State of The Union

As of This Moment

Stats for the last 30 Days...

Number of Downloaded Albums: 1, 963
Number of Page Hits: 3,316

Stats, galore...

July - 1968 - Second of July

July: "Second of July"
1968
(Psych)

Track: "Look at Her"


DOWNLOAD THIS ALBUM (41.33 MB) .zip

Collection of rare unreleased material. This is more of a demo of the first album, but it is a very great listen. A bit unpolished, but if you liked the self titled album, you'll like this.

Open Mind - 1969 - The Open Mind

Open Mind: "The Open Mind"
Philips, 1969
(Psych rock)

Track: "Can't You See"


DOWNLOAD THIS ALBUM (105.0 MB) .zip

Nearly bluesy-sounding at times, this is a very rockin' record. Had this band been around during the British invasion they probably would have been a smash. This is the highlight of my recent finds. "With a singing style rooted in the freakbeat era, rather than the operatic tenor screams hard rock ushered in, and acidic duel guitars, heavier than those of a typical psychedelic act, The Open Mind filled the gap between the beginning of one era and the end of another."

High Rise - 1986 - High Rise II

High Rise: "High Rise II"
PSF, 1986
(Psych)

Track: "Wipe Out"


DOWNLOAD THIS ALBUM (52.23 MB) .zip

Psychedelic Speed Freaks. That is what the name of the record label means, and that fairly describes High Rise's Sound. "Monumental performance by Japanese psychedelic garage masters. Incredibly wild and tough guitar sound." This is where the other end of the psych spectrum begins, and it's just as good as every other bit.


p.s. Last update broke the record for # of album downloads!

Various - 1987 - Kraut! Demons! Kraut! - German Psychedelic Underground 1968-1974

Various: "Kraut! Demons! Kraut! - German Psychedelic Underground 1968-1974"
1987
(Krautrock/Psych)

Track: Aero Sound - "Ready For Take Off"


DOWNLOAD THIS ALBUM (101.3 MB) .zip

Hands down, this is the best Kraut compilation there is. Made up of nearly every Kraut band you've never heard of, it is a great representation of the genre. Good for a kraut lover or someone who is only beginning to get into the genre.

Bridget St. John - 1969 - Ask Me No Questions

Bridget St. John: "Ask Me No Questions"
Dandelion, 1969
(folk)

Download track: "To B Without A Hitch"


DOWNLOAD THIS ALBUM (70.24 MB) .zip

The emotion in the vocals speaks for itself. Hazy guitars droning over a beautiful, somber voice. This album was produced by John Peel. This album was actually John Peel's first release on his Dandelion label!

Bill Fay - 1966-1970 - From the Bottom of an Old Grandfather Clock

Bill Fay: "From the Bottom of an Old Grandfather Clock
(A Collection of Demos and Outtakes)"
Wooden Hill, 2004 (1966-1970)
(Folk)

Sample Song: "Warwick Town"


DOWNLOAD THIS ALBUM (88.64 MB) .zip

By request. For those of you who liked the previous Bill Fay album I posted, you will certainly love this. As far as I know, these are the only other albums of Bill's. Re-issued by the same label (Wooden Hill) as the Complex reissue. If you happen to have any other material by him, I'd appreciate it if you could send it my way so I can share it with everyone.

Mourning Phase - 1971 - Mourning Phase

Mourning Phase: "Mourning Phase"
Private Pressing, 1971
(Psych Folk)

Sample Song: "August Song"


DOWNLOAD (39.1 MB)

Dual male/female vocals set this record apart from most of its time. Kissing Spell Records: "The Mourning Phase demo-LP was discovered in 1992 and later sold for a 4-figure sum to a “collector”. It appeared to be a test pressing, dated 1971, with a hand-made cover. Lyrically interesting, the densely layered acoustic/electric music seems merely to serve as a vehicle for the love/hate relationship of, speculatively, the male and female vocalists. Cynical, misanthropic, (with and occasional cello), and a cover based on an impressionist painting. Mourning Phase is surely the archetypal home-made art-student LP."

