The Aquarian Age-10,000 Words In A Cardboard Box / Good Wizzard Meets Naughty Wizzard (1968)

Rating: 9 out of 10

Band Lineup:

Twink [John Alder]-drums, vocals

John “Junior” Wood-bass

Nicky Hopkins-piano

Clem Cattini-drums

Mark Wirtz-keyboards

Track Listing:

A-Side

10,000 Words In A Cardboard Box (Alder/Wood)

B-Side

Good Wizzard Meets Naughty Wizzard (Alder/Wood/Wirtz)

The Aquarian Age was a band formed by Twink and Junior in the wake of their former band, Tomorrow’s, dissolution. They released only one single, but it is a British psychedelic classic. The A-side features the magnificent “10,000 Words In A Cardboard Box,” which Twink would later re-record for his 1970 solo album, Think Pink. This original version of “10,000 Words In A Cardboard Box” features a much harsher attack on their former band mate, Keith West, with a chorus of “How do you do? It’s not nice to see you. Nice to have seen you. Goodbye,” which was removed from Twink’s later solo version, and the song moves at a much faster pace than Twink’s slow, spacey solo version. The contradictions in each line of the lyrics are great, as is the instrumentation and array of weird sounds (notice the violin solo) in the background. The B-side is a fun novelty piece of nonsense entitled “Good Wizzard Meets Naughty Wizzard,” which tells the story of a good wizard who meets a naughty wizard and attempts to blot out his mischief by turning him good. However, his spell backfires and he turns the naughty wizard into a frog. After forgetting how to reverse the spell for a while, the good wizard is able to eventually return the naughty wizard to his original state. The naughty wizard promptly turns the good wizard into a lizard and the song ends. This is a fun B-side, and Twink is clearly enjoying himself as he uses different voices for the two characters. This is a fun single and a great example of the many facets of British psychedelia. For those who are interested in these songs, they are available as bonus tracks on the remastered version of Tomorrow’s album, Tomorrow.

Links to the songs (unfortunately I only have one for the A-side):

10,000 Words In A Cardboard Box

Twink-Think Pink (1970)

Rating: 7 out of 10

Personnel:

Twink-drums, vocals

Paul Rudolph-guitar, bass, vocals

Junior Wood-bass

Wally Allen-piano

John Povey-sitar, mellotron

Steve Peregrine Took-guitar, percussion, vocals

Viv Prince-drums (on “Mexican Grass War”)

Track Listing:

Side One

1. The Coming of the Other One (Twink)

2. Ten Thousand Words in a Cardboard Box (Twink/Wood)

3. Dawn of Majic (Twink)

4. Tiptoe on the Highest Hill (Twink)

5. Fluid (Twink)

Side Two

6. Mexican Grass War (Twink)

7. Rock and Roll the Joint (Twink)

8. Suicide (Twink)

9. Three Little Piggies (Took/Twink)

10. The Sparrow Is a Sign (Took/Twink)

This album is really good, as long as you enjoy trippy, drum heavy madness. Twink was one of the leaders of the British psych scene, and is much better known for his work as a drummer for the bands Tomorrow, Pretty Things, and the Pink Fairies, all of whose material is much more accessible than Twink’s solo output, which is often quite drum-centric and very experimental. However, there are some absolute gems nested amongst some of the experimental instrumentals on this album, and even those songs can grow on you if you give them the chance (and several listens). However, the album is a little uneven, and side two is definitely much weaker than side one, which is why it only scores a seven out of ten in my ratings.

Think Pink opens with one of the aforementioned gems, “The Coming of the Other One,” which is an excellent introduction to the album and features Twink speaking (and sometimes screaming) about a coming apocalypse that will arrive “in the year 1999 and seven months,” over a backdrop of strange, often manic noises, which sets the crazy mood of the album quite well. Following “The Coming of the Other One” is the strongest song on the entire album, “Ten Thousand Words in a Cardboard Box,” which is actually a new version of the song, which was originally released by Twink and Junior Wood as a single in 1968, under the band name, the Aquarian Age. This song is an attack on their former band mate in Tomorrow, Keith West, and features excellent, psychedelic guitar work, spacey vocals, and mystical lyrics with apparent contradictions in each line. Next up is “Dawn of Majic,” which is a short, spacey, Indian-influenced instrumental. “Dawn of Majic” is followed by another great song, “Tiptoe on the Highest Hill.” This song is very spacey, but manages to evoke a painful beauty at the same time, highlighted by the switch from double tracked vocals on the verses to the single tracked chorus of “I cried.” Side one concludes with “Fluid,” an instrumental coupling some nice guitar work with a moaning female voice, seeming to be in a sexual ecstasy, which produces a cool effect.

