Alexander Skip Spence’s Oar - Godfather of Psychedelic Lo-Fi

Alexander "Skip" Spence

That was the opening track, “Little Hands,” of the psychedelic 60s forgotten masterpiece, Oar (1969 Columbia Records), by the tragically tortured visionary, Alexander “Skip” Spence.

Alexander “Skip” Spence, described as “one of psychedelia brightest lights,” was a lamp that burned too fast and too furious, but during his regrettably short-lived career, he left quite a mark on the fabric of California 60s psychedelia.  The Canadian born musician first played guitar for the psychedelic rock band, Quicksilver Messenger Service, but he soon moved on to play drums for the California legends, Jefferson Airplane, appearing on their debut release, Jefferson Airplane Takes Off (1966 RCA Victor).  Shortly after, he co-founded the psychedelic folk rock group, Moby Grape, and played guitar for the band until 1969.  He released several albums with the group, but it was during this part of his career that “Skip” Spence began to show signs of mental illness, instigated perhaps by excessive drug use.  The group relocated to New York to record the album Wow (1968 Columbia Records), and according to band members, Skip Spence began hanging with some “weird” folks of the city’s underworld.  His behaviors became more erratic and alarming culminating in the widely known episode where he attempted to attack fellow band members, Don Stevenson and Jerry Milller, with a fire axe while staying in a NY hotel. Once restrained, he was checked into Bellevue Hospital and soon diagnosed with schizophrenia.  It was during his six month stay at Bellevue when Alexander Spence wrote much of the material for what would become his only solo album, Oar (1969 Columbia Records).  Upon release, he reportedly bought a motorcycle and immediately travelled straight to Nashville to record his solo effort.  Spence recorded the material in a total of 7 days all on a simple 3 track recorder, playing every instrument himself. The album is a lo-fi, minimalist masterpiece that was way ahead of its time, and it was the worst selling record in Columbia’s commercial history.  The lo-fi aesthetic just wasn’t all the rage.  Most of the album remains minimalist with a strong country-folk influence.  Here’s the 2nd track of the album, “Cripple Creek”:

His voice has a deep, warm quality to it that reminds one of Fred Neil at times. I just love the 1st side of this album, and it continues to be perfect with the third track, “Diana,” a song that almost recalls early John Martyn or Nick Drake. Check it out:

My favorite track on the album is the last song of Side A, “War in Peace.”  It's psychedelic perfection, simply put, and it was done with such minimal, cheap equipment!  I love this song; check it out:

Side B is excellent as well.  The last track, “Grey/Afro,” is definitely the most experimental song on the album.  One critic described it as a “mantric drone”; it’s a really weird tune, for sure:

Alexander Skip Spence (1946-1999)

Alexander Spence gradually withdrew from the music industry and all public culture shortly after the album’s release, and his record was quickly abandoned and forgotten about, only to resurface years later for a new generation of eagerly appreciative listeners.  Spence, however, never returned to the musical limelight; mental illness and drug addiction continued to plague him.  Spence’s spark had burned and raged too furiously, and there was only night left.  His story is a sad one, and in 1999, he passed away, mostly unnoticed by the commercial music world.  Rest in Peace, Alexander “Skip” Spence. <> Well my few loyal readers, enjoy the little music Spence has left us... It will make you pine for more....

Alexander Skip Spence's Oar

A Good One for the New Year: Crippled Black Phoenix's "Time of Ye Life/Born for Nothing/Paranoid Arm of Narcoleptic Empire"

This is a nice one for the New Year. Crippled Black Phoenix was mentioned a few days ago; they're simply amazing. Their magnum opus track, "Time of Ye Life/Born for Nothing/Paranoid Arm of Narcoleptic Empire," which spans more than 18 minutes, was referenced as well. The track is worth a full listen. The first part features a spoken word track of Evel Knievel, who is giving an inspirational speech to a young crowd of listeners; CBP's musical accompaniment gives the speech a mysterious kind of aura and potency. The rest of the composition varies from loud moments of triumph to quiet points of eeriness, and yes, there is definite Floyd factor here. Give it a listen and see previous posting for further links....

