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captain america and billy
Old Love
907 Posts |
 Posted - 29/05/2013 : 15:46:53
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| One HUGELY overlooked relic from the psych-rock/blues age-the first release by Boston's Ultimate Spinach.Not only is it a complete acid journey depicted thoroughly within its songs,there's actually a track by track liner note guide for the listener to read as he wanders along the blissful and thought provoking escapade.While there was certainly something lacking in the area of lead vocal prowess,this is more than compensated for in the albums delightful modes of production and soulful delivery.My older brother has recently discovered the 13th Floor Elevators.What can be recommended from THEIR catalogue?Perhaps a "greatest hits" would suffice? |
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lemonade kid
Old Love
USA
9880 Posts |
Posted - 29/05/2013 : 18:25:02
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quote:
Originally posted by captain america and billy
One HUGELY overlooked relic from the psych-rock/blues age-the first release by Boston's Ultimate Spinach.Not only is it a complete acid journey depicted thoroughly within its songs,there's actually a track by track liner note guide for the listener to read as he wanders along the blissful and thought provoking escapade.While there was certainly something lacking in the area of lead vocal prowess,this is more than compensated for in the albums delightful modes of production and soulful delivery.My older brother has recently discovered the 13th Floor Elevators.What can be recommended from THEIR catalogue?Perhaps a "greatest hits" would suffice?
Spinach sounds OK on first blush until one realizes that they are very derivative especially of Country Joe.(just kids, I guess, they never really had a chance to grow before splitting up.) Some songs steal almost note for note without crediting the Fish.
Here is a comparison of tracks...Classic Country Joe masterpieces vs Spinach
Upon its release in early 1968, Ultimate Spinach's self-titled debut was derided by some as second-rate psychedelia, selling reasonably well only by virtue of its hype as part of the "Bosstown Sound." So how does it sound decades later, removed from that hype and standing on the music alone? It still sounds like bush league, bandwagon-riding psychedelia. Ian Bruce-Douglas dominates the record as lead singer, composer of all the songs, and multi-instrumentalist, and while he espoused a darker vision than many psychedelic songsmiths, he wasn't in remotely the same league as Jim Morrison, Grace Slick, or Country Joe McDonald. Such comparisons are not idly chosen; echoes of the Doors, Jefferson Airplane, and Country Joe & the Fish cross over into derivation more than once, sounding like a recombination of 1967 West Coast psychedelic music that was garbled on its journey across the continent. All the same, the record is their best, for what that's worth. It is not without some attractive aspects, the best of which are Bruce-Douglas' skittering, piercing organ lines heard to superior effect on "Sacrifice of the Moon," especially as that is unencumbered by his awkward, over-serious lyrics ("collapsed laughter, running, falling, drifting across the minefield of your thoughts, dissolve, wondering, who am I, why should I be alone, alone?"). He likely played Country Joe & the Fish's first LP over and over, as "Sacrifice of the Moon" and "Baroque #1" attest to; "Baroque #1" goes as far as to plagiarize Country Joe's "Masked Marauder," right down to the harmonica and scat vocals. Similarly, "Your Head Is Reeling" has grungy, distorted Doors guitar lifted straight out of Robby Krieger's intro to "The End." As Bruce-Douglas' vocals are only adequate, it's unfortunate more was not heard from guitarist and occasional lead singer Barbara Hudson, who has the kind of ice-cool style trendy among the female psychedelic singers of the era. -allmusicguide
Country Joe - Masked Marauder
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iIxnkucaGk
vs Spinach's total ripoff...Baroque #1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2O9Qyq3wcFg
...to the uninitiated (I made the same mistake on first listen) the Spinach seem like a cool 60's gem, but they have not aged well, at all, AT ALL.
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13th Floor Elevators are especially original and a great psych gem of a Texas band!
Get this at least!
The Psychedelic Sounds Of 13th Floor Elevators..full album play
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEQBfJwYlLY
Their box set is the ULTIMATE!
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Old hippies never die, they just ramble on.
-lk |
Edited by - lemonade kid on 29/05/2013 20:29:28 |
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sometimesmylifeissoeerie
Fourth Love
198 Posts |
Posted - 29/05/2013 : 21:40:18
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I did a gig with the drummer from the Spinach, Luther Rix. in Manhattan.
I remember his name sounded familiar, so I looked at a bunch of old LPs, and he's listed as Doctor Luther Rix.
He was one of the first people to shave his head back then, and I thought he did it because his name is similar to Lex Luther's.
He was playing the set for the Broadway production of "Tommy" last time I spoke to him. |
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Spinach
