Katerinas Magic World

Amazing psych-raga bluesy rock from this underrated "classic" project by Ry Cooder. With a lot of inventions and variations, this music conciliates eastern buzzing ragas to rocking energy and synth progressive orchestrations. The opening track (divided into 5 parts) features a catchy bluesy vibe, nice percussions parts and evocative, dreamy like flute passages. Rapidly, the composition explores in a meditative style sitar / flute combinations...after 3 minutes, we have the return of Ry Cooder's typical guitar sound, communicating with inspired "ethereal" keyboards and buzzing sitar strings. It finishes with violin like strings with some expeditive classical covers...really enigmatic and passionate song. The second composition (for 6 parts) also alternate bluesy rock interludes and raga sonorities...featuring very catchy melodies and rhythms. Impressive bluesy-folky-psych raga fantasias!
Tracks
A Aton I 10:00
a. Leyshem
b. Zendan
c. Ceyladd Beyta
d. Becal
e. Ddom
f. Toadda BB
B Aton II 11:14
a. Dyl
b. Ralin
c. Tygstl
d. Pendyl
e. Jacayl
f. Menyatt Dyl Com
Listen

Since 1965 the Peruvian band named The New Jugglers Sound had made a name in our country and wrote almost 100 songs, but it's not until 1968 when their sound takes a definitive form, first they change the name to "Laghonia", they recruit a North American guitar player and vocalist named David Levane and start to take seriously their career.
They release their first single called Glue (Due to a drug that Saul Cornejo had read about in Time Magazine) with a "B" side a single called Billy Morsa (Billy Walrus).

With this singles an some new material that included their first N° 1 hit "Bahia", most of it oriented towards Psychedelia they are ready to release their fist album in 1971 which takes the name of their first single "GLUE".

Don't let the date of release (1971) fool you, because all the material is from the 60's, but when you live in a third world country ruled by a dictator who hates Rock, it is hard to find any label ready to take the risk of promoting Peruvian Rock band who sings in English (Language hated by the same dictator).

The album starts with "Baby, Baby"; beautiful song especially because it's really naïve, this track is clearly influenced by early Beatles, for moments seems that you're listening a weird version of Love Me Do including the "oohs". But that simplicity is the key of its beauty, almost as a baby walking for the first time but holding the hand of an adult.

"I Must Go" starts as a Psychedelic version of Simon and Garfunkel, even the voices are similar, but the song is darker and less friendly, somehow derivative but very good.

It's time for Neighbor and time to get really Psychedelic with a clear Latin sound (Like a mixture of WAR and Grand Funk Railroad but written before any of this bands released their debut albums), the vocal work is very complex, all the members sing different lyrics like a conversation where everybody wants to say his part never caring for the rest. Rhythmic but chaotic, a very interesting experiment and the Hammond B2 sounds better than ever.

"The Sand Man" starts as a ballad with nothing special dreamy but very simple and apparently predictable, but suddenly the voices of the rest of the members join announcing an instrumental section where the repetitive piano creates a very nostalgic effect leaving a very aggressive guitar a la Hendrix to do the work and turns to a very complex and well elaborated track. The highest point of the album up to this point, it's clear that these guys can create 100% original and imaginative stuff.

"Billy Morsa" (Billy Walrus) had already been released in late 1968 as B side for the title song of this album and was well received by the public, rock oriented a bit mysterious and satirical, it's a sound about an ex-convict (Alias Billy Morsa) who appears dead in a garden.

I love the effect created by the vocalist (Who seems to be Dave Levane making it funnier being born in USA) who fakes a very strong Latin accent, that's part of the joke (Sounds like Mexican border English), because if you notice this is the only track with a name partially in Spanish and this guys have proved that their English was very good.

The song ends much more complex than it started, because all the instruments join to create a very pleasant sound, outstanding bass work.

When I believed this was already a very good debut album, comes "Trouble Child" to prove that this guys really had the chance to make excellent stuff. This song has everything, strong vocal work (Chorus), dramatic changes, a killer first guitar and very solid drums, a new peak of the album has been reached, very Progressive and extremely solid. Can they get better? We'll see in the next lines.

"My Love" starts like a Beatlesque ballad in the vein of the early works of the fabulous four, but there's something special, more advanced towards proto Prog with the excellent guitar and the wonderful organ.

It seems clear from the structure of the song that goes in crescendo and keeps adding new instruments that we should expect an explosion of sounds, but it never happens, only keeps getting more dreamy and psychedelic, but who cares, the song is still great.

"And I Saw her Walking" is a song oriented towards Motown, Dave Levane again in the vocals is great playing with a Harlem like accent, solid drumming and at the end an excellent guitar semi solo, interesting track that starts funky and ends clearly Psychedelic, another good one.

