The Insect Trust – The Insect Trust (1968 Lp)
Artist: The Insect Trust
Title: The Insect Trust
Year: 1968
Format: LP
Label: Capitol
The Insect Trust’s only two albums are a great example of what today would be called weird America. Back then, such terms did not exist and even still, it’s unfair to label this individualistic band.
They were often compared to San Fransisco bands such as the pioneering Jefferson Airplane, although this comparison really doesn’t do them justice. Hoboken Saturday Night (1970), the band’s sophomore effort usually gets the nod, or at least the most attention. Though it must be mentioned that most fans forget about this startling, groundbreaking debut.
They were a classic east coast band taking in a multitude of influences from folk, blues, psychedelia, rock n’ roll, country, jazz, ragtime and bluegrass. Nancy Jefferies had a strong, clear voice while Bill Barth and Bob Palmer were always experimenting with exotic instruments. Skin Game is typical of their approach, starting off as a country blues shuffle then exploding into a slide guitar freakout that is quite marvelous
Miss Fun City is a trippy slice of Americana with some great hypnotic banjo, a most excellent composition! Be Here And Gone So Soon, has to be the most classic track on this legendary album. It opens up with some classic hippy dialogue, then bursts into a magical folk-rock song.
Anyone searching for a good organic slice of authentic American music along the lines of the Dillard and Clark Expedition, Robbie Basho’s Zarthus or Bob Dylan and the Band’s Basement Tapes will love this classic from 1968. (The Rising Storm)
Track Listing
- The Skin Game
- Miss Fun City
- World War I Song
- Special Rider Blues
- Foggy River Bridge Fly
- Been Here And Gone Too Soon
- Declaration Of Independence
- Walking On Nails
- Brighter Than Day
- Mountain Song
- Going Home
Mother Earth – Satisfied [Vinyl] (1970)
Artist: Mother Earth
Title: Satisfied
Year: 1970
Format: LP
Label: Mercury
Tracy Nelson doesn’t touch everyone, but once she does she carries you away. She can be sexual and spiritual not successively but on the same note and breath; she seems to suffer and to transcend suffering simultaneously .
Vocally, Mother Earth is now Tracy Nelson, and although in theory i miss the male voices – especially that of Robert St. John, whose songriting always added something too – I’m not really complaining.
Yet this record is a slight disappointment, i love it, but i know that my prejudices are strong and that only once – on her own composition, “Andy’s Song” – does Tracy burst calmly into free space as she does so often on two previous Mother Earth lps and on Tracy Nelson Country. Recommended unequivocally to her cadre and unequivocally to the benighted. (Robert Christgau)
Track Listing
- Satisfied
- Groovy Way
- Get Out Of Here
- Ruler Of My Heart
- Andy’s Song
- Take Me In Your Arms, Rock Me A Little While
- You Won’t Be Passing Here No More
- This Feeling
John Braden – John Braden (1969)
Artist: John Braden
Title: John Braden
Year: 1969
Format: LP
Label: A&M
I had never heard of John Braden before I pulled this obscure album out of my collection, and it is very difficult finding any information about him or this album. What I can tell you, after listening to the record and looking at song credits, is that somehow John Braden managed to assemble some of the best folk-rock-country musicians of the era for his recording.
The songs are mostly originals, with a nice cover of Bob Dylan’s “I Want You” and a traditional rendering of “What A Friend We Have In Jesus” being the exceptions. Braden plays acoustic guitar and provides vocals in a sensitive and original manner. His voice register is in the higher range and seems to blend perfectly with the songs and music.
The musicianship is incredibly strong throughout, with legendary session guitarist Ry Cooder appearing on a couple of tracks. Chris Ethridge (bass) and Sneaky Pete (pedal steel) from the Flying Burrito Brothers participated on the record (Ethridge was also in the International Submarine Band), shortly before the release of their celebrated debut album Gilded Palace Of Sin.
Henry Lewy was the the producer on that album, and with Michael Vosse, also produced John Braden’s album. Sneaky Pete performs some tasty pedal steel guitar work on “Song To Raymondo” being the only performer on that track (the song would be later covered by the band Autumn).
Renowned jazz flutist Paul Horn, also sat it on the session, as well as the great folk-rock session guitarist Bruce Langhorne. Langhorne is most famous for playing on some of Bob Dylan’s records, particularly 1965′s Bringing It All Back Home.