Wow... That's beautiful. Have great year everyone. Peace.

2 Strange German Records: Can’s Soon Over Babaluma and Amon Düül II’s Phallus Dei

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve purchased some strange German records from the local music store, the first one being Can’s album, Soon Over Babaluma (1974 United Artists).  

Can sometime after Damo Suzuki's departure

Monster Movie - 1969

Being a big fan of Can, it was one of the few releases by the group that I had never heard, so I was curious to say the least.  Thanks to the recommendation of a friend that worked at the store, I picked up the Lp (Thanx David!!).  For those who don’t know, Can was a psychedelic, experimental rock band from Cologne, Germany that formed in 1968.  The band released over 11 studio albums, as well as many compilations and live recordings, and their debut full length, Monster Movie (1969 United Artists) is often hailed as the first major Krautrock record, signaling the start of one of Europe’s most interesting rock movements.  

An earlier post, link to previous Can post here, made the statement that Can’s best material comes from the early era, before the departure of singer Damo Suzuki, but Soon Over Babaluma definitely challenges that thesis. Can recorded this album right after Suzuki’s exit, and it’s awesome!!  It’s a loud rock album and a quiet, ambient experiment all in one, very much  what one would expect after the release of the previous Future Days (1973 United Artists).  Guitarist Michael Karoli and keyboardist Irmin Schmidt provide vocals for the record, and they pull it off well.  Unfortunately, it’s hard to find YouTube samples from the album, and for some reason, this is due to EMI blocking American audiences from having access... I'm guessing it has something to do with copyright laws.... God, I hate that company....  Here’s the opening track, however, and hopefully EMI won’t remove the file any time soon.  The song’s called “Dizzy Dizzy”:

I love the addition of strings on that track, and it sounds really good for a session that was recorded on a two-track setup.  I hope it’s not redundant, but here’s a great video copy of the same song performed live:

I love Irmin Schmidt’s Silver Surfer jacket!!  The live version’s a lot funkier but lacks the strings and ambiance of the studio recording.  Both are really great jams.  Definitely check out the whole album.

http://www.mediafire.com/?3kmilzjgyuw

Amon Duul II

I recently picked up another German krautrock classic from the same store, Amon Düül II’s debut, Phallus Dei (1969 Repertoire).  Amon Düül II’s first studio release has also been claimed, alongside Can’s Monster Movie, to be one of the original krautrock records.  Amon Düül II formed out of the politically radical art commune known simply as Amon Düül.  The commune was founded in Munich, Germany in the late 60s, and the members embraced extreme leftist principles (some commune members, in fact, later joined the controversial Maoist group, the Red Army Faction...)  The commune performed and recorded music as Amon Düül, but some of the more “serious” musicians eventually wanted to develop the group’s sound more professionally and more commercially, causing a split in the commune and the birth of Amon Düül II.  In the early 70s, both Amon Düül and Amon Düül II released albums for the commercial market, but the latter project proved much more prolific and successful, releasing what I believe to be a total of 17 albums over the years.  I’m actually a little confused about the Amon Düül II discography because, being the commune they were, members came and went, making it difficult to determine where the “original” lineup ends and its later inception begins. Personally, I stick with the early stuff, which reminds one of the previously mentioned Can in many different ways.  The first record is a natural place to start. In fact, we’ll begin with the opening track of the album, “Kanaan”:

The song scores equal points for sonic psychedelia, but it doesn’t have that quirkiness characteristic of Can’s sound.  The highlight of the album, however, is the single title track that makes up side B of the record.  If you have time, check it out (if impatient, it really gets going around 3min 34sec...):

Wow!!  That’s a jam. If you like psychedelia, experimental rock, free jazz, prog, or anything of that milieu, get these albums.  They’re great!! Feel free to comment and enjoy the muzak!

