Dr. Strangely Strange - Heavy Petting (1970)

Heavy Petting is the Second Album by the Irish Folk-Rock Band Dr. Strangely Strange.

Dublin, Ireland, 1967. Tim Booth and Ivan Pawle teamed together and formed the experimental Folk-Rock Band Dr. Strangely Strange. Together with a painter named Tim Goulding, in which's Girlfriends house they found shelter and a place to rehearse their songs. The Girlfriend was named Orphan Annie, and so the house was called by the other habitants of the building "The Orphanage". As many other Bands from around Britain they were found by the one and only Joe Boyd, the same that discovered The Incredible String Band (creating a connection between this Band and The ISB). And as such, in 1969 they manage to release their Debut and started a Tour with Sandy Denny's new Band Fotheringay, apart from playing in The ISB Album Changing Horses. in 1970, they released their Second Album, and the last one before the first break-up. Heavy Petting is great because of one simple thing, apart from being full of great melodic and instrumental moments and apart from having a young Gary Moore playing for them, is the laid back mood that it creates, making it an easy and joyful listen. They would soon break-up as above mentioned, when Goulding went to join a Buddhist Temple. Damn Buddhists.

Best Tracks - "Ballad Of The Wasps", "Summer Breeze", "Sign On My Mind", "Jove Was At Home", "When Adam Delved" and "Mary Malone Of Moscow". The Cover-Art is quite nice until we notice the face of the three members of the Band, which completely ruin the Cover.

Dr. Strangely Strange:

- Dave Mattacks - Drums, Percussion.

- Johnny Moynihan - Bazouki.
- Jay Myrdal - Glockenspiel.
- Ivan Pawle - Organ, Bass, Mandolin, Guitar, Tin Whistle, Vocals, Keyboards, Harmonium, Piano.
- Heather Wood - Vocals.
- Brendan Shields - Bass.
- Tim Booth - Banjo, Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards, Harmonium, Bass.
- Jim Goulding - Organ, Fiddle, Vocals, Harmonium, Piano.
- Johnny Mounthay - Bazouki.
- Annie Xmas - Harmonium, Vocals.
- Brush Shiels - Bass.
- Johanna - Harmonium, Vocals, Keyboards.
- Jim Booth - Banjo, Bass, Harmonium, Vocals, Guitar.
- Annie Christmas - Keyboards, Vocals.
- Tim Goulding - Organ, Vocals, Keyboards, Fiddle, Piano, Violin, Harmonium.
- Linus - Percussion, Autoharp, Whistle, Finger Cymbals, Vocals.
- Gary Moore - Guitar.
- Andy Irvine - Mandolin.

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Mind Garage - Again! (1970)

Again! is the Second Album by the American Psychedelic, Garage-Rock Band Mind Garden.

Formed from the ashes of a quite known Band in West Virginia called The Epics in early 1966. The members were all students, so they had to play every time they weren't in class, each day until 4-5 AM in the morning, which tired them to a great extent, and only when they started making some money did they start to ease off a little. The line-up went through several changes, some being drafted to Vietnam and others marrying and going away forever. They now went by with the name Glass Menageries, but after a Tour they broke-up. And guess what, they Re-formed yet again, and met with reverend Michael Paine and his wife Victoria, the later being the one who named them Mind Garage. The reverend wanted to insert Rock music in church, which was not well seen by the numerous Rednecks that lived around, but they proceeded and performed an Electric Liturgy Mass, which dissipated all the hatred. In 1969 they managed to record their first Album, released by RCA Label, the same that would later release this Album. In this one they decided to include their Electric Liturgy. In April 1970, they just stopped playing and thus Mind Garage ended. I'm a stout Anti-Clericist. but if you are like me you can just ignore what they are saying and just take the Vocals as another instrument.

Best Tracks - "Tobacco Road", "Circus Farm", "Paint It Black", "The Electric Liturgy: Processional/Kyrie/Gloria", "The Electric Liturgy: The Lord's Prayer", and "The Electric Liturgy: Communion (Water)". The Cover is quite basic, the 5 Members walking in a dusty road. Not particularly good.

Mind Garage:

- Larry McClurg - Lead-Vocals.

- Norris Lytton - Vocals, Bass, Sax.

- Ted Smith - Percussion, Drums.

- Jack Bond - Back-Vocals, Keyboard.

- John Vaughan - Back-Vocals, Guitar.