"Glue" as I said before was written by Saul Cornejo who was inspired by a drug he read about in Time Magazine and released as a single in 1968 - 1969 before taking the name for their first album

Wonderful song, 100% druggy Psychedelia, distorted guitar, dreamy organ and hallucinating lyrics, describes the genre was as a book, excellent that sounds like if Hendrix meets early Pink Floyd.

The album ends with "Bahia" a song that was inspired by a Brazilian calendar that the guys found and where impressed with the girl that represented the city of the same name. The song is another Psychedelic track but in this case with a touch of Tropical sound that clearly sends us to an imaginary voyage to Brazil. Ivan Melgar.
Tracks
1. Baby, Baby (1:50)
2. I Must Go (2:58)
3. Neighbor (3:23)
4. The Sand Man (3:27)
5. Billy Morsa (4:19)
6. Trouble Child (2:51)
7. My Love (4:52)
8. And I Saw Her Walking (3:22)
9. Glue (3:17)
10. Bahia (4:24)
Listen

Blond grew out of the Swedish heroes Tages, who ruled Sweden's hit parade during their 1964-67 heyday and arguably was one the best Scandinavian rock groups in the 60's. 1969's Lilac Years, a failed attempt to reach the British music market, is their most psychedelic album featuring moody pop-psych melodies, great guitar works, weird effects and lush orchestration. Produced by Andy Henrickson (King Crimson, Quatermass, Life and Jericho).
Tommy Blom left Swedish band tages in 1968, however the surviving members of the bands line up Danne Larsson rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist, Anders Töpel Lead guitarist and backing vocalist Lasse Svennson Drummer and backing vocalist, together with Tages bassist Göran Lagerberg leading the new project, that came to be known as BLOND named after the Bob Dylan LP Blonde on Blonde together with their old producer they went into full force to try once more to record an album, and they decided to do this over in England. The Lilac years, is an ace grand production, that goes deep trough fields of rock n and pop, blues jazz, and even deeper into folk music, to me one never senses the absence of their former front man Blom,
Lagerbergs grand melodic genius who now comes into light more than ever before, and while tages was a group of tight direct yet perfect little nuggets, with blond, the band becomes a bit braver, and manages to move out even more of the pop nugget frames and successfully emerges into even bigger arrangements at places, were they either go into more epic lengths around 6 or 7 minutes ( as on the albums title track, the folk rock arranged retitled Swedish folksong de sålde sina hemman, or the groovy blues jam Caroline complete with hand drums and percussion flowing throughout the track ) and if not they manages to take their shorter songs trough many fantastic levels as well, notable on the fantastic Sailing Cross The Ocean that crosses between swing rock, raga rock and folksy/waltz crossings

At first glance The Lilac Years might seem stiffer and more forced than Tages late 60s, But really the songs never loose their touch, and a lot of effort was put in the production, that it must have been exhausting, but hard work paid of as BLOND put out a complete and awfully strong effort, thick, but filled with melodic genius, and really stellar musicianship, and a great ambition to hit of grand, and make a grand production, with all ideas given space to flow trough, in magnificent arrangements, this album also features ace arrangements from the London symphony orchestra, that sweeps along on striking songs such as the magnificent “flowers in the morning” also recorded by British Cilla Black the same year(although under a different title If I thought you’d ever change your mind), and by Swedish Doris, a few years later, a strong beautiful ballad that captures a great melodic sense and that captures one to a great extent, during its three minutes of play time.
It features some gripping organ work to, and together with Deep inside my heart, they are the two strong ballad numbers that balance a already colourful and strong production, we have top ace rock n roll, on songs such as _six white horses; with mean guitars (some overdubbed by Anders Nord) and Hoy can I pray when I don’t believe Pick on a Buss
swaying Pschycadelic folk lost child reminiscent of Crosby stills and Nash a bit in the arrangement , we have country and western touches in Sun in her hand featuring banjo plucking and such together, together with a flowing piano, and orchestra and organ,
And we have a jazz swing rocker in the girl I once had with killing brass thrown in and some really ace boogie rhythm and neat vocal delivery.

Neat upbeat flowing is all over in I Wake up and call and Time is Mine in the end it comes of as a warmly crafted ambitious album, a colourful and truly ace production, that should be considered as a real gem, that really captures the time of the late 60s well, as well as being a strong and very creative effort, and this should to be considered as one of the top albums of the 60s, and perhaps it should have been, if the group toured more, and the album was spread more widely. Apparently it did not turn out this way, as some members left the group to go for military service, and other projects came in crossing their path, but before the group dissolved in 1971, Björn Linder and Anders Nord came in as substitutes (the two had made some overdubs on the album tracks Caroline and six white horses for the album) Nord wouldn’t stay around for to but was around long enough to feature on the blond single were they’ve backed Örjan Ramberg on the Balladen Om Killen single release, produced and written by Lagerberg, that captures the moody feel of a restless teenager, looking back in reflective and nostalgic mood which is also featured on the CD. While this line up never got to play live in front of an audience Nords substitute came to be Björn Töpel, Anders Töpels kid brother. Lost Child/How can I play when I don’t believe came as the groups last single, and in between they also managed to perform on Swedish TV , which was recorded in December 69, and broadcasted in December the following year. By JanFreidun
Tracks
01. Deep Inside My Heart
02. Sailing Across The Ocean
03. Six White Horses
04. Time Is Mine
05. The Girl I Once Had
06. The Lilac Years
07. I Wake Up And Call
08. Sun In Her Hand
09. I Pick Up The Bus
10. There's A Man Standing In The Corner
11. I Will Bring You Flowers In The Morning
12. Caroline
13. Lost Child *
14. How Can I Pray When I Don't Even Believe *
15. Balladen Om Killen (Del 1) *
16. Balladen Om Killen (Del 2) *
17. The Weight (Live/Bonus) *
Listen

