OF WONDROUS LEGENDS

Most "lost classics" at least had their day to be judged by more than just greedy capitalists, although one could argue that many of these received so little exposure and promotion that they were essentially deep sixed until the CD/MP3 era. But here before us we have an unloved and roundly rejected psych-folk offering that sat dormant for 37 years in the undignified time capsules of dusty attics and thrift stores...until its accidental discovery by someone with enough interest and influence to right earlier wrongs.

O.W.L is really writer, singer, and visionary Stephen Titra and his Chicago-based collective of skilled musicians formed around 1968, who performed live at local venues for several years. Titra's influence was more ancient Western European than American midwestern, so even the polished wee hours studio sessions of 1971 failed to impress some of the eminent record labels of the day, and the tapes languished. I'm not saying this isn't of its time, but it also seems so self contained, in its own atmosphere in which sound waves do not necessarily adhere to the laws of physics or memory. The tasteful vocals, flute, string, and keyboard arrangements exude both fragility and resilience, and a faith in themselves to weather the coming decades of isolation.

Most of the songs here are on the mellow side, with Olde English folk influences, the best of these being the trad-influenced "Tale of the Crimson Knight" and the hypnotically astounding "On the Wings of Gabriel". Of the 2 or 3 uptempo numbers, "Midnight Carnival", at 8 plus minutes, would be of most interest to prog folk fans, with its shifting phases and eerie motifs, but the bombastic "Everyman and the Philosopher King" is equally impressive.

Several otherwise simple folk tunes are embellished by expressive bass and jazzy electric piano, notably "Be Alive" and "Breton Landscape", both of which refuse to choose the road well travelled with their warm melodies. For points of reference if not outright influences, I would look to the mellow side of early KING CRIMSON as well as PEARLS BEFORE SWINE, TIR NA NOG, MAGNA CARTA, SIMON AND GARFUNKEL, NICK DRAKE, FOREST, FAIRPORT CONVENTION, and STRAWBS.

Those into prog folk or early pastoral psych music would be wise to pick up the sole recorded work of O.W.L.

Perhaps one of the most aptly named acts of all time, the Chicago based O.W.L. which is short for OF WONDROUS LEGENDS was an active psychedelic progressively infused baroque chamber folk band that existed from 1968 until the early 1970s and recorded a series of excellent demos in 1971 that were never released. O.W.L. suffered the same situation as many uncompromising visionary artists of the era by having their music rejected on the basis that it wasn't marketable and didn't yield a specific track that could be released as a viable single. Apparently despite the wealth of artistic freedom that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s many artists were still far too idiosyncratic for record labels to wrap their heads around.

After a noble attempt of sending the demos to as many big ticket labels as possible, Titra faced fact that his music was too introspective, too steeped in traditional English folk and renaissance music influences to fit in with the mainstream sounds of Joni Mitchell, Simon and Garfunkel or even the politically charged folk styles of Bob Dylan or Phil Ochs. After abandoning the prospects of releasing the tracks as an album the demos became lost over time and the prospects of the O.W.L. project seemed extinguished forever until by sheer luck one of the demos appeared in a Chicago thrift store in 2004 when they were discovered by Dawson Prater of Locust Music.

After Prater's eureka moment of stumbling upon one of the greatest lost folk albums of the era, he released the material in 2008 on both vinyl and CD on his Locust label and the album since has been recognized as a veritable lost treasure of musical innovation that was in a world all its own. This archival material has been met with critical acclaim and recognized as some of the most creatively designed examples of progressive and psychedelic chamber folk infused with baroque pop and renaissance music ever recorded. How perfect could a band name like OF WONDROUS LEGENDS be for such a tale of triumph over the slimmest of chances? Apparently miracles do happen.

The band was founded by Stephen Titra who had played in a number of local folk bands including the Uncalled Four, Rhythm's Children and the Grateful Dead inspired country folk rock band Mountain Bus before leaving to develop his own unique style of psychedelically infused folk music. While Mountain Bus would release its sole album "Sundance" in 1971, Titra was busy recording a series of tracks at the Universal Recording studios the same year. While led by Titra who was the sole vocalist and songwriter, the folk music sound of O.W.L. was unique with lush dreamy orchestrations that included piano, flutes, mandolin, electric bass, cello and horn arrangements and a vibrant assembly of percussive sounds including drums, marimba, vibraphone and chimes that were played by various musicians.

Although a mere collection of disparate demos, this compilation OF WONDROUS LEGENDS flows perfectly like it was truly designed to be a classic album from the era it was crafted. Titra was a gifted songwriter who not only delivered some of the most introspective and profound poetic musings but was a genius in how he could craft intricate melodies that offered unexpected progressive twists that elevated the music to a level of sophistication well above and beyond the typical folk musical styles that were marketed in the commercial world. The album offered a range of beautiful compositions that ranged from pastoral traditional English folk tracks such as the opening "Legends" and "Dawn Of Albion" to the renaissance inspired "Upon The Wings Of Gabriel." The dreamy production and thoughtful arrangements infused the music with a haze of psychedelia.

While every track on OF WONDROUS LEGENDS is pure gold, the most progressive moments occur on the 8 1/2 minute "Midnight Carnival" which features a mesmerizing display of varying guitar riffs and a vibrant vibraphone accompaniment. Melodically addictive the track features an extended psychedelic acid folk journey in its conclusion with a profound message of unity and optimism delivered in the most profound poetic prose that the era had to offer. The beauty of this album is that every track stands out as a classic in its own right and uplifted by Titra's seductively divine vocal performances. The compositions are beautifully designed with each instrument adding the appropriate sound effects at the perfect time.

This album landed in my world as a pure fluke as well. Attracted by the album cover i discovered O.W.L. randomly at a local used music store and felt an immediate connection but when i actually played it i was utterly blown away by the majestic music delivered that i was experiencing. To learn that this musical gem was nearly lost to history without ever being heard by a larger audience only amplified my interest. This is one of those albums that i loved upon first listen but it's also one that beckons return visits often to the point it has become one of my all time favorite folk albums of all time. Due to the chance rediscovery of O.W.L.'s exquisitely produced folk paragon, Titra returned to the music scene in 2009 to perform these beautiful tracks live.

The music on this release is the perfect mix of baroque pop in the style of The Left Banke mixed with the psychedelic progressive folk style of bands like Pearls Before Swine, Tim Buckley, Shawn Phillips and Nick Drake only more polished, better produced and expansively more creative in its vast scope. It utterly blows my mind that music of this caliber was completely rejected when it was recorded and nearly deleted from history. This release really is a masterpiece of salvaged majesty that i'm utterly grateful has seen the light of day and entered my world.

Titra's talents extend well beyond crafting musical bliss as he has become a painter, writer and visual artist who has contributed to numerous book illustrations, murals, paintings as well as becoming a public speaker on how to develop the creative process. Titra and members of O.W.L. have also collaborated with Constantine Hastalis on his 2015 debut album "Day Of Light." That album follows in the footsteps of these classic O.W.L. recordings and delivers a similar psychedelic baroque take on English folk with flavors of the renaissance spiced up with progressive twists and turns. O.W.L. really is a LEGEND that has undergone one of the most WONDROUS journeys in the world of recorded music.