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The Maze - Armageddon (1968)

Armageddon is the First and Only Album by the American Hard-Psychedelia, Acid-Rock Band The Maze.

Formed in Fairfield, California, pretty close to the San Francisco area, the Band started about with the name Stonehenge and had a Female Vocalist accompanying them. In the 1995 release by the Sundazed Label, some of the Bonus Tracks, still feature this singer, which name has been forgotten in the debts of Musical History. By some reasons that we also don't know, they managed to get a Record Contract, or paid for the Studio, and recorded this Album. With very strong Organ playing and a kind of music very close to the Iron Butterfly, even though not quite as good. Unlike many other Band's from the time, all the songs are original, which is quite uncommon since most always have a cover or two, to attract attention and try to raise awareness by that. There wasn't another Album or Recording, this was all they did and as they secretly formed they secretly disbanded. Needless to say that the original Vinyl is very rare and a much sought-after record.

Best Tracks - "Armageddon", "I'm So Sad", "Whispersing Shadows", "Dejected Soul" and "Right Time". The Cover is very simple and very good at the same time. The faces of the Band members with a red filter, and some contrasting yellow letters. Very interesting Cover.

The Maze:

- C. Boyd.

- R. Eittreima.

- Wayne Gardner.

- J. Jensen.

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The Sacred Mushroom - The Sacred Mushroom (1969)

The Sacred Mushroom is the First and Only Album by the American Psychedelic-Blues Rock Band The Sacred Mushroom.

When i read the name of this Band, Sacred Mushroom, and saw it's Cover, i truly believe that this was an Insane Acid-Rock Garage Band, with fuzzed out Guitars and Utopian-Anarcho-Hippie like Lyrics. I was quite distant from what really features in this Album. It has obvious Psychedelic influences but this Quintet from Cincinnati, Ohio drank more from the Blues Fountain than anything else. They seem to have played some years around the Ohio area, even though i do not have any information about their year of formation, or when they disbanded, and the information i got is that they might have recorded a Single before this Album, but it seems like this is the only thing as a Band they did that managed to grab some attention, again even though this is regarded as a rare Album, and it was only re-issued in the 9o's, after traveling through the world as a bootleg recording. Larry Goshorn, the Frontmen, would go on to play with the Pure Prairie League. The Guitars on this one is truly great and very, very enjoyable.

Best Tracks - "I Don't Like You", "You Won't Be Sorry", "Catatonic Lover", "I'm Not Like Everybody Else" and "Lifeline". There were two reasons why i downloaded this Album, first because the title seemed to be talking about Psychedelic drugs and i am quite interested in that matter, and the second because of this amazing Cover-Art. A fantastic draw of a giant purple Mushroom surrounded by some sort of Green Flames, and some great Letters announcing the name of the Album.

The Sacred Mushroom:

- Larry Goshorn - Lead Guitar, Vocals.

- Fred Fogwell - Rhythm Guitar.
- Danny Goshorn - Vocals.
- Doug Hamilton - Drums.
- Joe Stewart - Bass.

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Comments Situation.

Just a few moments back a guy called me an asshole on one of my posts, this one. some "anonymous" left a comment that got really into my nerves and i kind of answered him in a strong way. Then another "anonymous" left a comment calling me an asshole.

This is really starting to annoy me, i do not have many people coming into my blog daily, about 350-400, and i usually don't get more than one single comment, sometimes it's people saying "thank you for the link, you commie bitch", or the more simple insult, not counting the generic viagra spams. Then there's the comments made by people who can't understand how to copy/paste a link to the bar, and complain about it, again some insulting, about how i don't give a direct click link. Some few of my posts contain singles and concerts that you won't get in any other Blog. Like for instance Amazingly Friendly Apple, The Merry-Go-Round and The Crystal Mansion (that one took me about 5 months) or the Woodstock recordings of the Incredible String Band and John B. Sebastian. This ones are scattered in several compilation Albums and all of them together most have took my about 5 days of internet research to find and create a new file for them.

There are also those who leave me nice comments, like "Great Blog, keep up the good work, from a ... Hippie" and other things like that, or even those who take their time to recommend things to me. I bought one book called The Day Of The Triffids because someone recommended it to me here, and some weeks ago i was recommended dozens of Albums to listen which i quickly got here on the net, and only have not listened to because i am in the process of organizing everything on my new Mac.