Almost nothing is known about this west coast pyschedelic-pop band from the late 60s. It seems like they went through 3 name changes and 2 recording deals in 1968 and then vanished. But not before leaving us with a monumental LP of breezy sunshine psych.
They started off as Sunlights Seven and recorded an LP entitled Sunstroke in 1968. This recording never got beyond the acetate stage by DCT Recorders and is a monster, monster rarity that has not been reissued.
After the Sunstroke project was scrapped, the band hooked up with Windi Records and recorded a 7" under the name of Sunlight. This 7" consisted of Colors Of Love and Sometimes A Woman and was released under catalogue number W-1001 and W-1002. The versions of these songs are different than the ones that appeard on their LP.
Finally settling on the name Creation Of Sunlight, they continued recording for Windi, finally releasing their self-titled LP and one 7" later in 1968. The 7" contained LP versions of David and The Fun Machine on Windi W-1005 and W-1006.
Their self-titled album on Windi WS-1001 contains 10 songs, 8 of which are original compositions with Gary Young and Jerry Griffin doing most of the songwriting duties. Interestingly, the credits for David, which was not written by the band, differ on the 7" and the LP. The entire album is absolutely great, loaded with organ and fuzz guitar just oozing with that acid and sunshine vibe. Original copies of this LP almost never turn up for sale and when they do, expect a really nice copy to reach four figures. This is one of the (too) few rarities that can musically justify their price tag. The only vinyl reissue has been a European bootleg on the "Windi" label. This is a nice sounding and nice looking job and it too seldom comes up for sale. A legitimate CD reissue on Mystic 7 has been released and is easily available.
Tracks
1. David
2. Rush Hour Blues
3. Light Without Heat
4. In the Middle of Happy
5. Hammond Eggs
6. Sometimes a Woman
7. Second Thoughts
8. Seven Times Infinity
9. Colors of Love
10. Fun Machine
Listen

The band was formed in 1986 by Robert Hampson (vocals, guitar), with wife Bex on drums. Bex was soon replaced by John Wills (of The Servants) and Glen Ray, with James Endeacott on guitar. Initially releasing records on their own Head label, their first release was 1987's '16 Dreams', with debut album Heaven's End following later that year. The band's psychedelic/drone rock gained comparisons with Spacemen 3, much to the latter's annoyance.

Ray and Bex left, to be replaced by Endeacott, Wills and Neil MacKay, the band also being signed up by Chapter 22 Records, returning with a more polished sound with the 'Collision' single in 1988. Second album Fade Out followed in 1989, reaching #51 on the UK album chart. Endeacott left the band in 1988, Scott Dowson joined the following year.

They then hopped labels again to Beggars Banquet subsidiary Situation Two, releasing the 'Arc-Lite' single in 1989 and the third and final studio album A Gilded Eternity in 1990.

The band split in 1991, with Hampson briefly joining Godflesh before forming Main with Dowson. Hampson's Main project was discontinued in 2006, he now releases under his own name. Chasm is said to be his most recent (1999) project. Wills and Mackay went on to form The Hair and Skin Trading Company.

A collection of the band's John Peel sessions entitled Wolf Flow was released in 1992. Following the split Loop's official studio albums were re-released on their Reactor label.

The band's sound was influenced by Krautrock and No Wave influences and relied heavily on three chord riffs. Some of the records featured cover versions of Suicide, The Pop Group and Can tracks. During the latter stages of their career the band played at the Reading Festival in 1989.
Tracks
1. Soundhead
2. Straight to Your Heart
3. Forever
4. Heaven's End
5. Too Real to Feel
6. Fix to Fall
7. Head On
8. Carry Me
Listen

Jason ‘Spaceman’ Pierce and Pete ‘Sonic Boom’ Kember -- two men that had a great deal of influence over the independent music scene in the mid to late 80s. Born on the same day in the same hospital in Rugby, Great Britain – the duo seemed to share a united gift for creating the most blistering, acid-soaked rock’n’roll since Iggy and his Stooges had thrown the towel in. Since they finally came to blows with the recording of Spacemen 3’s swan song Recurring (which was split equally between Pierce and Kember’s songs), Kember has stayed true to character – forming his Spectrum project, and Pierce has gone on to find international fame as the front man of Space-Rockers Spiritualized.