Side two opens with another instrumental, “Mexican Grass War,” which is an anarchic, drum-centric piece that has its best moments when the drums are augmented with some guitar and yelping in the background. Next is “Rock and Roll the Joint,” another instrumental, though this time dominated by guitars doing a cool call and response thing. However, it gets a little repetitive. “Rock and Roll the Joint” is followed by “Suicide,” which is the best song on side two. “Suicide” is a captivating acoustic piece, containing a unique combination of up-tempo, almost upbeat, verses and a slow, spooky, and sad chorus. After “Suicide,” the album begins to peter out. The next song is the chaotic “Three Little Piggies,” which shows Twink and Steve Took having a bit of off the cuff fun, but adds nothing of substance to the album. Finally, Think Pink concludes with “The Sparrow Is a Sign.” While this song is very good, it is totally out of place on a Twink album, since it was written by Steve Took, who also sings lead vocals on it. “The Sparrow Is a Sign” is possibly the best song that Steve ever wrote, but it just doesn’t fit well stylistically with the rest of the album, which all comes from the brain of Twink, and it is rumored that Twink placed this song on the album as a favor to Steve, who was unable to release his own material while he was a part of Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Overall, this is a very good and interesting album. While it does not quite make it into the great category, it definitely holds a great degree of value, due to its experimental nature and the few extraordinary gems that are buried on this album. Think Pink is becoming quite difficult to find for a reasonable price, so grab a copy while you still can. Also, if you enjoyed this album, I would recommend tracking down a copy of Twink’s The Never Never Land And Think Pink Demos, which contains some excellent alternate versions of some of the songs on Think Pink, including a killer version of “The Coming of the Other One.”


And links to the songs:

The Coming of the Other One

Ten Thousand Words in a Cardboard Box

Dawn of Majic

Tiptoe on the Highest Hill

Fluid

Mexican Grass War

Rock and Roll the Joint

Suicide

Three Little Piggies

The Sparrow Is a Sign

Ultimate Spinach-Behold & See (1968)

Rating: 9 out of 10

Band Lineup:

Ian Bruce-Douglas-guitar, harmonica, keyboards, vocals

Richard Nese-bass

Geoffrey Winthrop-guitar, vocals, sitar

Barbara Hudson-guitar, vocals

Keith Lahteinen-drums, vocals

Track Listing:

Side One

1. Gilded Lamp of the Cosmos (Bruce-Douglas)

2. Visions of Your Reality (Bruce-Douglas)

3. Jazz Thing (Bruce-Douglas)

4. Mind Flowers (Bruce-Douglas)

Side Two

5. Where You’re At (Bruce-Douglas)

6. Suite: Genesis of Beauty (In Four Parts) (Bruce-Douglas)

7. Fifth Horseman of the Apocalypse (Bruce-Douglas)

8. Fragmentary March of Green (Bruce-Douglas)

This is a really great album. I absolutely don’t care what all the big shot critics say. While Ian Bruce-Douglas may be a kindred spirit of Frank Zappa, I don’t see any way that a critic can see this album as a cash in or Frank Zappa rip off. The emotion that is present in Ian’s lyrics is just too strong. Unfortunately, this album is labeled as such due to a poorly run marketing campaign to promote the “Bosstown Sound” of Boston area psychedelic bands run by their record label. Please don’t let that campaign continue to tarnish a great album over forty years later. Give it a fair listen with an open mind. You just might like what you hear… 

“Gilded Lamp of the Cosmos”: A stunning, though quite dark, opener featuring Barbara Hudson on lead vocals. Just like every other song on this album, “Gilded Lamp of the Cosmos” exudes a bad trip feel, as Ian’s lyrics denounce phoniness both in straight society and amongst the counterculture (similar to Frank Zappa and the Mothers’ We’re Only In It For The Money), and also deal with the psychological damage such a phony society can cause. Barbara’s voice works great on this song, as it oozes with a sort of sneering darkness. I don’t care what the critics say about this being a cash-in or a Zappa rip off, this is brilliant.

“Visions of Your Reality”: Another great song, continuing the same themes established in “Gilded Lamp of the Cosmos,” although Ian takes over the lead vocal duties here. Again, the instrumentation is fairly spacey and subdued, putting the emphasis on the lyrics, which again show Ian’s disillusionment with the “shallowness” of society.

“Jazz Thing”: Another Ultimate Spinach classic in the same vein as the first two tracks on the album. Ian is again on lead vocals. There isn’t much else to say, since this song is pretty similar thematically and stylistically to the first two songs, so just sit back and enjoy it.

“Mind Flowers”: This is the masterpiece that all of side one has been building up to. Lyrically, it is similar to the other songs, but it is much more spacey, and the tempo is slower. The length of the song also allows for some breaks so that the band can show off their instrumental prowess. Ian again sings lead, with a slow, spacey voice, and maintains that feeling when he performs a spoken bridge in the middle of the song. The spacey mood of “Mind Flowers” is heightened by the use of echo on some of Ian’s spoken piece and the strange electronic noises that crop up throughout the song. This is an excellent conclusion to side one of the album. 

