I still love walking through old book (now kindles and e-books) and record (now downloaded websites) stores though they are dwindling. It’s nice to see a sleeping cat, smell fresh coffee and hear the sound of timeless music permeating the store. Beyond the great aesthetics there is a practical reasons for going to places like this, the people who run such great stores usually have a vast knowledge of hard to find rock gems especially the more rare out of print or hard to find.
Psychedelic Rock Music still holds appeal today because of the wide array of subject matter covered that is relevant in any time period. Subjects that involve Spirituality, questioning authority, alternative lifestyles, using technology in a humane way, space exploration, Psychology, Philosophy, Ecology, Environmentalism, Education, Literature, Sociology, History, Love, Politics, Healthy & the aesthetic effects of electronics effects on the psyche as well as the whole being.
There were a lot of great bands from that golden psychedelic era between 1965-1972 but here there are three bands out of the many that are good examples of the treasures of that time that reflect the consistent reason why the music of then was better than now. The overlooked English rockers, the Pretty Things, The circumstance of fate rockers, the Misunderstood and the folk rock thinkers, The Pearls Before Swine. Each of these groups shared an immense amount of creativity, a high level of musicianship, liberal use of Psychedelic effects and approached the craft with a great deal of thought as they were thinking people’s rock and roll.
The Misunderstood has been called the greatest lost band in history. They were a psychedelic rock band from Riverside, California that began in 1963. They made the transition from being influenced by the blues rock of the first generation of the English invasion to the Psychedelic era smoothly. There were only half a dozen recordings from there first three years in California before meeting John Peel who would go on to DJ fame in England hosting a great show called ‘Peel Sessions’. Peel took them to England where they arrived in the summer of 1966. He would also say of the song, ‘Children of the Sun’ that it was one of the best songs ever. It blends raw rock energy with early psychedelic effects with intriguing lyrics and commanding presence. Peel also stated, "If I had to list the ten greatest performances I've seen in my life, one would be The Misunderstood at Pandora’s Box in Hollywood, 1966. My god, they were a great band!"They were signed by Fontana records and recorded six songs which were released at the end of the year. They picked up Tony Hill, a noted Englishmen on guitar to team up with Glenn Ross Campbell.
The band was ready to take off but was derailed by the drafting of Rick Brown, their lead singer and songwriter by the US Army in 1967. They watched as others made it big in music but in addition to the Rick Brown problem they also did not have work permits so playing live was difficult. The band was sometimes referred to as the American version of the Yardbirds. They were incredibly talented as they were Psychedelic pioneers that cultivated thinking people’s hard rock. What can’t be explained in words is the ‘feel that they had that evokes emotions of spiritual psychedelic curiosity and imagery. This groups is missed but should never be forgotten so in deserving to be kept timeless, go out and pick up, “Before the Dream Faded” to get the best taste of ‘The Misunderstood’.
The Pretty Things were and still are an English Psychedelic rock and roll band from London, England. They hit their stride with the album S.F. Sorrow which was released in late 1968 as it was the first genuine rock opera. Recording of the album began in 1967 as they were considered the other band at Abbey Road Studies as the Beatles had recorded the seminal, “Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club” and were now starting work on ‘The White Album.’ Meanwhile, Pink Floyd recorded their first album their and were working on their second album, “Saucerful of Secrets”. As the other band to those two Rock N’ Roll giants, the Pretty Things were dismissed, ignored and under promoted. This is the heart of the shame and why I am writing about them as they are mistakenly overlooked and deserve their place in the Sun indefinitely. They experimented with the latest sound technologies of the day and were open to working out various special effects on the spot spontaneously.
In terms of well thought out concept albums, S.F. Sorrow is one of the earliest and best. It tells the story of Sebastian F. Sorrow, a young man growing up at the beginning of the twentieth century. The narrative follows his childhood being shortened by having to work the local factory at an early age but meeting the woman that would later become his fiancé who lived across the street. He joins the military and fights in World War I, survives it and moves to America. His fiancé travels by balloon from England to visit to be with him in New York. Unfortunately, the balloon catches fire before landing killing everyone aboard. He goes into a reclusive sad shell isolating him and blocking out the world eventually becoming a sad lonely old man.