Back in 1989 though, the duo (along with future Spiritualized bass player Will Carruthers) managed to create perhaps the most complete conceptualisation of their grand vision. As Kember noted in the liner notes “Luckily we had always thrived on adversity, and our experience served to focus us on the purity of our musical quest. I guess it was also the refining point of a lot of my theories on minimalism being maximalism, ‘hypno-monotony’ (consciousness change via repetition)”. They had an agenda for pushing simple, revolving melodies, either minimal in their approach, or filtered through a wall of guitar distortion and reverb to leave the listener draped in sound, where the most minor variation seems like a revolution.Starting quietly with subtle, reversed delay, flanged organ and hushed vocals on both Kember’s “Honey” and Pierce’s “Come Down Softly To My Soul”, they represent the veritable calm before the storm erupts. Pierce follows closely to his guitar melody, even giving air for some guest violin during the trailing guitar solo. Things come to a climactic conclusion initially with the sombre “How Does It Feel?”. The most minimalist of tracks on the album, starting with a monologue from Kember, then two gentle guitar lines (one for melody and a second pulsating, reverberant riff that drives the songs rhythm) that gradually grow and build over the songs’ 8 minutes.

The album continues to ebb and flow, finally delving into a full paced wall of sound with the aptly titled ‘Revolution’. A single chord guitar drone highlighted by primal drumming, Kember’s snarling vocals and positively chaotic lead guitar – thoroughly engorged with distortion. Kember announces ‘It takes just 5 seconds of decision, that the time is right, to start thinking about a little revolution’, and lets forth with his guitar fury. Reminiscent of Ron Asherton’s finest moments for the Stooges, Carruther’s Bass adds a layer of groove to one of the albums’ most engaging numbers. Though Kember has a succinct, authoritative approach to vocals (often spoken or in a monotone drawl), its Pierce who demonstrates the most dynamic vocal approach with the softly sung ‘So hot (wash away all of my tears)’. The album places heartfelt, building, and graceful songs between their moments of sheer sonic assault – resulting in a breathing, dramatic album that pulls at the heart-strings them blows them all away.

That clincher comes with the epic ‘Suicide’ – another drone based guitar freak-out (that is captured on the reissue in both its studio inclination and with a stunning live performance). An instrumental track based along a drone, a revolving organ line, shuffling drums and the occasional splash of lead guitar (that often follows the organ line) – it seems perfect instep with the flange and tremolo effects that texture the sonic mayhem. As the song develops, you start to notice all sorts of sounds coming into play, evolving in and out of the sound – the bass seems highly present through out the second half of the song, and organ patterns seem to come and go. Things come to a climax late in the song as each musician locks in on the organs stop-start rhythm, building a stew of guitar, bass and organ that pulsates until the songs eventual decent into unguided feedback.

The album serves as a document for all that has come after. ‘Lord can you here me when I call’ is perhaps the clearest connection. Pierce developing his thematic, gospel approach to self-realisation lyrics and song dynamics, a cacophony of horns, strings and the inevitable wall of guitars that characterises his later-day Spiritualized releases. Thoroughly engrossing, and utterly indulgent, the reissue adds a number of tracks. Taken from Stylus
Tracks
1. Honey
2. Come Down Softly to My Soul
3. How Does It Feel?
4. I Believe It
5. Revolution
6. Let Me Down Gently
7. So Hot (Wash Away All of My Tears)
8. Suicide
9. Lord Can You Hear Me?
Listen

When Judy Dyble left Fairport Convention way back in the 1960s, many distraught music fans kept an eagle eye out in the music press to see to what she would turn her hand next. She was clearly wondering herself as on 1 June 1968 she put a "Musician Wanted" ad in Melody Maker. When Peter Giles responded by telephone, the call was answered by boyfriend Ian McDonald. This led to both of them working with Giles, Giles and Fripp, the ensemble which was to mutate into King Crimson. But a month later Judy and Ian's relationship was over and she left once more.
Jackie McAuley had been organist and guitarist with Them during their rumbustious Angry Young Them period, and when Van Morrison had split the band some of them including Jackie and his drummer brother Pat had kept going, attracting the attention of Los Angeles producer Kim Fowley. He christened them the Belfast Gypsies and recorded with them a spirited rewrite of Gloria called Gloria's Dream, as well as the psych beat track People! Let's Freak Out which they released under the pseudonym the Freaks Of Nature. Then Jackie had briefly formed a band with Paul Brady in Dublin, called Cult, and travelled across Europe and Morocco widening his musical horizons.