“Where You’re At”: Side two begins just like side one, with Barbara Hudson singing lead. The theme of the song is the same as those on side one, as Ian’s lyrics denounce phony spacers and people who attempt to make everyone feel sorry for them. There is some nice, driving guitar work in this song, and the tempo is a little faster than most Ultimate Spinach songs, making this an excellent opener for side two.

“Suite: Genesis of Beauty (In Four Parts)”: This is definitely the centerpiece of side two, and another of Ian’s masterpieces. “Genesis of Beauty” actually is a long suite made up of four distinct parts. The first part features Barbara on lead vocals singing in a very classical, almost church choir, style. Part two has Ian taking over the lead vocal duties and sounds like a typical Ultimate Spinach song (albeit a very good one). The third part is an instrumental, featuring some cool keyboard work by Ian, showing that he was more than just a talented singer and songwriter. Part four is a reprise of part one with Barbara again singing choir-like vocals. This is a great track and the four parts flow seamlessly into one another, creating an absolutely beautiful piece.

“Fifth Horseman of the Apocalypse”: The only instrumental on the album turns out to be a decent track with some pretty passages and a chance for all the instruments to get a little solo time, but is overall unremarkable. There is nothing bad about this track, and there are some nice guitar solos and even some bits with harmonica, but it is just not as memorable as the rest of the material on this album.

“Fragmentary March of Green”: This album ends with another gem entitled “Fragmentary March of Green.” It is in the same vein as just about everything else on the album, and denounces the constrictions of straight society. The song ends with a chant of “insanity, reality,” repeated numerous times, which is actually an excellent summary of the themes running throughout this album. Overall, this is an excellent closing track.

Hopefully you enjoyed the trip, and have emerged a much wiser, if somewhat more pessimistic listener. Despite its cynical theme, I do feel that Ian offers a message of hope for emancipation from the snares of this world in many of the songs, so hopefully you can take away some hope along with a heavy dose of realism. This is truly an exquisite and ambitious album, and one of my absolute favorites. I was very close to giving it a 10, but felt that my apathy towards “Fifth Horseman of the Apocalypse” along with the overall lack of stylistic variation made it better suited for a very strong 9. If you are interested in this album, I recommend purchasing the cd reissue on the Iris Music Group label, as many of the songs are edited (read butchered) on the Big Beat version. I hope you enjoy.

And links to the songs:

Gilded Lamp of the Cosmos

Visions of Your Reality

Jazz Thing

Mind Flowers

Where You’re At

Suite: Genesis of Beauty (In Four Parts)

Fifth Horseman of the Apocalypse

Fragmentary March of Green

13th Floor Elevators-Easter Everywhere (1967)

Rating: 10 out of 10

Band Lineup:

Roky Erickson-guitar, lead vocals

Tommy Hall-electric jug, vocals

Stacy Sutherland-lead guitar, vocals

Dan Galindo-bass

Danny Thomas-drums, vocals

Track Listing:

Side One

1. Slip Inside This House (Hall, Erickson)

2. Slide Machine (Powell St. John)

3. She Lives (In A Time Of Her Own) (Hall, Erickson)

4. Nobody To Love (Sutherland)

5. Baby Blue (Bob Dylan)

Side Two

6. Earthquake (Hall, Erickson)

7. Dust (Hall, Erickson)

8. Levitation (Hall, Sutherland)

9. I Had To Tell You (Hall, Sutherland)

10. Postures (Leave Your Body Behind) (Hall, Erickson)

The second album by the 13^th Floor Elevators is truly one of the greatest psychedelic albums to ever be produced. And to think that they came from Austin, Texas! This album has many strengths, starting with its diversity. A whole range of styles are covered here (and quite well at that), ranging from psychedelic garage rock to solo acoustic ballads to folk rock influenced philosophical meditations to spooky blues. Tommy Hall is one of the absolute best lyricists of the era, and his weird electric jug takes the listener on an incredible trip. Stacy Sutherland provides excellent (and also otherworldly) guitar, and Roky’s vocals are also immaculate. This album is one of the greatest lost gems of the psychedelic era.

