, but related groups suggested by Apple Music include a lot of groups that I’ve really enjoyed lately, such as The Human Beast, Freedom, Zior, and Tucky Buzzard, which makes me think that the music will be something of a mix of hard rock, psychedelic rock, progressive rock, and even blues rock. I’m pretty stoked to give this album a listen, so with that said, I’m going to jump on into the music.
“Country Woman” starts out with some really sweet and almost dry vocal harmonizations that seem to have a bit of a country flavor at first. Oh wow, the instrumentation comes in after a bit with some strong, hard rock and prog rock flavors. I really dig the way the distorted chords of the guitar are palm-muted for a few strums and then left to seemingly hang out there. The swirling organs bring in a really groovy sort of late 1960s rock sound that I really dig. Holy smokes, the guitar picks up an almost distorted synth sound while playing a sort of jazz-like line that reminds me a bit of Steely Dan’s Gaucho (1980). I really dig the dynamic and constant movement from the bass line in this track. Oh wow, the next movement in the track almost has a sort of krautrock feel with the droning tones combined with some crunchy electric guitar while the drums and bass gradually keep grooving. Wow, great track, and I’m excited to hear more.
“Got to Find a Reason” starts out with some strong guitar lines that somehow remind me of early 1980s hard rock and early 1970s progressive hard rock. Oh wow, I really dig the way the percussion changes up when the fuzzed-out guitar solo comes in. Oh wow, that guitar solo really keeps grooving along nicely for a bit. Oh wow, there are some gospel-sounding background vocals in the latter half of the tune. Super sweet track.
Oh wow, “Pretty Lady” starts out with a really sweet mixture of acoustic guitar and electric instrumentation that evoke a sort of country sound reminiscent of Pure Prairie League, while mixing in psychedelic rock sounds from the late 1960s and folk rock sounds from the late 1960s as well. Oh wow, the track seems to lighten up with sweet, meandering guitar lines and some airy cymbals as an exploratory movement begins. Oh wow, I really dig the way the tune moves from a structured chorus to somewhat mellow, exploratory movements. Oh wow, I really dig the swirling organs at the end of the tune. Great track.
“Winter’s Coming On” gets started with some hard blues rock guitar riffing, which is soon joined by some sweet vocals that combine to remind me a ton of “Sunshine of Your Love” by Cream. Oh wow, the organs come in as the chorus jam seems to intensify, reminding me a bit of Vanilla Fudge in the process. Oh wow, the lead guitar gets some super groovy lines in during a brief solo in the track. I really dig the sweet chorus vocal harmonies during the track. Great tune.
“Sun Castle Magic” starts out right away with some drums and some swirling organs, which immediately set a tone that has a classic mid-to-late 1960s psychedelic rock feel. Oh wow, I really dig the guitar work in this track. Holy smokes, the band comes together to form some really big, groovy waves of sound that seems to continually pull me closer to my speakers. I’m kind of reminded of December’s Children, a psychedelic rock band on Mainstream Records from around that time period. Holy smokes, the track becomes super dynamic as the easy-going grooves from the song intensify for a crescendo to end the track. Great track.
“Yellow Cab Man” gets started with a really tight rhythm section with the drums and bass, while the guitars play some super groovy lines that trade off with the vocals. I really dig the way the organs swirl around in the background in the soundscape. The tight, upbeat, psychedelic rock feel of this track reminds me a fair deal of “An Older Man” by The Tiffany Shade, a psychedelic rock band from the mid-to-late 1960s. Great track.
“Five Is Together” gets started with some hard rockin’ riffs from the electric guitar that remind me a bit of heavier psychedelic rock groups from the late 1960s, and a dynamic beat from the drums that I’m really digging. Oh wow, the track moves between tight, tense, heavier movements and sweet, looser, mellower movements really nicely. Oh wow, I really dig the bass line in this track, which grooves along with the drums nicely. The organs also change up really nicely with the different movements of the track too. Holy smokes, the music pauses for a moment, only for a massive, heavy measure from the guitars to finish off the song. Super sweet track.
Oh wow, “You” gets grooving with some mellow psychedelic guitar work that almost reminds me a bit of some of The Doors’ earlier work. Holy smokes, the organs come swirling in and match the really sweet tone of the guitar work. Oh wow, some deep vocals come in, which sound as though the singer is reaching for the lowest vocal registry he can get to. The soundscape almost has a bit of a sullen, yet very sweet feel that I’m really digging. The cymbals ease the tune along really nicely during the mellower movements in the song. Wow, great track.
“Silence Ending” get grooving right away with an upbeat psychedelic hard blues rock feel that I’m really digging. The guitars, bass, and drums all seem to keep rolling off of one another as the soundscape seems to gradually build momentum. Oh wow, I really dig the distorted organs in the background while the lead guitar plays some super sweet lines that groove the tune along really nicely. Super groovy track.
“Max” gets grooving with some harder psychedelic rock grooves from the guitar, drums, and bass. Holy smokes, the lead guitar plays some super sweet lines in the intro that have me hooked right away. Oh wow, I really dig the layering of the vocals in this track, with chorus background vocals behind the lead vocal line that make the soundscape sound even bigger. Oh wow, I really like the syncopated drums that seem to be building tension as the guitar work almost has a bit of a loose feel. Oh wow, the outro movement of the track amplifies that tension a lot as all of the instruments but the guitar, and then all of the instruments but the drums drop away, which all leads to a really groovy hard rockin’ resolution at the end of the track. Great tune, and a super sweet way to finish the album.
Wow, I’m pretty stoked that I checked out this album tonight, which filled with classic psychedelic rock sounds from the early 1970s, harder psychedelic rock sounds from the late 1960s, progressive rock from the late 1960s and early 1970s, and even touched on genres like country and folk rock reminiscent of the late 1960s. If you’re into harder psychedelic rock from the late 1960s and/or progressive psychedelic rock from the earlier 1970s, 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