The point of all this talk is, please take the time to thank for the time i spent searching for this for your convenience. No one has asked me o do this, but i barely get a follower or a single comment and that is extremely frustrating for someone who does enjoy getting a pat on the back from time to time.

Follow and Comment, if you find what i did interesting, because everything that is written here was written by myself, so this posts are not simply copy/paste's that many other blogs do. Follow and Comment.

A sad and deluded Communist teen...

Gong - Camembert Electrique (1971)

Camembert Electrique is the Second Album by the British/French Psychedelic/Progressive Rock Band Gong.

In 1967, Australian Guitarist Daevid Allen at the time playing with Soft Machine with Robert Wyatt was denied entry on England due to some Visa complication. Without being capable of re-grouping with his Band, as they played mainly in the U.K. he decided to create another Band and together with a friend he created the initial incarnation of the Band in 1967, even though he still recorded some experimental Album's with fellow Soft Machine's and Spooky Tooth's musicians and also his wife, who's a singer. But I digress, Allen was in Paris when the May of 68, the famous students Revolution that started in Paris and that ended up sweeping the world. He distributed Teddybears to the Police and chanted French Poetry in the barricades, and as many he ended up fleeing the city with the cops after him, and he ended up in Deià, Maiorca in Spain, which housed many Canterbury Scene Musicians. There Gong's Debut Album was recorded. The next information i managed to get is about their Album Camembert Electrique, which features the first notions in the "Radio Gnome" mythology.

Best Tracks - "You Can't Kill Me", "I've Bin Stone Before", "Dynamite/I Am Your Animal" and "And You Tried So Hard". The Cover is quite a 60's Hippie cover, quite Anarchic without an order, full of draws doing things, not quite related to anything or related to things on the content of the Songs.

Gong:

- Daevid Allen (Bert Camembert) - Guitar, Vocals, Bass.

- Gilli Smyth (Shakti Yoni) - Vocals.

- Didier Malherbe (Bloomdido Bad De Grass) - Saxophone, Flute.

- Christian Tritsch (Submarine Captain) - Bass, Guitar.

- Pip Pyle - Drums.

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The Rolling Stones - Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967)

Their Satanic Majesties Request is the Eight Album by the British Rock Band The Rolling Stones.

The differences between this Album and all the following Stones Albums (in 1967 there were still many to come) is marginal. This is the beautiful and endangered specie in their Discography. Wonderfully arranged and some top-notch Psychedelia sound. I'm not saying that their following Albums would be kind of "uninteresting", because after this they did make some other very good Albums, but we all know that, deep inside, most of The Rolling Stones songs were quite weak, in some cases even bad. While the result was this Amazing Recording, the creation was a bed of Roses. All the members of the Band were in some way involved in Drug problems and had numerous Court heaings to go to. The days were each one appeared were completely random, each one bringing also numerous people with them, girls they were hanging out with, drug dealers th whole bunch. This situation grew heavier and heavier in Andrew Oldham's life and he finnaly quit leaving the Band without a manager and a producer, making this also the only Album produced only by the Band with no additional help from anybody.
Best Tracks - "Sing This All Together", "Citadel", "In Another Land", "She's A Rainbow", "The Lantern". The Cover is a weird picture of all the Members dressed as mages and a colored psychedelic glowing surronding. Definitively on of the Best Covers in the 60's.

The Rolling Stones:

- Mick Jagger – Lead And Back-Vocals, Percussion.

- Keith Richards – Guitars, Back-Vocals.

- Brian Jones – Mellotron, Percussion, Organ, Flute, Recorder, Sitar, Electric Dulcimer, Saxophone, Concert Harp.

- Charlie Watts – Drums, Percussion, Tablas.

- Bill Wyman – Bass, Percussion, Back And Lead-Vocals.

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Jethro Tull - This Was (1968)

This Was is the Debut Album by the British Progressive, Folk-Rock Band Jethro Tull.

The first incarnation of the Band was formed in 1962, in Blackpool, England. and 2 years later they were already a Blues Band with 7 members, being the Band's frontman John Evan and the Band's name The John Evan Band. Only in 1967 did they move to London and start a real career, but unfortunately they ran out of money and Ian Anderson and Glen Cornick were left alone as all the other went back North. Mick Abrahams and Clive Bunker joined them as so was formed Jethro Tull. They were not called Jethro Tull since the beginning however, they had quite a problem getting gigs so they often changed their name so that the owners would not recognize them, and only stuck with Jethro Tull because to happened be the name the Band had the day they were invited to play again for the first time. And as such, in 1968, they released their Debut, which was quite successful, reaching UK's Top Ten, and getting two songs played on the Woodstock Documentary, showing how successful it was not only in their home country but also in the USA. Nonetheless as soon as it was released, Abrahams left. He was a Blues purist and him and Cornick never got along with each other, and as such he left the Band to be dominated by the one and only Ian Anderson.