“Slip Inside This House”: An incredible opener that might be the best song the Elevators ever recorded (and that’s saying a lot!). The lyrics highlight why Tommy Hall is considered to be one of the greatest psychedelic poets, and seem to be somewhat Dylan influenced, which comes as no surprise as the Elevators cover Dylan’s “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” later on this album. However, the lyrics also espouse the Elevators’ unique philosophy of spiritual enlightenment through the medium of LSD. The lyrics are not the only element that show a Dylan influence, as the structure of the song is evocative of Dylan’s longer material from around the same time, such as “Desolation Row” and “Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands,” in the lengthy, folk-influenced style of having a multitude of verses with the song structure remaining constant throughout. The trippiness of the lyrics is heightened by some great, spooky guitar from Stacy Sutherland and the strange, otherworldly sound of Tommy Hall’s electric jug. As always, Roky’s vocals are great. This is an amazing song and should not be overlooked by anyone who is interested in psychedelic rock.

“Slide Machine”: One of the weakest tracks on the album, which is saying a lot since it’s pretty darn good. This is a love song, albeit a weird enough one to be played by the Elevators, written by the Elevators’ friend and occasional songwriting collaborator, Powell St. John. The weirdness found more subtly in the lyrics is heightened by Tommy’s electric jug playing and Stacy’s exquisite guitar work, which make this song work well on the album.

“She Lives (In A Time Of Her Own)”: A fantastic song about a girl, featuring great guitar work from Stacy with more rock overtones reminiscent of his work on their first album rather than the spookiness that dominates much of this album. Tommy’s electric jug is again out of this world, and Roky’s vocals are strong, as usual. What is unusual for an Elevators song is harmonizing on the chorus, which actually works quite well. An excellent track and one of the highlights of this incredible album, which is strengthened by the stylistic diversity amongst its tracks.

“Nobody To Love”: A rare Stacy Sutherland penned song, which again serves to highlight the diversity of the Elevators’ repertoire (it always helps when you have three good songwriters who can write in any combination or alone). Stacy’s lyrics are much simpler than those written by Tommy, but they work great for this bluesy song about loneliness, on which Stacy also takes on the lead vocals, which works well with his more bluesy voice. His guitar work, dominated by spooky blues riffs, is also stellar.

“Baby Blue”: I’m typically not much of a fan of covers, especially when I like the original version a lot, as in this case. However, the Elevators’ version of Bob Dylan’s “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” (simply title “Baby Blue” on their album) is a major exception, and is also rumored to be Bob’s favorite cover version of this song. It probably works so well because they didn’t try to remake the original, but did it in their own style. The tempo is slowed down from Bob’s original, and the instrumentation, especially Stacy’s guitar, is downright spooky and otherworldly. An excellent conclusion to the first side of this album.

“Earthquake”: Side two opens with “Earthquake,” which hearkens back to the rockier sound of their debut, both lyrically, as the lyrics are slightly simpler and more straightforward than those on much of this album, and rhythmically. However, the relative simplicity does not mean that this is not a great song. The rhythm section lays down an especially strong performance, highlighted by Dan Galindo’s bass lines, to produce an earthquake sound that pounds throughout the song.

“Dust”: Probably the most unique song on the album, as far as showing the Elevators’ mastery of diverse styles goes, and as much because of its jolting rhythm as the fact that it is a solo acoustic piece. This is essentially a Roky solo song, as he sings and plays an acoustic guitar, which dominate the song. However, Stacy can occasionally be heard playing a few spare notes on an electric guitar and Tommy’s jug can be heard faintly in the background throughout the song. Nevertheless, “Dust” is a great song, though it can take some getting used to, as it sounds slightly out of place given the up-tempo, electric nature of the Elevators.

“Levitation”: “Levitation” hearkens back to the Elevators’ garage-rock roots, similar to much of the material on their first album. It is very raw sounding, but this actually works quite well, and reminds listeners that despite the Elevators’ forays into a wide variety of genres, they could still rock.

“I Had To Tell You”: Another solo acoustic Roky track, this time featuring almost no accompaniment, although Roky does play the harmonica in addition to his acoustic guitar. The strong emotions felt in this song through Roky’s voice are truly beautiful and moving.

“Postures (Leave Your Body Behind)”: The Elevators end the album in the same way they began it, with a longer song filled with their psychedelic, drug infused version of philosophy. Just like “Slip Inside This House,” this is a really cool song, at least for those of us that like this kind of stuff. The vocal tradeoffs on alternating lines between Roky and the rest of the band create a cool call and response feeling. Overall, a great ending to a fantastic album, that is truly one of the best and most unique albums to emerge from the entire American psychedelic scene.   

As I’ve said dozens of times already, this album is unbelievable. However, many of the older cd versions suffer from poor sound quality. I would recommend getting the new cd version on the International Artists label that is due to be released this year, as it will contain a plethora of bonus tracks, and the sound should be quite good, since the sound on this material on their now out of print, limited edition box set, The Sign of the 3 Eyed Men is the best I’ve ever heard this material sound.

As always, here are links to the songs so that you can have a listen before you decide to purchase the album for yourself.

