BLESS ITS POINTED LITTLE HEAD

This album delivers some live recordings from the Fillmore stages of this group, which succeeded very well in both studio and concert environment, creating carefully constructed studio recordings and spontaneous, aggressive live jammings. The record introduced some totally new songs when the album was released in 1969.

The album starts with an intro sounding to be clipped from old movies. First song "3,5 of A Mile in 10 Seconds" kicks in the boogie powerfully, having fine guitar solos and being a great version of the song. Then follows a decent version of the hit song "Somebody to Love", not being the best version which I have heard (Woodstock is...). "Fat Angel", a long running Donovan cover starts quietly, a mantra gaining power and smoothening, rolling like a wave and building up great psychedelic anthem. "Rock Me Baby" is another nearly eight minutes long track, this one being a slow blues rocker with a trashy stoned guitar and singing. "The Other Side of This Life" starts from a loose jamming, and builds up to a fine version, having really powerful guitar solo and explorations of drum rhythms. Following versions of "It's No Secret" and "Plastic Fantastic Lover" are nice, but not the most best songs in the album. There's a small announcement and fooling around, whilst waiting to get the place darkened for the psychedelic visuals or such, which were projected over performance of "Bear Melt", over eleven minutes long album closer and best track of this fine live recording. Song starts slowly and quietly, power rising slowly. Jazzy middle section gives birth to a free improvisation session, finally ending to a beautiful quiet moment.

This recommendable live recording is not an obvious hit collection, but that doesn't matter, actually I consider it being a fine quality for a live document of this exceptional band. I did not have a remastered CD with some bonus tracks, maybe they would be interesting to be heard.