Richard Bell, a keyboardist/pianist for Janis Joplin, The Band, and also Burrito Deluxe, not only records, but also provided the arrangement for “Song To Raymondo”. Flaco Falcon from Crabby Appleton plays drums. Just a wonderful all-around play!! (Worthpoint Review)
Track Listing
- Wild Birds
- Delancey Street
- Furnished Rooms
- I Want You
- What A Friend We Have In Jesus
- Carriage House Song
- Baptist Funeral
- Hand Me Down Man
- Song To Raymondo
- Ribbons Of Friendship
- They Are Waiting
The International Submarine Band – Safe At Home (1968)
Artist: The International Submarine Band
Title: Safe At Home
Year: 1968
Format: LP
Label: LHI
Raised on country music (Hank Williams was a lifetime hero), by the time he entered Harvard (as a divinity student !!!), singer/guitarist Gram Parsons had been in a string of bands (The Pacers, The Legends and The Shilohs).
Having formed a band with bassist Ian Dunlop, former Troll guitarist John Nuese and keyboard player Tom Snow, Parsons quickly came to the conclusion his academic efforts were a waste of time. In 1966 he formally quit school and with the rest of the band (drummer Mickey Gauvin replacing Snow), relocated to New York.
In New York the quartet came up with their name (reportedly a reference taken from an old Our Gang television series) and began working on their unique country-rock sound. Paying their bills as a studio group brought them into contact with ex-child star Brandon DeWilde.
DeWilde’s television and film connections earned the band an opportunity to record a one-shot single for the small San Francisco-based Ascot label. Recorded for the soundtrack of a quickie B flick, “The Russians Are Coming The Russians Are Coming” b/w “Truck Driving Man” (Ascot catalog number 2218) vanished without a trace.
A follow-on single for Columbia (“Sum Up Broke” b/w “One Day Week” Columbia catalog number 4-43935) proved equally obscure. Frustrated with their lack of progress, 1966 saw the quartet take advantage of DeWilde’s offer to help them make it in California. Relocating to Los Angeles, the decision appeared promising when they were hired to perform in a throwaway Roger Corman film “The Trip”.
While they had a brief performance role in the film, their musical contribution was erased from the final product; an Electric Flag track overdubbed in its place. Regardless, the band benefited from the resulting publicity and their friendship with “The Trip” star Peter Fonda.
Unfortunately, personal frictions and disagreements over musical direction reared their ugly heads. The end result saw Dunlop and Gauvin calling it quits; quickly replaced by Chris Etheridge and Parsons’ buddy/drummer Jon Corneal.
An audition for eccentric Lee Hazlewood’s newly formed LHI label won the band a contract and within a matter of weeks they were in the studio with producer Suzi Jane Hokom. If nothing else, 1967′s “Safe At Home” deserved immediate notice as one of the first true country-rock outings.
Offering up a mixture of covers and original material (penned by Parsons), tracks such as “I Must Be Somebody Else You’ve Known”, “Folsom Prison Blues” and “I Still Miss Someone” left no doubts as to the the band’s country roots and interests.
That shouldn’t scare anyone off, since the combination of Parsons’ melancholy voice and a rhythm section with one foot firmly in the rock camp (in the middle of recording sessions bassist Etheridge was replaced by Bob Buchanan), made for a thoroughly entertaining effort. Parsons-penned originals such as “Blue Eyes” (first song we’re aware of to make reference to getting stoned) and “Luxury Liner” were genre standards.
While the album generated a buzz among critics and with musicians themselves, it was simply too odd for mainstream radio – too rock for country audiences and too country for rock audiences. Sales proved non-existent. (Bad Cat)
Track Listing
- Blue Eyes
- I Must Be Somebody Else You’ve Known
- A Satisfied Mind
- Folsom Prison Blues/That’s All Right
- Miller’s Cave (J. Clement)
- I Still Miss Someone
- Luxury Liner
- Strong Boy
- Do You Know How It Feels To Be So Lonesome?
Jefferson Airplane – After Bathing At Baxter’s [Mono] (1967)
Artist: Jefferson Airplane
Title: After Bathing At Baxter’s
Year: 1967
Format: LP
Label: RCA Victor
Their best album in my opinion, and that’s because the band sound a lot more adventurous and jam oriented than on some of their more popular, pop oriented albums. Grace Slick is amazing as always but what this record shows better than any of their other albums, is how good the musicians backing her were. There’s quite a bit of semi complex song structures, psychedelic jamming, and odd melodies that would have been pretty progressive for 1967.
The song writing drops off a little in the second half, which keeps it from being a five star album. The first half contains some of the band’s best songs though. As is always the case for me with Jefferson Airplane, I think there’s a bit too many lead vocal parts not handled by Grace Slick.
