Although it wasn't released until 1980, "Our First Record" presents, as the title suggests, the first ever recordings by the original Oregon line-up. Recorded in 1970, this album offers a fascinating view how the unique Oregon sound came to be. Sensationally the group, at that stage nameless and hardly a band at all in the proper sense of the word, has its trademark natural global chamber jazz style firmly in place. This is just as great as any other vintage Oregon album (or any Oregon album, for that matter, for they are all winners). "Music of another present era", as the musicians themselves described their musical style. This is an electrifying album, even though it's fully acoustic. (Amazon.com)
This lost gem from 1972 is quite an oddity. The unlikely pairing of guitarist Ernie Calabria and soul singer Barbara Massey came together to record this album of outlandish, genre-defying hybrids. Both artists were seasoned session players, Calabria performing alongside the likes of Harry Belafonte (on the same recording that saw Bob Dylan's studio debut, 1961's Midnight Special), Nina Simone and Anita Carter (of The Carter Family) while Massey's credits as a backing vocalist include Jimi Hendrix, Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock and Cat Stevens among others. The fruits of their collaboration are best described as a cross-pollination of folk, R&B and psychedelic acid soul. Consequently, this music met with baffled ears upon its initial release and quickly disappeared into obscurity. Listening from our current position in history it all seems relatively coherent, and you just assume this is the sort of thing that went on in the '70s. adding extra gravitas to the recording are jazz heroes Keith Jarrett and Joe Beck - Jarrett in particular leaves his indelible mark on the album, with his breathtaking technique rampaging across album close 'Satisfied'. A very welcome re-discovery this, certainly one for fans of the Finders Keepers reissues. (boomkat.com)
Love the French or hate 'em, it's virtually impossible to deny the appeal of vintage French pop -- ya-ya this and go-go that, the best stuff's a mind-bending fusion of sunshine pop, psychedelic soul, and sleazy cabaret, a Eurotrash celebration of sex and drugs presumably fueled by same. Wizzz: Psychorama Francais 1966-1971 is a fantastic retrospective that captures the sheer excess of its era, musical and otherwise -- the songs stagger across the tightrope separating Now Sound grooves and blaxploitation funk, complete with fuzz-soaked guitars, deep bass, squawking horns, and thick, swirling organs. Charlotte Leslie's opening "Les Filles C'Est Fait" (roughly translated, "Girls Are Made to Make Love") perfectly sets the musical and lyrical tenor for what follows, with a soulful swagger strangely reminiscent of Dobie Gray's Northern Soul classic "The In Crowd"; other highlights include Philippe Nicaud's "Cuisses Nues, Bottes De Cuir," Christie Laume's "Rouge Rouge," Stephane Varegues' "Le Pape du Pop," and Danyel Gerard's "Sexologie." Tracklist:
1. Les filles c'est fait... -- Charlotte Leslie 2. Rouge rouge -- Christie Laume 3. À dégager -- Les Fleurs De Pavot 4. Sexologie -- Danyel Gerard 5. Je m'ennuie -- Richard De Bordeaux 6. Champs Élysées -- Christiene Pilzer 7. Exitissimo -- William Sheller 8. Le papyvore -- Les Papyvores 9. Le pape du pop -- Stéphane Varègues 10. Psychose -- Messieurs Richard De Bordeaux & Daniel Beretta 11. Avec les oreilles -- Monique Thubert 12. Bernadette -- L'oeil 13. La drogue -- Messieurs Richard De Bordeaux & Daniel Beretta 14. Cuisses nues, bottes de cuir -- Philippe Nicaud
A little while back, the Psychic Circle label took a journey back to the time when American folk music discovered electric rock and pop. The result was The Electric Coffee House compilation. That turned out to be one of the label's most successful albums, so consequently they've been having another delve into that hallowed region of chiming guitars, righteous harmony and garage joy. Once again, Psychic Circle is delighted to present an intriguing selection of obscurities: some primitive, some sophisticated, some psychedelic, some full of pop sensibility, but all of it with an essential, omnipresent undercurrent of folk tradition, albeit filtered through amplifiers and pick-ups, but there nonetheless. You'll hear from Ian Whitcomb's kid brother, Chuck Berry's favorite backing band, the man who wrote "Mr. Bojangles," a future member of Poco, a band featuring the young Bruce Cockburn, and a whole lot more besides. Come travel The Golden Road, let your mind wander free and let your freak flag fly. Compiled by legendary psych musician and Psychic Circle label-head, Nick Saloman (The Bevis Frond).