This disparate duo forged an unlikely alliance in 1969 when they formed Trader Horne (the name of John Peel's nanny, apparently). A single was released called Sheena, with a Judy Dyble song on the flipside, Morning Way, which became the title track of this, their only album. It was quite unlike anything either had done before, ethereal and whimsical and imbued with childlike wonder, with Tolkeinesque lyrics that tell of the Children Of Oare and of Three Rings For Eleven Kings, and a soundscape fleshed out with flutes, harpsichords, auto-harps and celeste. Assisting on the album are Ray Elliott, an ally from Them, on alto flute and bass clarinet, bass-guitarist John Godfrey who arranged much of the album, and from Twice As Much's band, Andy White on drums.

Most of the songs were written by Jackie McAuley, whose original intention had been to write a children's album, but Judy Dyble contributes both Morning Way and the beautiful Velvet To Atone, which she wrote with Martin Quittenton from Steamhammer. There is also a version of Bessie Smith's Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out (here titled Down And Out Blues), and all the tracks are knitted together with a recurring instrumental motif.

Another single followed the album: Here Comes The Rain backed with Goodbye Mercy Kelly.

Trader Horne were due to be launched at a festival set up specifically for the purpose, the Hollywood Music Festival in Newcastle-under-Lyme, where I first experienced the Grateful Dead. Typically, though, Judy had broken up the band (in what she called a "tantrum") shortly before and went off to get married to Simon Stable. The festival launched Mungo Jerry instead.

She also toured the Netherlands with DC and the MBs (Judy Dyble, Lol Coxhill and Phil & Steve Miller) before settling down as a librarian. Trader Horne continued briefly with Saffron Summerfield, before Jackie McAuley embarked on a solo career.
It is hard to imagine an album like this being made today, though at the time it could have sat in your album rack alongside Donovan, Trees, Vashti Bunyan or Keith Relf's Renaissance. The song Morning Way was included on a retrospective anthology called Paisley Pop, an umbrella title for a genre unrecognised at the time. Listen to this album and time travel to an unrecognisable world. By Laurence Upton.
Tracks
1. Jenny May
2. Children Of Care
3. Three Rings For Eleven Kings
4. Growing Man
5. Down And Out Blues
6. Mixed Up Kind
7. Better Than Today
8. In My Loneliness
9. Sheena
10. Mutant
11. Morning Way
12. Velvet To Atone
13. Luke That Never Was
Listen

The Moth Confesses is the 1969 debut album by The Neon Philharmonic. Described as "A Phonograph Opera," it was inspired, according to the liner notes, by a production of Samuel Barber's Antony and Cleopatra, which Saussy attended after The New York Times claimed that it was a terrible opera, and wanted to see what a terrible opera looked like, which he surmised was its deliberate attempt to appeal to a one-time audience. In response, he conceived this album as a condensed opera, with a moth-like protagonist, focused on the "literary theme" of desperation. Saussy did not imagine it could be staged like Tommy, but offered it up as a challenge.[1]

"Brilliant Colors" and "Morning, Girl" were both released as singles, while "The New Life Out There" was used to promote the record as a contemporary opera in radio advertisements. "Morning, Girl" hit #17 and was later covered by The Lettermen, which slowed and made rubato the tempo and was backed mostly by strings. Shaun Cassidy covered "Morning Girl, Later" with a few tweaked lyrics (omitting the reference to "Catherine" that complicates the song implying that the protagonist now has a wife or daughter) and titled it "Morning, Girl." The songs primarily cover the topic of striking out towards a new life when relationships fail for various reasons.
Tracks
01. Brilliant Colors – 4:18
02. Cowboy – 2:18
03. The New Life Out There – 5:32
04. Morning Girl – 2:12
05. Midsummer Night – 5:44
06. Little Sparrow – 3:16
07. The Last Time I Saw Jacqueline – 3:42
08. Morning Girl, Later – 2:31
Listen

Their fourth self-titled album from 1968 was a major advancement for the Speakers, as it was crammed with excellent originals that mixed garage pop and acid rock. Later that year the group released it’s final album, the psychedelic masterpiece En El Maravilloso Mundo De Ingeson (In the Wonderful World of Ingeson). A record such as this could only be released independently as it was too far out for major labels to market. Ingeson was notable for being the first Columbian rock record to use multi channel recording techniques which enabled the band to introduce all kinds of strange sound effects to the record buying public. When the lp was released in 1968 it came in a gatefold edition that included a 12 page full-color booklet with photos of the band by Danilo Vitalini, text, drawings, and even a replica of an acid hit! The album has a very cool lo-fi sound and its only flaw is the out of place Historia De Un Loto Que, a silly blues rocker with sped up alien-like vocals. That being said, the rest of this record is great and as whacked out as any of the early Mutantes records.
Tracks
1 Por la mañana
2 Oda a la gente mediocre
3 Hay un extraño esperando en la puerta
4 Si la guerra es un buen negocio
5 Reflejos de la olla
6 Historia de un loto que florece
7 Niños
8 No como antes
9 La Banda Le Hace A Ud. Caer En Cuenta Que...
10 Nosotros, Nuestra Arcadia, Nuestra Hermanita Pequeña, Gracias Por Los Buenos Ratos
11 Un Sueño Magico
12 Salmo Siglo XX, Era De La Destruccion
Listen

The line-up consisted of singers/guitarists Tommy Andre and Reid King (the latter looking like a young Paul Williams). Judging by the brief liner notes on their albbum, the pair apparently met while attending college (I'm guessing in California) where they seemingly discovered a common interest in music.

