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Happy the Man - Crafty Hands (1979 us, smart symphonic progressive rock,...
Though never a major success story by any means, legendary US progressive rock band Happy the Man have long been one of the most beloved acts in the hearts of true prog fans for many years. Their debut...
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Thomas And Richard Frost - Visualize (1969-70 us, wondrous sunny folk psych)
The unreleased album Visualize by Thomas & Richard Frost, taken with its attendant singles "Hello Stranger" and "Open Up Your Heart", is a sparkling and heartwarming gem of late 1960s pop, but the...
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Twink - Think Pink (1970 uk, essential heavy acid psych rock, 2013 remaster...
“Think Pink” is one trippy, hobbity mindfuck of the highest water. It’s a complex and varied album where no two songs are the same, but seem to be examples of sub-genres entire ALBUMS could be...
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Small Faces - The Immediate Years (1965-69 uk, superb classic mod psych...
The box opens up modestly enough with Steve Marriott's old band, the Moments, covering the Kinks'"You Really Got Me" and doing one other song, "Money Money." A few of the band's Decca tracks that seem...
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Dirty Martha - This Is It!! (1969 us, awesome heavy blues psych brass rock,...
Two people inspired me to write these liners: 1) my best friend Tony Papa, who is the best recording engineer in L. A.,and was the drummer in all my bands of the 60's and 70's-an era I refer to as the...
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Sons of Champlin - The Sons (1969 us, fabulous psych jazz rock, japan issue)
The Sons of Champlin's sprawling, double-LP debut album, Loosen Up Naturally, had its launch marred by the discovery of an obscenity in the cover art that resulted in a mass recall and ruined its...
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Lighthouse - Lighthouse (1969 canada, superb psych brass rock, 2012 extra...
Recognized as one of the best performing acts of their time, they toured 300 days a year including sold out performances at Carnegie Hall, the Fillmore East, Fillmore West, Expo ‘70 in Japan and the...
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Dark - Round The Edges (1972 uk, fantastic psych jam rock, 2013 digi pack...
It must have been 1990. I was paying a visit to a heavily connected record dealer who had just received some tapes from overseas. He put one on with the words "This is what Paul [Major] and Gregg...
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The Cates Gang - Come Back Home (1973 us, marvelous hard funky southern rock,...
The Cates were born in Fayetteville (Washington County) in 1942 and grew up in Springdale (Washington County). Although not born to a musical family, the Cates taught themselves how to play and were...
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The Light - Turn On The Light (1967 us, dynamic fuzzed out garage psych, 2007...
The Light were a local 'supergroup' of sorts, uniting the brightest talents from two earlier bands from Southern California's fertile Inland Empire garage scene.Bass player/vocalist Pete Samson and...
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Paul Revere And The Raiders - A Christmas Present... And Past (1967 us,...
A Christmas Present...and Past, by Paul Revere & the Raiders featuring Mark Lindsay, was one of the stranger seasonal albums ever made, which was perhaps appropriate given its release in the midst...
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Brian Auger's Oblivion Express - Second Wind (1972 uk, outstanding groovy...
1972 saw the first personnel change in the Oblivion Express when Scot guitarist and vocalist Alex Ligertwood joined the quartet. Second Wind was the band's third outing overall, and the first with its...
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Chris Bell - I'm The Cosmos (1972-76 us, brilliant melodically pop mastery,...
I dithered about reviewing Chris Bell’s I Am The Cosmos for months, in part because I was struggling to decide exactly what I wanted to say about it, in part because of its ambiguous status: formerly...
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Hickory Wind - Hickory Wind (1969 us, amazing psychedelic rock with blues and...
The band Hickory Wind was formed in Indiana in 1969, by four very young musicians: Sonny Prentice, Alan Jones, Bobby Strehl, and Mike McGuyer. Much of their early musical influences were country rock...
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Jacqueline And Lindsay - Jacqueline And Lindsay (1969 uk / canada, wondrous...
Born in Cardiff, Wales son of a Lay Preacher-Merchant Navy Sea Captain, Lindsay crossed the Atlantc Ocean six times by small cargo steamer, before the age of eight Captain Tom Organ took his wife...
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Truth - Truth (1970 us, pleasant sunny psych folk, 2012 Relics issue)
This short-lived trio was led by Michael DeGreve, who’d been a rock critic for the Los Angeles Times as of 1966. when he was only 19, bringing him into contact with legends such as Jimi Hendrix, Janis...
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Colours - Love Heals The Complete Recordings (1967-69 us, elegant psychedelia)
They spell it the English way, and for jolly good reason. Colours have the crystalline sharpness of the Beatles before they turned acid . Colours have a rainbow sound, but you can distinguish one hue...
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Rotary Connection - Peace (1968 us, wonderful soul jazz psych fusion)
The Rotary Connection's Peace is a terrific, soulful Christmas album. With its production and soulful vocal arrangements, it has all the hallmarks of a late-'60s pop-soul record. While that may date it...
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Country Joe And The Fish - I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die (1967 us, west coast...
The first three Country Joe and the Fish albums all have distinct qualities. “Electric Music For The Mind And Body” was the band’s pioneering metaphysical debut. Their third album, “Together”, featured...
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Pisces - A Lovely Sight (1969 us, cool trippy psychedelia, 2009 remaster...
While Haight Ashbury was in full bloom, Laurel Canyon awash with fey folkies and the Sunset Strip a-go-go with guitar bands, Rockford, Illinois was celebrating the opening of a new Chrysler factory....
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