Track Listing
1. Let's Take a Walk in the Woods - Welch 2. You Gotta Stop - Ray 3. Hey Girl - Rice 4. Smiling - Steirling 5. Right on Time - Cotton 6. It's Been a Long Time - Shuput 7. The Way She Smiles - Romano 8. Look at Me - Allison 9. Clouds - Vosburg 10. Land of Make Believe - Flannery 11. Bird Without Wings - Cockburn 12. In & Out - Dalton 13. Lost Sea Shanty - Walker 14. I'll Be There - Keske 15. Make Me Over Again - Gorky 16. Where Are You - Roof 17. Fair One - Orvis 18. What's It All About - Cisco 19. Let's Get Together - Powers 20. Parade of Uncertainty - Pacheco
Organ drenched, fuzzy garage genius from the 60s US scene -- one of the best comps yet from Psychic Circle!!! I Got To Be Me is full of buzzing, r&b fueled garage rock from all over the mid-to-late 60s US -- most tunes really dripping with the trippy organ washes, and searing in the electric guitar department -- but it's no mere proto-punk batch of fiery singles. The musicianship and vocals are of top shelf talent, despite the singles being by-and-large obscure -- cut for bigger labels like Atco, United Artists, Roulette, Phillips and Capitol as well as a number of lesser knowns companies and imprints. Includes in killer take on the Howlin' Wolf standard "Smokestack Lightning" by Group Axis, "I Gotta Be Me" by Kevin Coughlin, "Good Good Lovin" by Les Hou-Lops, "HE's Not Your Friend" by Dee Jay & The Runaways, "Big Mama" by Gobby Simms & The Simers, "Turn Around" by Blue Wood, "Inside Out" by The In Crowd, "Fool That I Am" by Bobby Saint Clair, "Haunted By Your Love" by The Outsiders, "Doubt" by Hex and more. 20 tracks in all. (Dusty Groove)
Track Listing
1. Smokestack Lightning - Howlin' Wolf 2. I Gotta Be Me - Hirth 3. Good Good Lovin' - Brown 4. He's Not Your Friend - Lee 5. It's Only a Dream - Eden 6. Big Mama - Simms 7. Like My Girl - Ford 8. Without You - Carbone 9. Turn Around - Geiger 10. I'm a Man - McDaniel, Elias 11. Southbound Freeway - Somberg 12. Get It On/Wilde Childe Freakout - Morrow 13. Inside Out - Rambo 14. Should We or Shouldn't We - Chalfant 15. Hey You, Hey Me - Cartey 16. You Do Me Wrong - Hachey 17. Fool That I Am - Kalina 18. Haunted by Your Love - King 19. Salt 'N' Pepper - Colonna 20. Doubt - Hex
Heavy thunder and lumbering psyche jams from the Psychic Circle label -- Volume 2 in the Blow Your Cool series -- heavy atmosphere and psychedelia from the UK & European scenes of the late 60s & early 70s! The tunes on Cosmarama are on the heavier side without getting weighed down in hard rock cliches, and bring about the thicker atmosphere in cathartic fashion -- with a few trippier, organ and lyrics led tunes to balance it out the fuzziness and thumping tendencies. Titles include "Cosmarama" by Distant Jim, "In Your Room" by Carriage Company, "All I Need" by Kingdom, "In Your Life" by The Tower, "Daybreak" by Back Street Band, "Old Songs New Songs" by Big Wheel, "I'll Try" by Electric Food, "Free" by The Petards, "Hod Rod Queen" by Castle Farm, 'Give Me Back" by Richard St Clair & Forum and more. 20 tracks in all. (Dusty Groove)
Track Listing
1. Cosmarama - Austin 2. In Your Room - Kent 3. All I Need - Edwards 4. In Your Life - DeGroot 5. Daybreak - Bellis 6. Old Songs New Songs - Chapman 7. Shotgun Express - Englebert 8. Widow Woman - Jones 9. Devil Woman - Weeda 10. Get off My Life Woman - Covay 11. Feline Woman - Pussy Wagon 12. Man in Back - Vion 13. I'll Try - Hesslein 14. Kings of Galaxy - Borgers 15. Free - King 16. Hot Rod Queen - Benike 17. Half Past Dead - Bekky 18. Love Song - Scott 19. Earth - Chips 20. Give Me Back - St. Clair
In the late 1960's, two of the era's major influences, rock music and a revival of Christianity by our nation’s youth, were both attracting new converts by the millions....it was inevitable that these two huge followings; would converge with a deafening roar off fuzz guitars and feedback that would be the music of this new breed of psychedelically-inspired "spreaders of the word". This album presents songs by some of the bands that were pioneers of this great new Christian psychedlic music. Several of these bands are well known to collectors of rare vinyl, while some of the others are more obscure. All the songs on this album were specifically chosen for their guitar content...some of it mellow and subtle, and some of it...mind frying heavy fuzz. All of it...Great!
Welcome to the first edition of Holy Fuzz! (hiddenvision.com)
Tracklist:
1. The Exkursions - It's Been Sent Down 2. Selha - Romans 3. The Bridge - Jesus 4. The Search Party - The News Is You 5. Pre-Agape - In The Light 6. Stonewood Cross - Majic Man 7. All Saved Freak Band - All Across The Nation 8. The Search Party - You And I 9. The Exkursions - Dry Ground 10. The Concrete Rubber Band - Christian 11. Pressed Down, Shaken Together And Running Over - Pressed Down, Shaken Together And Running Over. 12. Agape - Rejoice