Signed by Ken Handler's small L.A.-based Canterbury Records, the pair debuted with 1967's somewhat pretentiously titled "The Sound of the New Wave". Produced by Handler, most of the album's 11 tracks are originals that showcase the pair's heavily orchestrated soft-pop moves. Lots of references carry this as a psych effort. but other than the cover art, be forewarned that it isn't. Tracks such as 'Shadows of Good Bye', 'The Evening Mist - A Mounring Dew' and 'In a Lonely Towne' aptly exhibit the duo's decent voices and nice harmony work. Most of the songs boast fairly attractive melodies, though the arrangements are occasionally overwhelming and their lyrics suffer from standard college student angst which probably drove young female English majors crazy. Stuff like 'Live for Today' and the dreadful 'Autrefois (J'ai AIme Une Femme)' (the one non-original) are simply too MOR for my personal tastes, but anyone who likes late era Chad and Jeremy or Peter and Gordon (the phase where they started to get arty) might enjoy this lesser known act. Elsewhere, two 45s were lifted from the album::

- 1967's 'Where Do We Go from Here' b/w 'Not from You' (Canterbury catalog C-503
- 1967's 'Little Dreams' b/w Autrefois' (Canterbury catalog C-512)
Tracks
1.) Little Dreams
2.) Shadows of Good Bye
3.) The Evening Mist - A Mounring Dew
4.) Autrefois (J'ai AIme Une Femme)
5.) In a Lonely Towne
6.) The Shade of the Sun
7.) Walkin' On Down the Street
8.) Once
9.) Live for Today
10.) Not From Here
11.) Where Do We Go From Here
Listen

The title's not lying -- because the set's a wonderful collection of mod grooves -- a few from the past, and lots more from the present -- but all with an ear for the tastiest side of late 60s jazz, Latin, and soul! The feel is all-solid, too -- not kitschy or overly clever -- just solidly grooving, with a real appreciation for the same sort of styles that we love to hear in a dancefloor record!
tracks
1 The Diplomats of Solid Sound - Don't Touch my Popcorn 2:36
2 Skeewiff - Nitty Gritty 3:43
3 Boogaloo Investigators - Let the Groove Move You 4:23
4 Joe Bataan - Chick A Boom 3:45
5 The Harvey Averne Dozen - Never Learned to Dance 2:57
6 The Link Quartet - Beat.It 3:18
7 Village Callers - Hector 2:43
8 The Minivip - La Strada della Moda 2:25
9 Stoned Soul Picnic - Hardtop 22 4:38
10 Willie Bobo - He's That Way 3:07
11 Nicola Conte - Jazz pour Dadine 3:50
12 Ray Barretto - Teacher of Love 2:27
13 Monguito Santamaria - El Dorado 3:12
14 Gerardo Frisina - Sophisticated Samba 3:22
15 Cal Tjader - Ode to Billie Joe 3:06
16 Soulstance - The Time 4:10
Listen

Continuing their worldwide tour of record labels, Mushroom's sixth studio album has now appeared on the Aether label out of Indianapolis (run by the folks who perform as Many Bright Things) as a limited edition vinyl-only release. The album is a collection of four (more like five, really) very different instrumental works (you might call them 'post-rock'), totalling (well, pretty obvious really) about 40 minutes. Just like the old days! Again, some lineup shuffling of the ever-evolving group has led to different sounds and styles emerging.

The opening track, Leni Riefenstahl (named for a German actress/film maker), is a long, winding mesmerizing affair. Set to a relatively leisurely pace, the steady bassline and drumming are countered by streams of (what I imagine is) heavily-f/X'ed guitar, that comes across like a squadron of aircraft successively strafing your position. The tune reaches its full fruition at about the 8-minute mark when the power chords from Dan Olmstead's guitar stream through, followed then by bits of soloing against a peculiar curtain of rising and falling runs on both flute and synths. Eventually, the tune winds down and morphs directly into "A Violin Bow in Curved Air," initially an experimental piece of kling-klanginess mixed with Erik Pearson's screamin' violin. Somewhere in the middle of the piece, the unsettling sounds resolve into a more pleasant mix of atmospheric sounds... an effective device.