Amon Duul II live in recent years...

http://www.mediafire.com/?0103xegxqdv

What I Want for Christmas: The Deviants’ Ptoof! on Vinyl (along with many other records....)

When the mode of music changes, the walls of the city shake!!!

The Deviants, first known as “the Social Deviants,” were an English psychedelic Proto-Punk group that were active from 1967-1970.  Their frontman was countercultural icon, Mick Farren, who went on to be a prolific writer and journalist, publishing over 20 novels, several biographies, and articles for publications such as NME.  Along with the Pink Fairies, the Deviants were the UK’s most “punk rock” band of the 60s/early 70s. In fact the Pink Fairies were born out of the ashes of the Deviants’ first formation; both anarchic proto-punk projects were from the same UK Underground scene of bohemians and psychedelic rockers.  It was this scene that also produced the famous counter-cultural newspaper, The International Times, which served as Mick Farren’s first major outlet for journalistic expression.  John Peel, a big fan of the Deviants, once interviewed Mick Farren about the publication and the greater Underground scene:

While the Pink Fairies played a more frenzied form of fast blues rock ‘n roll, the Deviants explored more psychedelic soundscapes. If the early John Cale-produced Stooges hung out with Syd Barrett or Rocky Erikson for a weekend jam session, they might produce something akin to the Deviants’ debut full length, Ptoof! (1967 Impressario/Decca), hands down their best record.  

Before the era of McLaren and the Sex Pistols, the Deviants were the first D-I-Y artists of the rock world.  The first album,  with the help of a wealthy friend, was self-released by the band on their label, Impressario.  The album is one of my favorite British rock records of the 60s, and that’s a provocative thing to say when one thinks about all the masterpieces of the era.  Here’s the awesome opening track, “I’m Coming Home”:

Mick Farren has that all-to-familiar punk rock tone of snide despondency down to perfection.  I love the vocals, but I also love the song’s gradual, instrumental escalation into sonic chaos.  The band can also tone it down, however.  The album, for instance, immediately goes from dissonant chaos to subdued folk-like melodies with the 2nd song, “Child of the Sky”:

The album is obviously very dynamic, more so than anything by their successors, the Pink Fairies.  Here’s one more track, the more experimental conclusion to the debut album, “Deviation Street”:

Wouldn't mind having this one too!

That’s a pretty weird collage of noise and melody.... The Deviants recorded two more albums, Disposable (1968 Stable Records) and The Deviants 3 (1969 Transatlantic), but by 1970, the group disbanded with Farren pursuing writing and the other members joining famous psyche drummer, Twink, to form the band, Pink Fairies.  Mick Farren did release one solo album, Mona - The Carnivorous Circus (1970 Transatlantic), and in recent decades, Farren has released some records under the Deviants name - none of it, however, compares to the early days of recklessness that are so well captured on the original three Lps, and Ptoof! definitely blows them all away. It’s an essential for all rock collections, and for this reason, I desperately want a vinyl copy for Xmas.... Not gonna happen, but one can still dream...

I’ll now leave you with some live footage.  These guys are so punk rock, just watch, and you gotta love the hippie dancers....

Enjoy the tunes and feel free to comment!

Ptoof! - http://www.mediafire.com/?r286d48guwc9e26

Disposable - http://www.mediafire.com/?xmr37v6b726alp6

Deviants 3 - http://www.mediafire.com/?2owvxo4tzxm

Hipsters meet your Godfathers: Dan Treacy & Ed Ball of the Television Personalities & Teenage Filmstars

Television Personalities playing live

So the story begins at the discount bookstore. I was flipping through records and came across the popular Teenage Filmstars album Star (1992 Creation Records).  The price was right, so I purchased it.  I’ve always been a fan of Dan Treacy’s and Ed Ball’s post-punk project, Television Personalities, but so far, the later reincarnation of the artists’ side project (Teenage Filmstars) has proved disappointing, but why??  I like loud, fuzzy, textured psychedelia as much as the next person, and the band explores such aesthetics to the point of sheer fetishization. The obsessive fetishizing of 60s culture isn’t what bothers me, however; in fact, I probably participate in this social practice.  I think the problem is I’ve listened to the Television Personalities for many years now, and I love their campy, minimalist take on post-punk rock.  And that’s what’s missing from their later project...