Slip Inside This House

Slide Machine

She Lives (In A Time Of Her Own)

Nobody To Love

Baby Blue

Earthquake

Dust

Levitation

I Had To Tell You

Postures (Leave Your Body Behind)

Tyrannosaurus Rex-My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair… But Now They’re Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows (1968)

Rating: 9 out of 10

Band Lineup:

Marc Bolan-acoustic guitar, lead vocals

Steve Peregrine Took-drums, percussion, pixiephone, backing vocals

Track Listing:

Side One

1. Hot Rod Mama (Bolan)

2. Scenescof (Bolan)

3. Child Star (Bolan)

4. Strange Orchestras (Bolan)

5. Chateau in Virginia Waters (Bolan)

6. Dwarfish Trumpet Blues (Bolan)

Side Two

7. Mustang Ford (Bolan)

8. Afghan Woman (Bolan)

9. Knight (Bolan)

10. Graceful Fat Sheba (Bolan)

11. Weilder of Words (Bolan)

12. Frowning Atahuallpa (My Inca Love) (Bolan)

The debut album by Tyrannosaurus Rex (later to find fame as T. Rex) is a unique and magical experience, but is definitely not for everybody. The album can best be described as folk-psych, and is entirely acoustic, featuring Marc Bolan on acoustic guitar and lead vocals and Steve Peregrine Took on percussion, pixiephone, and backing vocals. Furthermore, the lyrics are very influenced by mythology and Tolkein (further evidenced by Steve’s stage name, Steve Peregrine Took, after the hobbit, Peregrine Took). In addition, Marc purposefully sings in a bleating voice, which makes the lyrics hard to understand on the first listen (though it creates a magical and mythical quality that adds a lot to the atmosphere of the album). Overall, the first couple listens to this album are challenging, yet rewarding experiences, but thus album has a habit of growing on people, until it becomes a cherished favorite.

“Hot Rod Mama”: The album opens in a magical way with Steve gently banging a gong, before Marc comes in on his acoustic guitar in full force. This is a song that had been in Marc’s repertoire for a while, and was even played a few times with John’s Children. It shows Marc’s lifelong love for cars (despite the fact that he never learned how to drive!) existed even during his most mystical and Tolkein inspired period. Not the best song on the album, but it works well as the opener, as it is a little catchier and more accessible than some of the following tracks, and displays all of the elements of this album: Marc’s bleating vocals and acoustic guitar, and Steve’s percussion wizardry and excellent backing vocals.

“Scenescof”: A very simple yet beautiful song, displaying some excellent acoustic guitar work by Marc. Also, it is the first example on the album of Marc’s amazing scat singing ability, in which he literally turns his voice into an instrument.

“Child Star”: One of the strongest tracks on this album, features more beautiful guitar work by Marc, who seriously might be one of the more underrated guitarists of the era. Clearly he’s no Jimi Hendrix, but his ability to create such simple, yet hauntingly beautiful passages is simply out of this world. “Child Star” is definitely Marc’s fantasy-autobiography, as this is the way he clearly would like to be seen (the connection is made all the more obvious by the line, “your elfish fingers kiss your Beethoven hair”). Its hauntingly beautiful atmosphere definitely makes this one of the best songs on this exquisite album.

“Strange Orchestras”: One of the more up-tempo songs on the album, featuring nice acoustic guitar work and scat singing to match the rhythm by Marc and cool backing vocals/noises by Steve.

“Chateau in Virginia Waters”: Another standout track, though other than the two obligatory car songs, this is probably the least mythologically inspired song on the album. Instead, it tells of an author who struggles to write a book and live “free from all those culture vultures” who bring her down.

“Dwarfish Trumpet Blues”: A great ending to side one. A classic early Bolan story of a dwarf trumpet player who is “deaf, dumb, and blind,” but aided in his playing by a “solid silver genii.” This song also features some great scat singing by Marc and some excellent bongo work by Steve in the little up-tempo jam that closes out the first side of the album.

“Mustang Ford”: Just like side one, side two opens with a song about a car that Marc had originally performed with John’s Children. It has a catchy rhythm and good vocal improvisation by Marc, but is the only song on the album (on which nearly every song is under three minutes) that maybe goes on a little too long.

“Afghan Woman”: One of the best songs on the album. The lyrics are beautiful, and like almost all of their work, the melody is impeccable. Not much new ground can be covered by talking about the stylistic elements, as most of the songs on the album are fairly similar in that regard, but something about the magic of Marc and Steve prevents the album from ever getting boring.

“Knight”: Honestly, what more can I say without sounding like a broken record? This song is yet another beautiful acoustic number on an album full of them.