With a singer as great as she is, why wouldn’t you want her on lead vocals all the time? That’s not to say the other guys can’t sing, they do especially well providing harmony vocals with Grace Slick, but more often than not,I don’t care for it too much when they handle lead vocals.
This album has a really great loose and natural vibe to it, as if the musicians were all very comfortable playing with each other at the time. The production is great too. I’d say it’s one of the best sounding pre 1970 albums I can think of. Everything is loud and clear and mixed well, with all the instruments being easily heard. Overall, one of my favorites albums to come out of the late 60′s hippie scene. (deadenddude RYM)
Track Listing
- Streetmass
- The War Is Over
- Hymn To An Older Generation
- How Suite It Is
- Shizoforest Love Suite
Neighb’rhood Childr’n – Neighb’rhood Childr’n [Orig.Vinyl] (1968)
Artist: Neighb’rhood Childr’n
Title: Neighb’rhood Childr’n
Year: 1968
Format: LP
Label: Acta
A serious candidate for my fave of all time, this album is another pillar of the psych genre. It features a mix of pop/psych, and some harder psych rock, with male and female vocals, and killer fuzz on many of the tracks, with great period flavor
Though originally from Oregon, they migrated to San Francisco to seek fame and fortune. There they quickly adopted the west coast sound of that area, and recorded a stellar collection of well writen tunes. This is a solid psychedelic album by most accounts, and should be considered by anyone interested in investigating the genre. (tymeshifter RYM)
Track Listing
- Up Down Turn Around World
- Long Years In Space
- Feeling Zero
- Over The Rainbow
- Changes Brought To Me
- Please Leave Me Alone
- Chocolate Angel
- Happy Child
- Patterns
- Happy World Of Captain K
- She’s Got No Identification
- Hobbit’s Dream
The Other Half – The Other Half [Mono] (1968)
Artist: The Other Half
Title: The Other Half
Year: 1968
Format: LP
Label: Acta
The Other Half formed in Los Angeles Southern California, later moved to San Francisco. They played several shows at Chet Helms Family Dog shows at the Avalon Ballroom. Their music was strongly influenced by Yardbirds and Rolling Stones. Guitarist Randy Holden had been offered the chance to replace Jeff Beck in the Yardbirds before joining The Other Half. The Other Half were at their peak when the music scene was at its height in San Francisco and the Flower Power movement in full swing in Haight Ashbury.
Their style changed from an earlier vocal based garage band, to the loudest big stage band sound of the time, taken in that direction by former Sons of Adam guitarist Randy Holden. Their sound has been compared to The Yardbirds, and contained elements of blues, hard rock, and Eastern melodic influences.
Holden left the band after their debut album was recorded, dissatisfied with the recording and the guitar he was playing at the time, later stating “I was trying to accommodate everyone else, at the expense of my own soul and happiness”. Despite Holden’s misgivings, the album has been described as “awesome incendiary rock”. Holden went on to join Blue Cheer before embarking on a solo career. (Wikipedia)
Track Listing
- Introduction
- Feathered Fish
- Flight Of The Dragon Lady
- Wonderful Day
- I Need You
- Oz Lee Eaves Drops
- Bad Day
- Morning Fire
- What Can I Do For You, First Half
- What Can I Do For You, The Other Half
Spectras – And You Love Her (1970)
Artist: Spectras
Title: And You Love Her
Year: 1970
Format: LP
Label: Project 3
The Spectras were first formed in October 1964 by Chris Quackenbush (bass/vocals), Dick Ray (guitar/vocals), Chip Wayne (drums), and Les Warren (guitar/vocals) at the University of New Hampshire. They gained popularity on campus playing for dorm, fraternity, and campus-side dances. As their popularity grew in the spring of 1965, they moved off campus to play for teen dance clubs in the NH seacoast area.
They spent the summer of 1965 on Long Island, New York playing dance clubs and private parties, refining their playing skills and showmanship .Les Warren was replaced by Bill “Ody” Maniotis. The tight three-part vocals of Chris, Dick and Ody became the trademark of their sound as they moved back to UNH in the fall of 1965.
In the fall of 1965 they added Bruce Hawkins on organ; the Spectras’ popularity continued to grow both on and off campus, and they began putting some of their original material in their shows. In January 1966 they appeared on local television, and in the spring of 1966 they landed the house band job at the Hampton Beach Casino, the premier rock music venue in NH, for four summers from 1966-1969. Drummer Buddy Brown replaced Chip Wayne in the fall of 1966.