Best Tracks - "My Sunday Feeling" , "Some Day the Sun Won't Shine for You", "Beggar's Farm", "Serenade to a Cuckoo", "Dharma for One", "Cat's Squirrel" and "A Song For Jeffrey". This one has a pretty funny cover, the 4 Band Members dressed as old man surrounded by dozens of dogs. Don't know what the idea was but the cover is quite inviting.

Jethro Tull:

- Ian Anderson - Vocals, Flute, Mouth Organ, Harmonica, Claghorn, Piano.

- Mick Abrahams - Vocals, Guitar, Nine-String Guitar.

- Clive Bunker - Drums.

- Glenn Cornick - Bass.

- David Palmer - French Horn.

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Renaissance - Renaissance (1969)

Renaissance is the Debut Album by the Experimental Progressive Rock/Classical Band Renaissance.

In 1969's first month, two ex-Yardird's members decided that it was time to start working on their own ideas and so Keith Relf and Jim McCarty started their own group, based on experimentation with the growing Progressive Sonority and Classical Music, combining them both and trying to create something the new generations would enjoy. In May they were already performing in the UK and some medium-small festivals in Belgium and France, only after that setting forth to record their Debut. Olympic Sound Studios in London was the Studio were it was recorded under the direction of fellow Yardbirds member Paul Samwell-Smith and still in 1969 it was released. In February of 1970 they went on an American tour which didn't went that well, they managed to grab the attention, as they had the fame of having members from The Yardbirds, but their audiences were not quite fond of their Classical sounds and it quickly turned the Tour in a fiasco. The next Album was completed by only one of the former members as all the others quit, and so did he when their Second Album was released.

Best Tracks - "Kings & Queens", "Innocence" and "Wanderer". The Album Cover is quite beautiful and interesting, a very good drawn, even though in the internet is not that easy to correctly check it out.

Renaissance:

- Jane Relf – Vocals.

- Keith Relf – Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica.

- John Hawken – Keyboards.

- Louis Cennamo – Bass.

- Jim McCarty – Drums, Vocals.

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The Incredible String Band - The 5000 Spirits Or The Layers Of The Onion (1967)

The 5000 Spirits Or The Layers Of The Onion is the Second Album by the Scottish Psychedelic Folk Band The Incredible String Band.

When Williamson finally returned from Moroccos, he joined with Heron once again and they both decided to turn The Incredible String Band into a Duo. Together they played in various clubs in London and went in a small tour supporting Tom Paxton and Judy Collins, around the time they were already being managed by Joe Boyd. Williamson and Heron were growing a dislike for each other, so never was a song written or composed where the other didn't impose his ideas on it to allow it to be recorded. And such a divided Duo went to Studio in early 1967, heavily influenced by African sounds. The resulting Album, The 5000 Spirits Or The Layers Of The Onion, was a big success getting a lot of airplay, managing to reach the attention of the emergent Underground culture and getting to the top spot of the Folk Chart. Lots of concert resulted from this success and established The Incredible String Band as one of the best Folk Acts in the UK. The 5000 Spirits also landed the first incursions in Psychedelic territories. In 1968, The Band released what would be their most acclaimed Albums, The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter and Wee Tam and the Big Huge, especially The Hangman's... which apart from getting very good reviews reached the UK top 5 Albums Chart and was nominated for a Grammy in the United States. Robert Plant from Led Zeppelin says that they found their way playing the whole Album.

Best Tracks - "No Sleep Blues", "The Mad Hatter's Song", "Little Cloud", "The Eyes Of Fate", "The Hedgehog's Song", "The First Girl I Loved" and "Way Back In the 1960's". ONE OF THE BEST AND MOST FANTASTIC COVER-ART'S EVER, EVER TO BE MADE! It is just completely awesome, the colors and are just so vivid and shining and resembling a really great Acid trip. Definitively one of the greatest.