Here’s my favorite track on the later Teenage Filmstars album; it’s entitled “Kiss Me”:

It’s good psychedelia for sure, ahead of its time in relation to the recent, neo-psychedelic revival.  But it doesn’t have the enduring quality of their previous, more kitschy approach to Lo-Fi, garage-style post-punk.  Their more known project, Television Personalities, began releasing singles as early as 1978.  Their debut album, And Don’t the Kids Just Love It, was recorded in 1980 and released in 1981 on Rough Trade.  It’s rawness, minimalism, and irony is almost too much, and as a result, it’s an awesome album!!!  Check out the opening track, “This Angry Silence,” of their debut full length:

It’s like early Beatles-y Brit Pop mixed with the irony of post-Sex Pistols music culture.  In other words, it’s the songs of innocence and songs of experience all in one pop song formula.... Incredible!

The Television Personalities were (or are... I think they’re technically still together?....) the brainchild of Dan Treacy and Ed Ball.  They were an English group that was very much part of the emerging Punk (and later Post-Punk) music scene.  In the early years, they released singles under several varying band names: Television Personalities, Teenage Filmstars, The Times, The O Level....  By the time of their debut album, they seemed to have settled on 2 names for separate projects: TV Personalities and The Times.  Later, they re-formed under the name previously (but briefly) used, Teenage Filmstars.  I have always preferred the early material of their project, TV Personalities.  Here’s another great track, “Geoffrey Ingram,” from the 1st album:

The band continued to release more albums through the 80s, each release moving more and more away from their post-punk roots, exploring instead sounds of the previous decade: namely the psychedelic 60s.  My favorite moment in this transition of sound was captured beautifully in the following video, a clip I recently discovered when surfing the ole net.  The song is called “The Painted Word,” and it’s from their 1985 album of the same name (Whaam! Records):

Oh my God!  That video just made my day when I discovered it.  21st century hipsters eat your heart out. You can’t get more ironically pastiche or self-consciously campy than that!  Davie Crocket hats are as hip as it gets! (Ricky, you know what I’m talking about.... sorry, inside joke for a friend of the blog....)  In fact, this video (and not the aforementioned record purchase) is what really inspired this post; I had to share it with my small world; hope it warms your heart as well.

Here’s one more track from the debut TV Personalities album; it’s called “Silly Girl”:

If you like raw, Lo-Fi post-punk - like recent acts such as Let’s Wrestle or Art Brut - early TV Personalities albums are for you, especially the first one.  Check it out and feel free to comment.

Teenage Filmstars:

http://www.mediafire.com/?loemjkmzjdz

Television Personalities:

http://www.mediafire.com/?lnwmrygqss2

Here's to a great Record Store! Houston's Sound Exchange - The Right Price for My Favorite Albums by 2 Great Bands: Can & Yo La Tengo

Met some friends in downtown Houston today (well, yesterday when this actually posts...), and we decided to visit a local record store, Sound Exchange on Richmond Ave.  I don't know if it was the "black Friday" consumption extravaganza or what, but the prices at this record shop are unbeatable.  I recommend visiting to anyone passing through Houston. I found two records that aren't rare, but they're usually not cheap as well. (At least to my standards, and I'm not a "collector," so I have "cheap" standards... I just listen for the quality sound, so I love the reissues and reprints...)

