Joined: November 09 2014
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Posted: January 09 2015 at 15:56
^ I always come back to that one for "The American Metaphysical Circus". A very strange, experimental, dark, and yet gripping track. Moskowitz's oscillated vocals can get stuck in my head for a long time after a listen.
Joined: April 11 2014
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Posted: January 09 2015 at 14:59
The United States of America 1968
One of the most idiosyncratic but accessible experimental/electronic/psychedelic albums ever made. The United States of America's self titled first and only album was the brain child of electronics wiz Joseph Byrd.
Byrd basically built a crude homemade 'synthesizer' with an oscillator, a ring modulator and a voltage control filter, which could be found in every early synth of the era. Using these components separately or in tandem, the group were able to create sounds or alter audio signals, including vocals as well as music, to great effect. However, building one from scratch is one thing, 'programing' it to produce a myriad of sounds was quite another as the components had to be rewired or reconfigured constantly.
Joined by an electric violin player that used an early version of an Octavia like devise to raise and drop his instrument one octave, a drummer, a fretless bassist and the Grace Slick sounding vocals of singer Dorothy Moskowitz, TUSoA produced an eclectic array of songs that mimicked acid rock or space rock, along with pyschedelia and electronica, mixed with cultural social commentary that produced music that was both of it's time and of the future.
The group broke up due to ego clashes and, what seems the bane of 60's psych groups, drug arrests.
Dated at times? Yes, but still worth a listen. And a re-listen.
Joined: August 22 2010
Location: Indiana
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Posted: January 09 2015 at 08:22
Regarding The Moody Blues.....I really liked In Search of..., On The Threshold...., and To Our Children...., all 3 are very good psych/pop/prog imho. Spent many a day and night listening to them in the late 60's early 70's.
Not as dark or 'heavy' as some other bands but still very enjoyable.
One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin
Joined: August 22 2010
Location: Indiana
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Posted: January 09 2015 at 08:13
SteveG wrote:
Book Nook:
Turn On Your Mind: Four Decades of Psychedelic Rock
By Jim DeRatogis
Turn On Your Mind may or may not be the definitive book about Psychedelic Rock, but it is the most exhaustive.
DeRatogas charts Psychedelic Rock's rise from proto psych band like The Seeds on to major Psych bands of the sixties through the Psych revival of the eighties before concluding with the formation and success of The Flaming Lips in the nineties and into the 21st century.
DeRatogis covers every Psych band or individual artist from Donovan through to Hawkwind, Parliament Funkadelic, Neu!, Frank Zappa, The Teardrop Explodes, Spacemen 3, XTC and Faust!
There's even an entertaining early chapter where DeRatogis details this book's first publication and the ensuing furor he caused by questioning if the music produced by The Grateful Dead was truly psychedelic and the backlash he received from devoted "Dead heads".
The major criticism that I've read leveled against this work is DeRatogis' need to indentify every song or artist with even a minor or passing interest in Psych like the nineties Beatles inspired pastiche Raspberry Beret by Prince.
This book does have a few glaring omissions such as not a single word about H.P. Lovecraft, although post punker P.H. Harvey does get afforded a few lines.
Turn On Your Mind is an entertaining as well as an informative read that includes interviews with such Prog and Psych luminaries such as Peter Gabriel, Andy Partridge and The Flaming Lips' Wanye Coyne.
Decent book....read it a few years ago. A good read for anyone who wants to dig into the origins and meat of the whole thing.
One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin
Joined: April 11 2014
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Posted: January 08 2015 at 09:38
Tears For Fears
The Seeds Of Love 1989
I don't recall if DeRatogis mentioned (Sowing) The Seeds Of Love's Beatles inspired title track in his book Turn On Your Mind, there's even a brief blast of Penny Lane piccolo trumpet on the track!, so I will.
The rest of the album follows TFF's great pop inflected New Wave that started with their first album The Hurting.
There always seemed to be some subliminal Psych or American sixties influence under some of the band's songs such as the hit Everybody Wants To Rule The World, which always reminded me a bit of late sixties era songs from The Rascals.
Rascals or not, TFF produced some stellar pop music in a dismal decade.
Joined: April 11 2014
Location: Kyiv In Spirit
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Posted: January 08 2015 at 09:20
Book Nook:
Turn On Your Mind: Four Decades of Psychedelic Rock
By Jim DeRatogis
Turn On Your Mind may or may not be the definitive book about Psychedelic Rock, but it is the most exhaustive.
DeRatogas charts Psychedelic Rock's rise from proto psych band like The Seeds on to major Psych bands of the sixties through the Psych revival of the eighties before concluding with the formation and success of The Flaming Lips in the nineties and into the 21st century.
DeRatogis covers every Psych band or individual artist from Donovan through to Hawkwind, Parliament Funkadelic, Neu!, Frank Zappa, The Teardrop Explodes, Spacemen 3, XTC and Faust!
There's even an entertaining early chapter where DeRatogis details this book's first publication and the ensuing furor he caused by questioning if the music produced by The Grateful Dead was truly psychedelic and the backlash he received from devoted "Dead heads".
The major criticism that I've read leveled against this work is DeRatogis' need to indentify every song or artist with even a minor or passing interest in Psych like the nineties Beatles inspired pastiche Raspberry Beret by Prince.