“Graceful Fat Sheba”: Perhaps the strangest song on the album, though on first listen it doesn’t seem to be any different from the rest of the album, as the instrumentation is the same. However, Steve’s vocals are prominently featured, as he sings the first few words of each couplet before Marc comes in. Furthermore, the subject matter strays far from the mythical, Tolkeinesque leanings of most of the songs to portray a female butcher in a somewhat gruesome image.

“Weilder of Words”: Yes, the title is deliberately misspelled, and yes, the bulk of this song is quite similar to the rest of the album. However, the scat singing element is taken to its experimental extreme on this song, as Marc and Steve spend about a minute singing the name of the “weilder of words,” “Robard de Font Le Roy,” over and over in different combinations of high and low voices, before veering off into another minute of purely syllabic scat singing with no words at all, which encapsulates their vision of psychedelic music, in which they used vocal experimentation in the same way that electric bands experimented on guitars and organs.

“Frowning Atahuallpa (My Inca Love)”: Definitely the pinnacle of beauty on the album. This song can be divided into four parts. The first part is a beautiful song by Marc remembering a lost love, who also happens to be some sort of Incan royalty. This song is again similar to the rest of the album stylistically, as is the second part, which is perhaps the earliest recording of a Hindu mantra on a Western pop record. It features Marc and Steve singing “hare krishna” in a style similar to the scat singing that they do on many of the other songs on this album. Then, in a radical departure from anything yet heard, the third part of this song is a recording of the famous British underground DJ (and Tyrannosaurus Rex champion) John Peel reading the first half of a short story written by Marc (the second half appears at the end of Tyrannosaurus Rex’s third album, Unicorn) about the adventures of Kingsley Mole and Lionel Lark. Finally, the song concludes with a brief return to the typical Tyrannosaurus Rex sound where Marc sings a beautiful four-lined piece that yearns for the simplicity of the past and ends with the album title itself.

BONUS: “Debora”: As a special bonus, here’s the A-side of Tyrannosaurus Rex’s first single, “Debora,” which was released around the same time as this album, and was actually a minor hit. “Debora” is a great song that is driven along by Steve’s percussion, while Marc’s guitar is more subdued, unlike on the album, and Marc’s vocals are a little clearer and less bleated, probably for commercial appeal. However, lyrically it fits right in with the material on the album, as it is a weird love song with similar mythical references. This is a great song and a great place for anyone interested in Tyrannosaurus Rex to start.

As I previously stated, this album can be challenging on the first listen, but over time its beauty grows and blossoms in your soul, making this a truly great record. For those who are up to the challenge, I recommend purchasing the Universal Records cd, which contains the original twelve song album plus sixteen bonus tracks.

As always, links to the songs (unfortunately I don't currently have links to all of them):

Scenescof

Strange Orchestras

Chateau in Virginia Waters

Dwarfish Trumpet Blues

Mustang Ford

Afghan Woman

Graceful Fat Sheba

Weilder of Words

Frowning Atahuallpa (My Inca Love)

Debora

Also, the lyrics to the album for better understanding.

The United States of America-The United States of America (1968)

Rating: 8 out of 10

Band Lineup:
Joseph Byrd-electronic music, organ, calliope, electric harpsichord, piano, vocals
Dorothy Moskowitz-lead vocals
Rand Forbes-electric bass
Gordon Marron-electric violin, ring modulator, vocals
Craig Woodson-electric drums, percussion
Additional Musician:
Ed Bogas-organ, piano, calliope

Track Listing:
Side One
1. The American Metaphysical Circus (Byrd)
2. Hard Coming Love (Byrd, Moskowitz)
3. Cloud Song (Byrd, Moskowitz)
4. The Garden of Earthly Delights (Byrd, Moskowitz)
5. I Won’t Leave My Wooden Wife for You, Sugar (Byrd, Moskowitz)
Side Two
6. Where Is Yesterday (Marron, Bogas, Moskowitz)
7. Coming Down (Byrd, Moskowitz)
8. Love Song for the Dead Ché (Byrd)
9. Stranded in Time (Marron, Bogas)
10. The American Way of Love
      1. Metaphor for an Older Man (Byrd)
2. California Good Time Music (Byrd)
3. Love Is All (Byrd, Moskowitz, Forbes, Woodson, Marron)

This is a truly revolutionary album, even if virtually nobody heard it when it was first released in 1968. It is one of the earliest examples of experimentation with electronic music, and it turned out marvelously. This is one of the weirdest and most experimental records to be produced during a time in which these qualities were valued above almost anything else. Despite the focus on electronic experimentation, the album is far from boring or unfocused, or even so far out that the unconverted masses can’t dig it. USA maintains an ability to produce hooks and retain some pop sensibilities, as well as vary their style significantly, which makes this a truly exceptional album.