Can circa 1972

Well first off, I picked up a vinyl import copy of my favorite Can album, Ege Bamyasi (originally released 1972 on United Artists).  I'm sure this album is many people's favorite Can record; it's a hard one to beat. The album was a breakthrough success for the band, containing such favorites as "Pinch," "Sing Swan Song," "Vitamin C," and of course "Spoon," which succeeded on the charts as a single.  For those who don't know, Can was a German experimental, psychedelic rock group that formed sometime in the late 60s and disbanded before the 80s. Due to their experimental nature, they are often labeled "Krautrock" and associated with groups like Faust, Ash Ra Tempel, Neu!, and Amon Duul II. Can stands out as my favorite project of this movement, without a doubt, and my favorite album is the one I finally picked up on Vinyl today at Houston's Sound Exchange.  In little more than a decade, the group released 11 studio albums, but the early 70s, with releases such as Tago Mago (1971 United Artists), Future Days (1973 United Artists), and a the aforementioned purchase, are the best years by far.  This is also the period that featured vocalist, Damo Suzuki, as frontman; perhaps that has something to do with it... The Fall seemed to think so as they released a song in the singer's honor, entitled "I am Damo Suzuki," on the album, This Nation's Saving Grace (1985 Beggars Banquet). Here's the opening track, "Pinch," from Can's Ege Bamyasi:



That's a great opener: groovy, psychedelic, weird, with indeterminable lyrics to top it off.  But nothing beats the song "Sign Swan Song," a track that fortunately is not their Swan Song as their career continues prolifically.  Most of us have probably heard this song, so here's some live footage of questionable sound quality:



If you have not heard the studio version of this song, definitely check it out; it's much mellower and more structured, better recording as well...  I think many people's favorite from this album is the groove called "Vitamin C," the opening tune of the 2nd side. Once again, here's a live clip of the famous song:



Unfortunately, it's only a fragment of the recorded song; I wish there was more.  Once again, listen to the studio version as well if you haven't checked out this excellent Can album.  This one is a definite essential for any Rock library.

Yo La Tengo

Now, is there any connection between Germany's Can and the New Jersey natives, Yo La Tengo?  In terms of influence, not that I know of, but who would be surprised if such were the case?  The connection here has to do with today's purchase at the Sound Exchange record store; I finally bought my favorite Yo La Tengo album on vinyl, And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out (2000 Matador Records). Yo La Tengo are an American "Indie Rock" group that formed in Hoboken, NJ in 1984 that are still active to this day.  There's nothing I could say about these guys that you probably don't already know; they're Indie Rock legends, up there with the likes of Pavement, Guided by Voices, or Wilco.  Over the years, they've released 12 studio albums as well as several Eps, film scores, and collaborative releases.  I love their 9th album the best, however. And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out is the album where the band really mellowed their sound and focused more on texture and atmosphere.  Their distinctively noisy approach was replaced with more subdued, melodic compostions, involving diverse intrumentation in the background of each song's soundscape. My favorite tune on the album is the track, "Last Days of Disco":



That track would fit well on a playlist with some of the later Talk Talk & Slowdive material posted elsewhere on this blogsite.  A mellow, jazzy post-rock sensibility is obviously present in the song's sound.  Another great track is the song, "Tears Are in Your Eyes," and since most have probably heard it, I'll link another live video:



Now that tune would go well with the music of Neil Halstead & Rachel Goswell as well, but this time the sound sits well with their later country-influenced project, Mojave 3.  What a beautiful song! There was a better quality live video on the net, but I couldn't use it because the camera person completely ignores the talent of drummer & co-frontperson, Georgia Hubley. She and her husband, Ira Kaplan, share roles of lead vocals in the band, and she deserves just as much camera time... All this to say, it was a worthwhile visit to a well-known Houston record store that did not disappoint, and like I said before, the prices were great. I give the store an enthusiatic recomendation! Now I can't wait to head home and hear the records on my house stereo.... But before I depart I leave you with the epic conclusion to Yo La Tengo's And Then It Turned Itself Inside-Out, the song "Night Falls on Hoboken."  If you have the time, listen to the song, presented here in 2 parts:





Enjoy the tunes and take care!

 

http://www.mediafire.com/?a31xxgdkmdj

http://www.mediafire.com/?2w1m2omyimt

P.S. Hyperlinks aren't working, so paste the above addresses in your web-browser... Peace!