This book does have a few glaring omissions such as not a single word about H.P. Lovecraft, although post punker P.H. Harvey does get afforded a few lines.
Turn On Your Mind is an entertaining as well as an informative read that includes interviews with such Prog and Psych luminaries such as Peter Gabriel, Andy Partridge and The Flaming Lips' Wanye Coyne.
Joined: April 11 2014
Location: Kyiv In Spirit
Status: Offline
Points: 20617
Posted: January 07 2015 at 17:38
Kula Shaker K 1995
One of the best and least remembered Neo Psych bands, England's Kula Shaker 1995 album K actually went to No. 1 on the U.K. charts that year. KS were more in the Psych Pop vain which probably accounts for their British chart popularity, but were well aware of all things 60's and 70's Psych and even featured a two part song in tribute to the late Jerry Garcia.
Joined: April 11 2014
Location: Kyiv In Spirit
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Posted: January 07 2015 at 16:58
Toaster Mantis wrote:
SteveG wrote:
^I don't know about just nostalgia talking as PH most certainly had a strict non pop aesthetic as compared to the other pop groups, as you mentioned, and do fall into more serious prog presentation (with some strange lyrics at times). And PM's music still seems holds up for me compared to many other late sixties proto proggers.
The issue I have with The Moody Blues is one I also have with Tomorrow, Traffic and other of the first wave of progressive rock groups since their songwriting isn't as involved as the next wave of musicians they inspired even though the overall "sound" is already there. Maybe the problem is that I heard Jethro Tull, King Crimson etc. first... so when listening to a good deal of "proto-prog", it feels like something is missing or sounds somewhat off for me.
No doubt that most Proto-prog leaves a lot to be desired when compared to the full blown Progressive Rock which came later but their are exceptions. And there are some Proto porg bands that I admire just for taking those first formative steps toward Prog.
Joined: November 09 2014
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Posted: January 07 2015 at 16:18
MGMT - Management, is you'd prefer - were The Next Big Thing back in 2007 when they dropped their debut LP Oracular Spectacular (upper right), and for good reason. The duo of Ben Goldwater and Andrew VanWyngarden plied a truly spectacular mix of psychedelia and synthy, '80's-esque indietronic. It's always been very beautiful stuff. In fact, they're so good that up there I've included Climbing To New Lows (upper left), which is an album of demos from '05 that leaked, intentionally or not. Even that demo collection is more than worthwhile. I highly recommend Oracular Spectacular and Congratulations (lower left) at the least to adventerous psych fans, but this is all worth seeking out.
Joined: April 12 2008
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Posted: January 07 2015 at 12:37
SteveG wrote:
^I don't know about just nostalgia talking as PH most certainly had a strict non pop aesthetic as compared to the other pop groups, as you mentioned, and do fall into more serious prog presentation (with some strange lyrics at times). And PM's music still seems holds up for me compared to many other late sixties proto proggers.
The issue I have with The Moody Blues is one I also have with Tomorrow, Traffic and other of the first wave of progressive rock groups since their songwriting isn't as involved as the next wave of musicians they inspired even though the overall "sound" is already there. Maybe the problem is that I heard Jethro Tull, King Crimson etc. first... so when listening to a good deal of "proto-prog", it feels like something is missing or sounds somewhat off for me.
"The past is not some static being, it is not a previous present, nor a present that has passed away; the past has its own dynamic being which is constantly renewed and renewing." - Claire Colebrook
Joined: April 11 2014
Location: Kyiv In Spirit
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Posted: January 07 2015 at 09:14
Luder
Adelphophagia (2014)
Passed on to me by a friend, these Detroit Psych/Prog rockers sound like a cross between modern day Motorhead and vintage Hawkwind or Sabbath mixed with other early seventies space rockers. And they feature an engaging female vocalist who has the necessary pipes for this type of musical concoction.
I'm still trying to draw a definitive opinion on the disc, but I'm definitely intrigued. And surprised.
Joined: April 11 2014
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Posted: January 07 2015 at 09:08
^I don't know about just nostalgia talking as PH most certainly had a strict non pop aesthetic as compared to the other pop groups, as you mentioned, and do fall into more serious prog presentation (with some strange lyrics at times). And PM's music still seems holds up for me compared to many other late sixties proto proggers.
Edited by SteveG - January 07 2015 at 10:14
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Joined: April 12 2008
Location: Denmark
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Posted: January 07 2015 at 05:21
SteveG wrote:
^Same here. I liked DOFP but that's as far as it went for me. There was much darker or harder edged stuff around at that time that caught my eye.
I also don't find their songwriting quite as involving when it comes to things like narrative structure as early King Crimson, the best ELP songs which obviously took a lot from them. I guess The Moody Blues had to come first for others to improve on them, either that or the problem is with me since they're too overtly poppy for my taste. I don't particularly listen to The Beatles or The Beach Boys very often either, and I'm not sure how much of my appreciation for Procol Harum is just out of nostalgia.
"The past is not some static being, it is not a previous present, nor a present that has passed away; the past has its own dynamic being which is constantly renewed and renewing." - Claire Colebrook
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