Orphan Egg was a short-lived psychedelic rock band from San Jose, California, that was formed in 1967. Most of the members of the band were still in high school when they when the nationwide competition that was the Vox Battle Of The Bands (DeadDisc.com). The grand prize for winning the competition included a one album record deal, which the group used to release their only LP, Orphan Egg (1968), from their time together, which is comprised of both covers and originals. I’m not finding a whole lot more information on the band online, other than most websites seem to place their genre around psychedelic rock, psychedelic pop, and/or garage rock. With that said, I’m pretty stoked to give this album a listen, so I’m going to go ahead and jump on into the music.
“Falling” starts out with some really deep bass alongside some groovy fuzzed-out guitars that have that quintessential psychedelic rock of the mid-to-late 1960s sound. Oh wow, the vocals almost have more of a psychedelic pop feel in this track. Oh wow, the guitar work mellows out vocals seem to nearly have a bit more of a mellow psychedelic rock feel reminiscent of some of the early work from The Doors. I really dig the way the drums seem to keep the track’s momentum going while the guitar and bass seem to have more of a mellow sound during bridge-like movement. Oh wow, I really dig the effects on the vocals at the end of the track. Great tune and I’m excited to hear more.
“That’s The Way Love Is” start out with a really interesting mixture of guitar chords and some harpsichord that seem to walk the line between psychedelic rock and a folksy psychedelic pop. Oh wow, some organs gradually fade into the track and add in more groovy flavors the soundscape as they swirl behind the vocals. I really dig the psychedelic pop-like vocal harmonies, which almost remind me a bit of The Beatles. Oh wow, there’s some orchestral strings that come in alongside the harpsichord that almost add in a sort of baroque quality to the soundscape that almost becomes a heavier psychedelic version of sunshine pop as the tune continues. Great track.
“Mourning Electra” gets grooving almost right away with a mixture of psychedelic rock and psychedelic pop flavors from the time period. The guitar work and bass line seem to be more along the psychedelic rock side of things, while the sweet vocal harmonies have a more pop-like quality that reminds me a bit of Revolver (1966) by The Beatles. Super sweet tune.
“Bird Dog” gets started right away with some fuzzed-out psychedelic guitar work that I’m really digging. The track almost feels like some mix of the British blues-based psychedelic rock and the sort of west coast psychedelic rock scene in the US from the time period. I really dig the dynamic drums in this track, especially as the fuzzed-out guitar travels about the soundscape. Great track.
“It’s Wrong” get started right away with some sweet psychedelic pop chords from a guitar, which are soon joined by a grooving pop-oriented psychedelic rock feel from the rest of the instrumentation. Oh wow, the rhythm section really keeps the groove going nicely in a manner that reminds me of harder psychedelic rock songs from groups like The Tiffany Shade. Wow, great track.
“Ain’t That Lovin’ You Baby” starts out with some bluesy guitar notes that are soon joined by a sort of bluesy swing in the drums and a really groovy bass line that complements the beat really nicely. Oh wow, I really dig the sort of twangy, bluesy grit from the guitars in this track, which remind me a ton of some of the Grateful Dead’s self-titled debut studio album from 1967. Holy smokes, these bluesy lines on the guitar have got me absolutely hooked into this song, and really make me think a fair deal of Jerry Garcia at some points. Holy smokes, the bass really gets grooving nicely in this track. I really dig the smooth vocal harmonizations/layerings in this track, which really seem to let the instrumentation take the lead in this song. Great track.
Oh wow, “Look At Me” gets grooving with a really sweet mixture of harpsichord that adds a really interesting, nearly pop-y mystique to the soundscape while the rest of the instrumentation keep a sweet, upbeat psychedelic rock groove going. Holy smokes, one of the guitars comes in for some psychedelic blues licks that have a sort of twang and timbre that remind me again of Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead’s self-titled debut studio record from 1967. Oh wow, the vocals pick up some really groovy, far out reverberation and spacey effects as the track comes to a close. Great tune.
“Deep In The Heart Of Nebrasc” starts out with a steady beat that sets a sort of bluesy rock tone that is soon joined by the rest of the instrumentation, which all seem to be keeping along with that bluesy feel with some blues-inflected psychedelic rock lines from the electric guitars while the bass keeps the track grooving steady to the beat. Oh wow, some of the lines from the guitar remind me a bit of John Cipollina of Quicksilver Messenger Service. Great tune.
Oh wow, “Don’t Go To Him” starts out with a light, pop-y blend of acoustic guitar, an easy-swingin’ beat, and a countryish bass line that I’m really digging. Oh wow, some orchestral strings come in that seem to bring in some more country flavors. Super sweet track.
“Circumstance” gets rockin’ right away with the drums and electric guitar that set a classic psychedelic rock tone that I’m really digging. Holy smokes, the vocal harmonizations during the chorus add a sort of pop-like sweetness to the rockin’ psychedelic soundscape. I really dig the tone of the electric guitars in this one, as one sounds like it has the bass turned all the way up and the treble all the way down at some points, and at others it sounds like the bass is turned all the way down with the treble turned all the way up. Oh wow, the track moves into a mellow, almost psychedelic soft rock section that makes the tune feel even more dynamic. Great track.
“Unvisual State Of Mind” starts out with a dynamic rhythm section between the evolving drums and bright bass guitar work, which is complemented by some electric guitar that almost has a bit of a psychedelic cowboy feel reminiscent of John Cipollina and Quicksilver Messenger Service. Oh wow, I really dig the way the vocals seem to gradually become psychedelic as the track continues. Great tune.
“Rock Me Baby” gets started with some classic bluesy flavors from all of the instruments in this cover of the song made famous by B.B. King. Oh wow, I really dig this track so far, as the vocals add in a lot of bluesy feel that seem to get accentuated especially by the lead guitar, while the rest of the instrumentation keeps a bluesy groove going. Oh wow, the track seems to break through to a bluesy jam just as the vocals seem to get a bit guttural. I really dig the interplay between the two different guitars. The tone of the guitar work really reminds me a lot of a blend of Jerry Garcia and John Cipollina circa 1967; the Grateful Dead and Quicksilver Messenger Service were pretty popular in the Bay area at the time, and San Jose is approximately 50 miles away, so it’s pretty easy to understand how both the Grateful Dead and Quicksilver Messenger Service might have been an influence to Orphan Egg. Oh wow, the track really builds up some super groovy bluesy psychedelic flavors as the track seems to come to a crescendo just as the song comes to its end. Great track, and a great way to end the album.
Wow, I’m super stoked that I checked out this album tonight, and am honestly a bit bummed that the band only ever made one album together. Orphan Egg reminds me a little bit of a west coast version of The Freeborne, a psychedelic rock band from Boston that was formed in 1966, was comprised of fairly young people (some of which were still in high school), which only released one album in 1967. This album contained a really interesting mixture of psychedelic pop and psychedelic rock that was representative of the time period, with inclinations towards bluesy and even country flavors at times. If you’re a fan of psychedelic pop from the mid-to-late 1960s, as well as west coast psychedelic rock from the mid-to-late 1960s, particularly Bay area groups like the Grateful Dead and Quicksilver Messenger Service, 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