GOOLUTIONITES AND THE REAL PEOPLE

Tamam Shud was a psych-prog rock band formed in 1967. The name of the band is a a Persian phrase meaning "the very end", taken by the band's guitarist Bjerre from the closing words of Omar Khayyam's poem "The Rubaiyat". The band was probably influenced by the "Mystery of the Somerton Man", a case of a man's dead body found on Somerton beach in Adelaide, Australia on December 1948. A piece of paper with the words "Tamam Shud" was found inside a sectret pocket in the man's clothes. The body was never identified. Quite a story...as is the band's music.

After their debut, "Evolution", released in 1969, which was the soundtrack to Paul Witzig's surf film, Tamam Shud were offered a deal by Warner Brothers and decided to make a turn towards more adventurous, progressive music, compared to their mostly psych/acid (and less prog) rock debut. "Goolutionites and the Real People" was released in October 1970 with one line-up change: Zac Zytnic was replaced by guitar prodigy Tim Gaze, not more than 15 years old when he joined the band, who nevertheless contributed very much to Tamam Shud's "evolution-after- Evolution".

Considered as their masterpiece, this is a concept album about enironmental degradation by "goolutionites" (= polluters) versus "the real people" (=anti-polluters). The concept (as well as Gaze's embarking) was Bjerre's idea. The music is dominated by the guitar heavy riffing, flowing leads and kind of jazzy licks. The acid-rock influences are still present here, which gives a unique, more groovy and yet heavy rock, identity to the album. All songs are beautifully structured, sounding as a turning point from psychedelic rock to to the prog era which followed in the early '70s. After some live shows which followed the release of "Goolutionites..", Tamam Shud disbanded. Tim Gaze and Dannie Davidson went on to form another great band, Kahvas Jute, with Bob Daisley and Dennis Wilson (ex-Mecca).

Ian McFarlane (Australian music journalist and author of The Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop) called Tamam Shud's final album as "one of the truly great Aussie progressive rock albums" and I couldn't agree more. Alongside Masters Apprentices, Buffalo, Madder Lake, and Kahvas Jute, Tamam Shud are among the underrated bands of '70s aussie prog rock.

Favorite songs: "Heaven Is Closed", " A Plague", "Goolutionites Theme (Part 1 & 2)".

Highly recommended to all psych/prog rock and proto-prog rock fans.

Goolutionites still basically continues in the west coast acid rock style of the previous album - they still hadn't really crossed over into full-blown prog, although the addition of Tim Gaze to the band gave them the instrumental chops to carry the band into more ambitious territory in the years to come. Goolutionites is nevertheless a great album, a huge improvement over Evolution. Lindsay Bjerre's social and environmental concerns were coming to the fore in his lyrics, and for this album he put together a loose song cycle excoriating the selfish andwasteful lifestyle and repressive politics of mainstream society, and celebrating the virtues of nature and the new values of the counter culture. There are further explorations of unusual song structures on tracks like "Goolutionites Theme" and "Heaven Is Closed", while Tim Gaze's lead guitar drives the band to greater instrumental achievement on tracks like "I Love You All, "A Plague" and "Stand In The Sunlight". The gorgeous ballad "Take A Walk On A Foggy Morn" is possibly my favourite Tamam Shud song. This version of the band broke up almost immediately after the album was recorded, with Gaze and Davidson joining Kahvas Jute. Bjerre & Barron (eventually rejoined by Gaze) immediately took the band in a very different direction - lighter, jazzier, and proggier. Unfortunately, they were never allowed to record another album.

Quick note about editions. On the original pressing, "They'll Take You Down On The Lot" finishes with a quick descending four chord progression, a brief drum solo, and finally one of those rock and roll endings where everyone plays at once until a final drumbeat. On both of the official CD releases, this ending is cut short at the end of the drum solo. There are pirate CDs circulating which have the full ending. On the other hand, the Aztec re-release includes loads of bonus tracks - all their subsequent official releases (the Bali Waters EP and the contributions to Morning Of The Earth), and some rare live recordings from late in 1971. This was Tamam Shud's best period, so it's great to have so much of it finally available on a single CD - now if they could have included "America" from the GTK Tapes it would have been perfect.

"Australian psych-prog classic". Well, that is saying something, isn't it? I have read that line and similar, some even proclaiming it to be a masterpiece, many times and I always wonder what it is compared to. Is it Spectrums Milesago or The Aztecs or who? I have not an answer for this.

When I bought the album it was by way of lines as those above. Here was this amazing concept album of a progressive pedigree of the highest rank by this australian band, since long disbanded. I had to have it. When I received it, was I blown away? Was my inner feelings aroused by joy and musical fulfillment? Truthfully? No. No, I was not. By God, no.

The only thing I noticed, at first, was the extremely shaky vocals of Lindsay Bjerre. It drowned away everything else and I was deeply troubled. The album was then laid to rest, hidden away amongst the other CD:s of my collection. As time passed by, the feelings of dislike faded away and my interest for Tamam Shud re-emerged. By that time I managed to see through the foggy haze of rather bad vocals. When uncovered I found a treasure. A little gem of progressive rock.

The cover is beautiful with it's simple concept. A totally blue background, a gate and some sort of mythical being leading a parade of people, of sorts. That is alone something to behold. Inside this artistic delight is the music itself. The music of Tamam Shud is a mixture of psych, hard rock, jamming and progressive explorations, with a hint of jazz and folk. It is throughout a moody album. Reflective and pensive at times. Explosive and hard rocking at other times.

The music flows by, in an ever flowing segment, as many a progressive album do. Though comprised of several moods and changes in musical direction the music never strays too far but retains a sense of cohesiveness.

The shorter tracks, like "I love you all" and the jazzy "They'll take you down on the lot", are really effective parts of the equation, acting intermediary to the longer epics of the album. "Heaven is closed" and "A plague". The two songs "Goolutionites theme part 1 and 2" act as one entity and is a fine example of the jazzy progressive jazz-rock of Tamam Shud.

The vocals aren't as bad as I first experienced. They are not the greatest but in context they actually work really well. They are shaky but somewhat charming, ranging from being sometimes bad and sometimes quite good. If you get past the vocals I dare say you are in for a treat, listening to this album.

So, is it an australian masterpiece of prog? I can't say. I know too little about Australia's prog scene of the 1970's (or any decade) to say. It is, however, a great progressive album by any national standard and has that certain australian flavor I have found in Spectrum's music. That tone is very pleasing and makes for a very enjoyable experience. I really recommend anyone into psych-prog or progressive rock with jazzy elements to give it a listen. It is a great example of early progressive rock's attitude towards music in general, blending and twisting all genres into one delicious concoction.