The Incredible String Band:

- Robin Williamson - Vocals, Guitar, Mandolin, Oud, Gimbri, Flute, Percussion, Drums, Rattles.

- Mike Heron - Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica.

- Licorice McKechnie - Vocals, Percussion.

- Danny Thompson - Double Bass.

- John Hopkins - Piano.

- Nazir Jairazbhoy (as "Soma" on the credits) - Sitar, Tamboura.

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The Incredible String Band - The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter (1968)

The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter is the Third Album by the Scottish Psychedelic Folk Album The Incredible String Band.

The primordials of The Incredible String Band date back to 1963. Originally as a Duo, Robin Williamson and Clive Palmer started playing around the Edinburgh area, where many other musicians who would in the Late 60's be the faces of the Folk Revival, like Bert Jansch who would later play for the Folk Band Pentangle. In 1965 they were finally discovered by Joe Boyd (launched the careers of The Incredible String Band, Nick Drake and Fairport Convention) who at the time was a simple talent scout for the Folk Label Elektra Records. Mike Heron was the added to the Band after an audition, when the two former members decided for a Trio instead of a Duo. Boyd was in 1966 already the head of Elektra's London office, an as it was him who had found them he immediately signed them for an Album. Their Debut was quite praised being considered by some reviewers as the Album of the year. But after the Debut they sort of disbanded, with Palmer traveling to India on the Hippie Trail and Williamson setting of to live in Moroccos without a plan to return, but he ended up running out of money and being forced to return home. As i am planning to post their Second Album next, i'll continue to narrate this story in my next post, hope you don't mind it.

Best Tracks - "Koeeoaddi There", "Minotaur's Song", "Witches Hat", "Very Cellular Song", "Mercy I Cry City", "Water Song", "Three Is a Green Crown". A very peculiar and interesting Cover, originally this was the Back-Cover, the Front being just a photo of the Duo. It features both musicians, plus their girlfriends, plus their some friends and finally plus some kids of their friends, all dressed up in Freak costumes.

The Incredible String Band:

- Robin Williamson - Vocals, Guitar, Gimbri, Penny Whistle, Percussion, Pan Pipe, Piano, Oud, Mandolin, Jew's Harp, Chahanai, Water Harp, Harmonica.

- Mike Heron - Vocals, Sitar, Hammond Organ, Guitar, Hammered Dulcimer, Harpsichord.

- Dolly Collins - Flute Organ, Piano.

- David Snell - Harp.

- Licorice McKechnie - Vocals, Finger Cymbals.

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Magna Carta - Seasons (1970)

Seasons is the Second Album by the English Folk-Rock Band Magna Carta.

Magna Carta was founded in 1969 in London, by Chris Simpson, the only founder member still left in the Band today, Chris, after ending his university course, worked a multitude of jobs by day and played his Guitar at night, the jobs he did ranged from the most different imaginable from each-other, including working as a Post-Mortem Assistant. Even before forming Magna Carta he had already played for the Royal Family, a quite unexpected Gig for a Folk-Rock player. The Band never seemed to manage to hold their members in the Band, so the Line-Up is in a constant change, almost every Album has a different one. Their sonority is not a pure Folk Traditional one, but including Progressive sounds much closer to the likes of the Amazing Blondel. Magna Carta by what seems to have been a struck of luck managed to get signed to the Mercury Records Label, and after releasing their Debut were quickly passed to the Vertigo Label, specialized in more Progressive acts. And this Album, Seasons was an huge success in Europe, while passing completely unnoticed in America. Although not being a very well known Band, their name is written in the history of Rock and Folk Music, and managed to resist throughout the years, while other more well known Bands from the time, like Emerson, Lake and Palmer and King Crimson, disintegrated themselves so quickly.

Best Tracks - "Seasons", "Elizabethan", "Ring Of Stones" and "Airport Song". A Cover which would better suit a more Medieval sound, but a nice one nonetheless. With those archaic letters that were in vogue at the time.

Magna Carta:

- Chris Simpson - Vocals, Guitar.
- Lyell Tranter - Guitar.
- Glen Stuart - Vocals.
- Barry Morgan - Drums.
- Tony Carr - Drums.
- Tony Visconti - Fender Bass.
- Spike Heatley - Bass.
- Rick Wakeman - Organ, Piano.

- Davy Johnstone - Electric Guitar, Sitar.
- Peter Willison - Cello.
- Derek Grossmith - Flute.

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