Side B opens with "A Tribute to Eddie Harris," a two-part journey that is more similar to the Mushroom of Analog Hi-Fi Surprise. "Swiss Movement" ebbs and flows over seven minutes, full of individual statements mainly from Olmstead's strangely-tuned and buzzing guitar and Pearson's sax. The combo soldiers on into a downright bluesy affair for the second phase, "Some Jive Ass Wasting My Time," a lazy stroll down to the Mississippi Delta for another five minutes of improvisation, before suddenly switching into a more uptempo jam with a rambling bassline and a swirly guitar 'whine' mixed with some inspired soloing. The LP wraps up with the more ambient "Dig My Mood," essentially a solo electric piano piece by Alison Faith Levy, full of soothing Cluster-like motifs echoed in just the right way to induce a reflective mood. Levy's stylish playing is a welcome new addition to the group.

Mushroom have yet to put out a sub-par work, and this one ranks right up there. The title track was taken from the Analog Hi-Fi recording session, but the bulk of the album is new material with a different intent. Some of the sounds and patterns in the improvisations are recognizable as distinctly 'Mushroom,' but the band always manages to present them in different guises with each successive album, such that they never produce redundant works.
Tracks
1. Leni Riefenstahl
2. A Violin Bow In Curved Air
3. A Tribute To Eddie Harris a) Swiss Movement (The Ticking Of A Clock) b) Some Jive Ass Wasting My Time
4. Dig My Mood
Listen

The GTOs were a "groupie group" that consisted of Miss Pamela (Pamela Des Barres), Miss Sparky (Linda Sue Parker), Miss Lucy (Lucy McLaren), Miss Christine (Christine Frka), Miss Sandra (Sandra Leano), Miss Mercy (Mercy Fontentot) and Miss Cynderella (Cynthia Wells, later Cynthia Cale-Binion). The group hailed from the area around Los Angeles in the late 1960s, with most of the girls being denizens of the Sunset Strip scene. Their only album, Permanent Damage, was released in 1969.

Miss Pamela and Miss Sparky met while attending Cleveland High School. Miss Christine had travelled to LA from San Pedro with Miss Sandra, and both lived in the basement of Frank Zappa's log cabin in the mid 1960s. Miss Christine was the live-in nanny for Zappa's eldest two children, Dweezil and Moon Unit, before Miss Pamela took over the position during the late 1960s. Miss Mercy had emigrated from the Haight Ashbury hippie scene to LA due to "boredom", alleging she "couldn't be a hippie forever". Miss Cynderella was an addition to the group brought by Mercy after the nucleus of the group had been formed. This accounts for Cynderella's presence in some, but not all of the GTOs publicity shots. Miss Lucy was also not an original member and joined after the recording of Permanent Damage.

Originally known as "The Laurel Canyon Ballet Company", they changed their name to The GTOs on the advice of Frank Zappa, their financial supporter and producer. The new name is an acronym which, as Stanley Booth wrote, could mean "Girls Together Outrageously or Orally or anything else starting with O." The members were connected by their association with Zappa, who was a complex musician who encouraged their artistic endeavors, even though the GTOs were not singers of renown. Performances by the group were sparse, although they created a strong impression at their 1968 performance at the Shrine Auditorium. A mix of theatrics, singing and dance were staples of their act. Their only album, Permanent Damage (Straight Records), was produced in 1969 by Frank Zappa with the assistance of Lowell George (track 7 and 11). The songs are mixed in with conversations had between the members of the group, friends, and others, including Cynthia Plaster Caster and Rodney Bingenheimer. The album features songwriting contributions from Lowell George, Jeff Beck and Davy Jones. Permanent Damage was re-issued on CD in 1989 by Enigma Retro.

Miss Mercy and Miss Lucy were involved with a male version of a GTO - a "BTO" - named Mr. Bernardo, a half-Indian multi-sexual. Interestingly, Miss Christine and Miss Sandra were both of Serbian parentage, while Miss Lucy herself was Mexican-American.