Playlist for road trip to Houston: Mayo Thompson, Fever Tree, and Josefus - Installment #2 of Texas Psychedelia.

The wife and I are driving to Houston to see some family, and the playlist is set: start a little mellow with some strange sounds from Mayo Thompson, move on to the psychedelic rock of Fever Tree, and end with some Zeppelin-done-Houston-style rock’n’roll in the form of Josefus.

R. Rauschenberg - 1970

I’ve posted about Mayo Thompson before, but I mentioned his solo work as a mere side note to another story, namely that of the Houston band Red Crayola.  Mayo Thompson’s solo album deserves more attention, however.  He formed Red Crayola in 1966 with Frederick Barthelme, brother of writer Donald Barthelme.  The band could easily be considered Houston’s 13th Floor Elevators, and at times, they were even more “out there” than their Austin counterparts.  (See the linked post above for samples of their experimental “freak outs.”)  After Red Crayola’s first formation, Thompson recorded a solo album in Houston entitled Corky’s Debt to His Father (1970 Texas Revolution; re-released by Drag City...), and it was around this time that he relocated to NYC to work as assistant to the artist Robert Rauschenberg. (He later moved to London where he collaborated with many experimental music acts such as the previously posted Pere Ubu.)  Mayo Thompson’s solo album, however, is one of the greater personal testaments of the psychedelic age of musical experimentation. It stands with the other greats, such as Syd Barrett’s  The Madcap Laughs (1970 EMI) or Alexander “Skip” Spence’s Oar (1969 Columbia). I previously posted the 1st track of the album; here’s the 2nd song, “Oyster Thins”:

Mayo playing live

Corky's Debt to his Father is a very abstract, yet playful, folk-rock album.  The lyrics and musical compositions are like the soundtrack to the mindscape of a Dada poet.  The songs are meaningful, however, and there is great sincerity in Mayo Thompson’s voice and writing. The album isn't always folky; here’s a more rockin’ number, “Venus in the Morning”:

And one last song from Mayo’s solo work; this time from the 2nd side.  The song’s entitled “Fortune”:

Corky’s Debt to his Father may be my favorite work by Houston’s psychedelic guru; I definitely listen to it more than my Crayola records and more than his work with Pere Ubu.  Check out the whole album and listen straight through.

http://www.mediafire.com/?bkynmydmzib

Now Fever Tee was a psychedelic rock group from Houston, TX that played and recorded between the years 1966 to 1970.  The band had one successful hit, “San Francisco Girls (Return of the Native),” released on their self-titled album (1968 Uni Records/MCA):

Good ole Texas boys dreamin’ of the California bay! From what I understand, they did not write their own music; most of that was done by the couple, Scott & Vivian Holtzmann, so maybe they were the ones from San Francisco, dreaming of their summertime return... The music is pretty typical of its era. I do like the sustaining fuzz guitars... good for one’s ears.  Here’s the opening track of the debut, self-titled album (mentioned above); it’s called “Imitation Situation 1 - Where Do You Go”:

For some reason, the introductory “Imitation” part of the song is cut from this video, but you get the point, fun psychedelia that is not as compellingly unique as Thompson’s material but still good for what it is. Fever Tree released a total of four studio albums, but none of their later material seems to match the summer-of-love sound of the debut album. Definitely start with the first one.

http://www.mediafire.com/?mtn4ngdjyni

Another legend of Houston rock were the heavy metal innovators, Josefus.  They formed sometime before 1969; in other words, before there was ZZ Top there was Josefus; they were the Dixie South’s answer to the sounds of Sabbath and Zeppelin.  They recorded 3 albums before disbanding, and the second Lp, Dead Man (1970 Hookah), has recently been rereleased on Vinyl with the instructions on the back cover to play very, very loud.  Here’s the opening track, “Crazy Man”:

I definitely hear the inspiration of Plant here, and many people reiterate the derivative quality of Josefus’s sound.  To their credit, they were recording this material around the same time as the studio sessions for both I & II, so they cannot simply be explained away as a Led Zeppelin knock-off group of the 70s.  The guys were current, fresh, and somewhat ahead of the curve, for sure. The guitarist has nothing on Jimmy Page's chops, however.  Check out the magnum opus title track, “Dead Man”:

Now that was a jam.  If you like earlier-posted Pentagram, Led Zeppelin, and other early innovators of bluesy hard rock, check out Houston’s very own Josefus.  Now off to the town itself I go!!!

http://www.mediafire.com/?plhpacleda85xu8

Thanksgiving is a time for Family!!!