In January of 1967 they expanded their sound by adding a four piece horn section including Bob Lassonde (trumpet) Willie Spanos (trumpet), Marc Keroack (trombone), and Ed Gibbs (trombone.) In 1968 Glenn Jordan replaced Ody on guitar and Branch Sanders was added as trombonist and arranger. Dick left in December1968 to join the army. Rick Hibbs replaced Spanos on trumpet. Danny Mehan replaced Hibbs in the spring of 1969.
Between 1967-1969 they toured New England opening for such rock icons as The Beach Boys, Led Zeppelin, the Doors, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Janis Joplin, The Rascals, Ray Charles, Paul Revere & the Raiders, Simon and Garfunkel. By 1969, the Spectras were a top-name band in New England. Bruce was replaced by Wiley Crawford and then Paul Nizza.. Buddy was replaced by John Hoik. Ed Gibbs was replaced by Al MacIntosh.
In 1969 the band received national exposure from their first album, And You Love Her. A single from that album, “Best Years of Our Lives” was mentioned in Billboard Magazine, charted as high as #4 in Denver, Colorado, and received considerable airplay nation-wide. Late 1969-70 brought many changes in personnel due to college graduations and the draft.
Players during this turbulent period included John Kane, Greg Dame, and Bobby Hearne on guitars, Pete Peterson on drums, Sam DeSantos on organ, John Bethel and Russ Thibeault on saxes. By October, 1970 the only remaining original member, Chris, changed the name of the band to Atlantis. For the complete bio visit http://www.thespectras.com/history.htm.
Track Listing
- And You Love Her
- The Best Years Of Our Lives
- Ripples
- Only Cindy Knows
- Sharing This Moment
- I Can’t Stop (No,No,No)
- Changing My Scene
- Right Now! (A Plea On Bended Knee)
- A Better way
- Happy Life Together
- There’s No Flowers In My Garden
Ivory – Ivory (1973)
Artist: Ivory
Title: Ivory
Year: 1973
Format: LP
Label: Playboy
Requested by Beau G.
Ivory consisted of Lance Gullickson (vocals), Jim Divisek (drums), Steve Pinkston (bass), Brian Whitcomb (keyboards), Paul Bass (keyboards) and Grant Gullickson (vocals).
Here we go again, another album that is about half excellent, half dreadful. Starts out promising enough with a heavy organ rocker that wouldn’t be out of place on a Uriah Heep album.
This then leads into three full plain old woman-done-me-wrong rock songs (hey ashram!!! i think that’s a wrong assessment, i think only one is a “woman-done-me-wrong song”, and i think it’s the fifth song, kinda like a “woman-done-me-prog song”) that are… well… they’re terrible. No redeeming value whatsoever, no matter how you try to rationalize it.
So of course, from there on out it’s prog rock heaven (you got that right ashram, kinda like their version of “Theme From An Imaginary Western”). Get out the organ, Moog and piano and let’s play us some complicated ELP style music shall we? Heck, some of the riffs even recall the Italian interpretation of the English famous trio (think Alphataurus, L’Uovo Colombo here).
And so it goes throughout Side two, complete with an Indian bit with sitar, tablas and the works. Sigh. Any chance there’s a full archive of this style sitting in a vault somewhere? (ashram RYM)
Track Listing
- Morning Song
- Prime Example
- Take It Easy
- Where Do We Go From Here
- Arrow Beach
- Bringing Me Down
- Bear Phaze
- Theme For An Imaginary Western
- I Want To Tell You
- Time After Time
Truk – Tracks (1970)
Artist: Truk
Title: Tracks
Year: 1970
Format: LP
Label: Columbia
Truk were an Oklahoma group and consisted of J. Martin “Moby” Anderson (vocals-bass), Danny Cornett (vocals-drums), Bill “Willie” Daffern (vocals-drums), George Michael “Mike” Graham (lead vocals), James Patrick “Pat” Graham (vocals-organ), Glenn Ray Townsend (vocals-guitar).
Produced by ex Buffalo Springfield member Dewey Martin, Truk’s “Tracks” is a melting pot of Rock, Prog, Psych and Blues played hard, heavy with roughness at the edges. One of the better “One Shot” obscurities released on Columbia in the early seventies, (Jacobs Creek, May 23rd 2010 post also comes to mind, though there’s a difference in styles).
Not much is known of the group other than Glenn Townsend played in Johnny Rivers’ backup group in the early seventies, while Willie Daffern joined Captain Beyond as a vocalist in the later stages of that group. (Howard Hales Broom)
Track Listing
- Country Woman
- Got To Find A Reason
- Pretty Lady
- Winter’s Coming On
- Sun Castle Magic
- Yellow Cab Man
- Five Is Together
- You
- Silence Ending
- Max