“The American Metaphysical Circus”: Wow. This song blows me away every time I hear it. An amazing opener to a great album, and it sets the atmosphere of the album perfectly. Perhaps the best way to try to describe the magic encapsulated in “The American Metaphysical Circus” is to say that it picks up where The Beatles’ “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite” left off, and then takes it to a whole other level. The song opens with an instrumental circus theme, and other circus themes are added in layers to it throughout the introduction. Then, as the instrumental segment fades into the background, Moskowitz’s haunting voice emerges for the first time, as she begins to sing of a strange, sado-masochistic circus. This song is very trippy and is highlighted by the chorus, which declares, “And the price is right,/ The cost of one admission is your mind,” the second line taken from Hermann Hesse’s Steppenwolf, which also depicts a strange circus-like party. The use of the electronic effects adds to the spookiness of the song in a stunning way. This is a great song that will take you on a trip of a lifetime, and is an excellent lead in to the rest of the album.

“Hard Coming Love”: Another standout track. This one, though, demonstrates that the United States of America could flat out rock in addition to producing spacey masterpieces like the first track. The first 1:30 of this song showcases Joe Byrd’s blistering organ work before Moskowitz comes in, demonstrating her ability to sing a more traditional, up-tempo pop-rock song, discarding the visions of a nightmarish carnival for a simpler love song, though the lyrics still belie the band’s psychedelic nature to a certain degree. Further emphasizing the psychedelic atmosphere are the otherworldly electronic sounds of the ring modulator, which gradually build throughout the song into an orgasmic explosion near the end. Overall, this is another great song, and it strengthens the album significantly by highlighting the band’s stylistic diversity.

“Cloud Song”: Possibly the weakest and least memorable song on this album. The lyrics are weak and the instrumentation just drifts along softly with it like a cloud. However, it fails to generate any sort of hook or weirdness to keep the listener interested, but this unmemorable performance is forgivable due to the fact that it is surrounded by so many wonderful and groundbreaking songs.

“The Garden of Earthly Delights”: Fantastic. I actually bought this album after only hearing this track, if that says anything about how good it is. This is the pinnacle of psychedelia. The weird sounds from the ring modulator again enhance the trippy atmosphere, and Moskowitz’s vocals are awesome. The lyrics are really cool, and actually come to life in her singing, as her voice sounds absolutely poisonous in places. This is a stellar track, and definitely one of the best, if not the best on the album.

“I Won’t Leave My Wooden Wife for You, Sugar”: A brilliant parody of American straight society in the ‘60’s, complete with an almost country sounding rhythm (though not without the typical strange electronic noises in the background). This song is completely different in style from everything else on the album, and also features Byrd on lead vocals, but it works surprisingly well. The parody element has a lot in common with some of the stuff Frank Zappa and the Mothers did on Freak Out! a few years earlier. The lyrics are quite humorous, as they poke fun at the illusion of “morality” in straight society by singing of a man who refuses to leave his wife for his seemingly quite young sado-masochistic bondage partner, as he seeks to present the illusion of having a normal family life. This song is a great way to end an awesome first side of an excellent album, and again the stylistic change helps to keep their sound fresh.

“Where Is Yesterday”: Side two begins with the marvelous “Where Is Yesterday,” on which Gordon Marron supplies the lead vocals. This track opens with a haunting Gregorian chant, before the actual song starts up. This song is definitely one of the strongest tracks on the album, though the instrumentation is quite simple. It manages to retain the feeling of a chant throughout, and contains strong lyrics, which express a longing for a return to the past, as it represents better times and happy memories, yet it is made painfully clear that the past only exists as a memory and cannot be recaptured.

“Coming Down”: A return to the more “traditional USA sound, driven by an organ riff by Byrd and featuring Moskowitz on vocals, with the ring modulator again adding to the psychedelic feel. This song continues on the theme of looking at the past established on “Where Is Yesterday,” affirming that “there is no second answer to the past/ If yesterday is gone don’t try to make it last,” with a chorus reminding the listener that “reality is only temporary.” Overall, another strong track and a nice return to the style of much of the first side.

“Love Song for the Dead Ché”: I have to admit I was a little disappointed by this song after seeing the title on the back of the album, as the song unfortunately does not live up to its cool title. It’s not bad, just perhaps a little too normal and straightforward in a light pop manner.

“Stranded in Time”: Another song focusing on an impossible longing to return to previous, happier times, though this time in a family setting. It also seems to satirize the emptiness of familial, and especially spousal relationships in 1960’s society. This song has an interesting orchestral arrangement, but again is not one of the stronger tracks on the album. I find it a little bland, as there is no real hook and the only prominent instruments are the strings playing a very basic backing track. The lyrics also fail to really produce a strong effect, though the singing does produce an air of nostalgia, which seems to be what Byrd is going for.