Well it’s Thanksgiving, and holidays are the times for the Family. I am speaking of the music, of course, and so I introduce you, my reader, to one of Swingin’ London’s forgotten about gems.

Family were an English rock band that formed in the mid-60s and played and recorded music until 1973. Their music varied quite extensively; all the following terms have been employed to characterize their sound: progressive rock, folk rock, psychedelia, jazz fusion, etc. Unlike most psyche groups, their instrumentation was not limited to guitars, keys, and drums; there were always a plethora of rotating musicians, and they made use of many unique sounds: strings, flutes, banjos, harps, vibes, etc. Unfortunately, their following never ventured far off the British isle; one of their American tours, for instance, was a complete

disaster. They were banned from Fillmore East after lead singer, Roger Chapman, allegedly tossed a mic stand at Bill Graham’s head during a chaotic concert performance. They were definitely well-known for their crazy concert antics, and some bands or artists were reportedly uneasy about sharing the bill with them. The band’s energy was not limited to the live arena; in their short career that did not even span a decade, they recorded 7 studio albums, almost all on the label Reprise. There were several live and best of compilations as well, making their discography pretty vast. I have not heard the entirety of their releases; some of their albums are pretty hard to find. (In fact, if anyone has their last release, It’s Only a Movie, released 1973 on United Artists, let me know...) A good place to start, however, is the beginning with their debut album, Music in a Doll’s House (1968 Reprise Records). Here’s a couple tracks from the earlier release (the 1st is called “Winter” and the latter “Peace of Mind”):

It’s good folky psychedelia; I love it, but one can sense that the band had yet to carve out clearly their distinct, stylistic mark in the world of popular 60s psychedelia. In fact, that doesn’t seem to happen until their 3rd full length, A Song for Me (1970 Reprise), their most commercially successful effort, which was recently re-released in 2007. It is this album that really begins to showcase their multi-instrumental compositions, and their sound begins to channel a wild, progressive form of psychedelic folk rock. Here’s one of the “bonus” tracks of the re-release; the song is called “No Mules Fool”:

I feel like one could easily fool a listener into thinking they’re hearing an obscure Cat Stevens track when playing that song. At least, I thought Cat Stevens when I first heard it. Family, as stated before, varied stylistically, so it’s not all Cat Stevens-esque. One of the most talked about elements of their sound was Roger Chapman’s unique vocals; sometimes critics described it as a violent, yet soulful, vibrato sound, and some reviewers even complained that his style risked being annoying. For example, listen to the opening song of the album, “Drowned in Wine”:

His vocals seem to imitate the sounds of a saxophone; it’s not for everybody, some are definitely put off by it. Songs like this one make me think, “Oh Wow, Jethro Tull could have been a lot cooler...” In fact, Jethro Tull has cited Family as an important influence. Here’s my favorite track from the album, “Song for Sinking Lovers”:

That’s some good psychedelic folk rock. The Family weren’t always pickin’ the acoustic, however. They could rock heavy in a way that would make Page and Plant proud. Check out the title track, “A Song for Me”:

That’s some heavy blues! Gotta love the Family, and no better time to do so than on Thanksgiving! Definitely check out the entirety of their albums:

music in a doll’s house: http://www.mediafire.com/?z2hmmvmwjnz

A Song for Me: http://www.mediafire.com/?ywmn0qmx0y0

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Enjoy the Family and feel free to comment. Peace.