The three standout songs on the album are Balloon Burning, Old Man Going and The Loneliest Person. Balloon Burning is a strong, rocking, song that cooks though it is a sad tune of S.F. Sorrows fiancé perishing. This is the song that drew me to this band as it is ahead of it’s time with great lead guitar work from Dick Taylor. Old Man Going has a ‘Black Sabbath’ like sound & riffing from Dick Taylor. The lyrics are insightful, descriptive and poignant. The driving tempo builds whether they are laying the steel down or kicking back on the nylon. This tune is a passionate one with depth. One of the outstanding songs of all time that is little known is, ‘The Loneliest Person which concludes the original album. It is a poignant tasty acoustic song. There are a few outsider types that can relate to this one. This tune has a lot of heart even if it is a broken one.
The Pretty Things did everything from rock hard to poignant ballads and folksy tunes while writing great lyrics and wonderful musicianship. This is another timeless band that deserves better and should be explored now & into the future.
One of the true treasures of Psychedelic music was the group, “Pearls Before Swine”. The mainstay of the psychedelic folk group was Tom Rapp, the guitarist, vocalist and principle song writer. Their two best and most known albums were, ‘One Nation Underground’ released in 1967 and ‘Balaklava’ released in 1968. These two albums are some of the most amazingly beautiful, exemplary, Psychedelic albums ever.
On ‘One Nation Underground’ there are three standout songs including ‘Another Time’, ‘Regions of May’ and ‘I Shall Not Care’. ‘Another Time’ is an eloquent, beautiful song yet disturbing though impelling one to contemplate life and death with a folksy soothing Psychedelicized perspective. It’s rare to find lyrics this intellectually intriguing: “Did you find that the Universe doesn’t care at all? Did you find that if you don’t care, this whole wrong world will fall? Or have you come by again, To die again, Try again another time.” They touch on powerful themes of reincarnation, transcendence and having a soulful compassion for others.
‘Regions Of May’ is a great example of a Psychedelic song in both effect and lyrics: “The rain is whispering to my window pane. And drawing Crazy patterns On my mind Your face Is invading the portals of my eyes My mind Is all entwined In fragment fields of flowers And the scent Puts me outside my mind”.
An intense striking dark song, “I Shall Not Care” lucidly reflects one’s heart being broken and how it feels like death and thus will reflect cold hearted death back to the cruel soul who did the heartbreaking. ‘When I am dead, And over me bright April, Shakes out her rain-drenched hair, Though you should lean Above me broken-hearted, I shall not care.’There is a rocking middle after these lyrics while the following are being sung: ‘Words that were not said, Songs that were not sung, Tears that were not shed, Deeds that were not done, I was not, I was, I am not, I do not care.’ The song then goes back into the mournful/psychedelic with the lyrics of: ‘I shall have peace, As leafy trees are peaceful, When rain bends down the bow, And I shall be, More silent and cold-hearted, Than you are now.
This album is an unforgettable journey of the mind and spirit.
Their second album, “Balaklava” also has three gems of songs including “Translucent Carriages’, ‘Images Of April’ & ‘I Saw The World.’ “Translucent Carriages” is a gorgeous song that rolls down your senses with breathing, acoustic guitar, flutes and yearning for other times. I first heard this song in 1987 and it had a major impact on me from a creative perspective that remains strong to this day. Rapp invokes the 5th century Greek historian Herodototus with his famous quote: “In peace, Sons bury their fathers, In war, Fathers bury their sons.” It’s always mind expanding and interesting when someone like Herodotus is invoked. Also, very salient lyrics in this song: Love is silent, At the edge of the universe, Waiting, To come in. "Images Of April"-This is a pretty song to meditate to or just sit in deep contemplation while enjoying the universe in action.
My favorite song on the album is, “I Saw The World". This song has great energy with a poignant message out of many Eastern philosophies and religious beliefs. This song is a lucid example of a tune being timeless. “I
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