Sunday, January 24, 2010

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):

Also, the lyrics to the album for better understanding.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

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:

Monday, January 11, 2010

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'

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

A Beginning

A warm hello to anyone who has wandered here along the twisted paths of the world wide web (and also hopefully a few of my friends). I have created this site as a means to share one of my greatest passions, music. I have always had a strong love for music, and am especially drawn to the psychedelic explosion of the late '60's. On this site, I will post detailed album reviews, mostly for the more obscure bands of the period, though I'm sure that some more well known stuff will pop up eventually. While the focus will be on psychedelia, the reviews will ultimately encompass albums of a broad scope of styles and within a wider timeframe (roughly 1965-1975). Look for the first reviews to appear very soon. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy (and discover some great music by bands that you've never heard of)!