Miss Pamela (born 1948) is the most famous and successful of the GTOs. Prior to joining the group she had been a member of Vito Paulekis' dancing troupe. Des Barres is the author of three memoirs with the first, I'm With The Band, based primarily on a diary she faithfully kept from high school through her eventual marriage, due, in part, to the encouragement she received from Zappa. All of the books describe life during the 1960s and the groupie scene, which Des Barres's book, Let's Spend the Night Together, a collection of interviews with fellow rock groupies, (2007) defends. Miss Pamela married and divorced musician Michael Des Barres. Together they have a son, musician Nicholas Des Barres, born in 1978.
Miss Mercy has been referred to as “a human facsimilie", by Miss Pamela. They still remain close friends. Miss Mercy's 'biography' in I’m With The Band was expanded at length within the chapter entitled, "Miss Mercy's Blues".
After the demise of the GTOs, Miss Cynderella briefly married John Cale of Velvet Underground, but the marriage ended in divorce. Cynderella died on February 19th, 1997 in Palm Desert, California but her death was not widely reported until 2007 when Pamela Des Barres mentioned it in her book Let's Spend the Night Together (inadvertently listing the wrong death year for some reason).
Miss Christine died on November 5, 1972, of an overdose in a house in Cohasset, Massachusetts which was being being rented out by Jonathan Richman and his original group, The Modern Lovers. Her death occurred shortly after she had spent close to a year in a full body cast to correct her crooked spine. She appears on the cover of Frank Zappa's album Hot Rats. Christine also dated Vincent Damon Furnier from labelmates Alice Cooper, as well as Todd Rundgren and members of the Flying Burrito Brothers.
Miss Lucy was married to the late Gordon McLaren (bassist for the NYC band called, ironically, The Groupies) from 1975 to 1981. She also appeared in Frank Zappa's "underground" film 200 Motels. Sadly, Lucy died in 1991 of complications from AIDS.
During her time as a GTO, Miss Sandra became pregnant by Zappa's resident artist, Calvin Schenkel, and had a daughter named Raven. Miss Sandra later moved back to San Pedro and eventually Italy after marrying and giving birth to three children. She died of ovarian cancer on April 23, 1991.
Miss Sparky performed on the song "Disco Boy" on Zappa's 1976 album, "Zoot Allures" (credited under the name "Sharkie Barker"), and has also worked at the Walt Disney Corporation.
Track Listing
01. The Eureka Springs Garbage Lady
02. Miss Pamela and Miss Sparky discuss STUFFED BRAS and some of their early gym class experiences
03. Who's Jim Sox?
04. Kansas and the BTO's
05. The Captain's Fat Theresa Shoes
06. Wouldn't It Be Sad If There Were No Cones?
07. Do Me In Once And I'll Be Sad, Do Me In Twice And I'll Know Better (Circular Circulation)
08. The Moche Monster Review
09. TV Lives
10. Rodney
11. I Have A Paintbrush In My Hand To Color A Triangle
12. Miss Christine's First Conversation With The Plaster Casters Of Chicago
13. The Original GTO's
14. The Ghost Chained To The Past, Present and Future (Shock Treatment)
15. Love On An Eleven Year Old Level
16. Miss Pamela's First Conversation With The Plaster Casters Of Chicago
17. I'm In Love With The Ooh-Ooh Man
Listen

Machine came forth from Dutch band The Swinging Soul Machine. John Caljouw (ex-Dragonfly) is the lead singer. The single Lonesome Tree was a small hit. Flutist/ sax players Francois Content and Willem Warbie and bass player Jan Warbie went on the play in Tantalus.
Tracks
01. Rainmaker
02. Virgin
03. Say goodbye to your friends
04. God's children
05. Old black magic
06. Spanish roads
07. Lonesome tree
08. Sunset eye
Listen

The Music Machine (1965–1969) was an American garage rock and psychedelic (sometimes referred to as garage punk) band from the late 1960s, headed by singer-songwriter Sean Bonniwell and based in Los Angeles. The band sound was often defined by fuzzy guitars and a Farfisa organ. Their original look consisted of all-black clothing and black moptop hairstyles. Bonniwell was known to wear a single black glove.

The group came together as The Ragamuffins in 1965, but became The Music Machine in 1966. In addition to Bonniwell, the original line-up consisted of Ron Edgar (drums), Mark Landon (guitar), Keith Olsen (bass), and Doug Rhodes (organ).

Their debut album, (Turn On) The Music Machine, was released in 1966 on the Original Sound label. Seven of the twelve tracks were originals, written by Bonniwell. One of these, "Talk Talk", became a Top 20 hit in the U.S. The follow-up single, "The People In Me", peaked at #66. Bonniwell blamed the weak showing of this single on a supposed feud between the band's manager and a top record executive. Four cover songs were included on this release, due to record company pressure.

After a promotional tour of the U.S., the rest of the original line-up (Edgar, Landon, Olsen, and Rhodes), left Bonniwell, due to internal conflicts. In 1967, Music Machine (essentially only Bonniwell at this point) were signed to Warner Bros. and re-named The Bonniwell Music Machine. The name was changed to give more prominence to the band's core member, songwriter and vocalist. A self-titled LP was released that year, made up mostly of previously recorded singles with the original line-up. The recording spawned no big hits, despite the inclusion of a few more pop-oriented songs.
Tracks
1.Bottom of the soul
2.Absolutely positivily
3.Soul love
4.Something hurting on me
5.Affirmative no
6.The trap
7.The eagle never hunts the fly
8.No girl gonna cry
9.Me, myself and I
10.To the light
11.Tin can beach
12.Time out (for a daydream)
13.Astrologically incapatible
14.Discrepancy
15.Talk me down
16.I've loved you
17.You'll love me again
18.In my neighborhood
19.Double yellow line
20.The day today
Listen