“The American Way of Love”: The album concludes with a three-part suite sung by Joe Byrd. The first part, “Metaphor for an Older Man,” is a typical Zappa-esqe parody of older men seeking to satisfy their lust with prostitutes and strippers, rather than looking for real love. While it’s not the high water mark of the album, this is a solid track that is driven along nicely by Byrd’s organ. The second piece of the suite, “California Good Time Music,” is a short, seemingly intentionally corny (again think Frank Zappa) section about a guy trying to seduce a girl in his car, again making fun of the shallowness of love in America, though this time focusing on what seem to be teenagers, rather than dirty old men. The suite, and the album, concludes with “Love Is All,” which is essentially a sampling of bits from all the other tracks on the album, with the ring modulator emitting some wild sounds in the background. As far as I know, this is one of the earliest examples of sampling on record. As the track winds down, the carnival music briefly reappears, before fading away into Byrd singing “how much fun it’s been” repeatedly for about thirty seconds, before the track ends with another round of sampling with Byrd saying “love” in between each bit. Overall, an interesting and unique conclusion to a splendid album.

This album is a classic piece of psychedelic music and is highly recommended. It is extremely unique and experimental, which makes it a fresh listen, but it is not so experimental that it loses sight of producing listenable and catchy songs. It's too bad that this is the only album that the USA ever released. I would recommend that anyone who wishes to purchase this album (and you should!) seek out the cd reissue by Sundazed Records, which contains nine bonus tracks.

For those who wish to hear the songs before buying them, here are youtube links for each track:

The American Metaphysical Circus

Hard Coming Love

Cloud Song

The Garden of Earthly Delights

I Won't Leave My Wooden Wife for You, Sugar

Where Is Yesterday

Coming Down

Love Song for the Dead Ché

Stranded in Time

The American Way of Love

Soft Machine-Love Makes Sweet Music/Feelin’ Reelin’ Squeelin’ (1967)

Rating: 7 out of 10

Band Lineup:
Kevin Ayers-guitar, bass, vocals
Daevid Allen-bass, guitar
Robert Wyatt-drums, vocals
Mike Ratledge-keyboards

Track Listing:
Side A
1. Love Makes Sweet Music (Ayers)
Side B
2. Feelin’ Reelin’ Squeelin’ (Ayers)

The debut single by the Soft Machine was released in February 1967 on Polydor Records and is widely recognized as the first British psychedelic record. While not the absolute greatest record to be produced during this period, it serves as a strong debut for the genre, and definitely has added historical value as the first. While the original 45 is nearly impossible to find, both of these tracks are readily available on CD as part of the compilation, Out-Bloody-Rageous - An Anthology 1967 -1973, and I highly recommend that you get a copy of this cd.

“Love Makes Sweet Music”: While this song is rather poppy and does not particularly represent the psychedelic weirdness typical of the early Soft Machine, it is not exactly boring. It is fairly straightforward and has a pop feel, as if the Soft Machine were seeking a hit record and radio airtime, but not to the point of blandness. The lyrics, while mostly straightforward exultations of the joys of love, do contain a few strong, and less cliché, lines, for instance “Every night it’s the same old scene/Drinking wine ‘cause you’re scared to dream.” It features a nice, slightly distorted guitar by Ayers, and a strong, prominent bass line by Allen, which add to the psychedelic feel. Furthermore, this might be Wyatt’s strongest vocal performance while a member of the Soft Machine, as his voice does not sound as thin as usual and his scat singing at the start adds to the psychedelic feel. Overall, this song is a solid debut for the Soft Machine, with some traces of psychedelia mixed in with the pop overtones of the song. However, it is a little too straightforward to really be considered a classic.

“Feelin’ Reelin’ Squeelin’”: Nothing on the A-side of this record could possibly have prepared listeners for this song, which stands in stark opposition to commerciality of the A-side. Ayers handles the lead vocals on this track in his trademark droning baritone, though his singing is nicely complemented by another strong vocal performance by Wyatt. The tradeoffs between the two vocalists produce a cool effect, and serve to make the song quite unique. The lyrics are much more cutting edge than the A-side, as they announce a division from “straight” society, as the girl is chided for wanting to be her “father and mother,” and Ayers announces that he is “something far away.” Furthermore, while the instrumentation is somewhat subdued during the majority of the song, Ratledge’s keyboards are highlighted nicely, as is Wyatt’s drumming. There is also some great guitar work by Allen at the end, when the instrumentation comes to the forefront in a blaze of psychedelic weirdness that foreshadows the sound that the Soft Machine would achieve on the their debut album. Overall, this is a great song, which makes the dawn of British psychedelic music quite intriguing and announces at the glorious weirdness it would produce.

For those who wish to hear these songs before buying them (which I urge, as it supports the artists who created this wonderful music), here are links to each on youtube:
Love Makes Sweet Music
Feelin' Reelin' Squeelin'