Various - 1965-1970 - UK Psych Pop Compilations

Various: "Pop In, Volume 1 (1966-1970)"
Various: "Piccadilly Sunshine, Part 1 (1965-1970)"
(Psych/pop)

Sample Song: Svensk - "Dream Magazine"


DOWNLOAD Pop In, Vol. 1 (92.9 MB)
DOWNLOAD Piccadilly Sunshine, Vol. 1 (96.25 MB)

Out of the nearly 20 compilations of psych pop I have, these are probably two of my favorites. There's really not a lot to say about these, as there are so many different artists (nearly 50!) and their sounds are very different in most cases. If you only listen to a few songs from these, do yourself a favor and at the very least check out the song "Dream Magazine" by Svensk on the Piccadilly Sunshine comp.

Various - 1967 - With Love: A Pot of Flowers

The Wildflower, Euphoria, The Other Side, The Harbinger Complex: "With Love: A Pot of Flowers"
Mainstream, 1967
(Psych)

Sample Song: The Wildflower - "Wind Dream"


DOWNLOAD (40.86 MB)

This complilation is made up of only four bands: The Wildflower, Euphoria, The Other Side, and The Harbinger Complex. Considered by many collectors to be one of the most enjoyable Mainstream LP's, this compilation runs the gamut from mind-altering psychedelia to jangly folk to Anglophilic rock. The original LP of this goes for well over $100.


In other news, my internet connection has been fixed. Also, I plan to start uploading albums of different genres within the next week or so. Please comment with some things you'd like to see here. Also, let me know if I start posting too many things of other genres and you start to miss the psych albums (which I will still be posting, just not as often as now).

Linda Perhacs - 1970 - Parallelograms

Linda Perhacs: "Parallelograms"
Kapp, 1970
(Psych Folk)

Sample Song: "Chimacum Rain"


DOWNLOAD (53.19 MB)

Although many have written her off as a Joni Mitchell clone, I must beg to differ. Linda Perhacs' vocals are very intimate and bittersweet. Actually, the only way Joni Mitchell could make a record like this would be if she took a large amount of LSD. The multi-tracked vocals are one of the best things about this album. This is very good music that will calm your soul and possibly open your mind.

Greetings / Recent Lack of Updates

I just wanted to let all of you know that the reason for the lack of updates recently is due to my terrible internet connection. I've been having a lot of problems with it over this last week, and hope to have them resolved soon.

Please check back often, and in the meantime take a look at these blogs:

• Systems of Romance


• Meshes of The Afternoon


• Nothing's Going To Happen


• Sun of Latin Music

Heron - 1970 - Heron

Heron: "Heron"
Dawn, 1970
(Folk)

Sample Song: "Smiling Ladies"


DOWNLOAD (157.75 MB)

A folk-based band whose music also had a tinge of soul. They remained obscure at the time but the "See For Miles" compilation, which compiles material from their two albums on the Dawn label, suggests that perhaps they deserved better.
Most of their material was self-penned aside from cover versions of Woody Guthrie's Sally Goodin and The Great Dust Storm, and on the whole, their gentle love songs have aged well.

*The last 7 tracks on this album are bonuses that were not included on the original release.

P.S. To you psych lovers, don't fret. I have recently stumbled upon 17 rare psych records that I will be posting to this blog within the next few weeks. Very exciting times!

Michael Hoenig - Departure From The Northern Wasteland

Michael Hoenig: "Departure From The Northern Wasteland"
Kuckuck, 1977
(Progressive Electronic)

Sample Song: "Sun and Moon"


DOWNLOAD (76.42 MB)

Michael Hoenig was one of many composers (one of the few great) to emerge from the underground electronic scene thriving in Germany during the 60s and 70s.
In the early 70s he became a member of the Kraut band Agitation Free, and gained much deserved notoriety. After a short run with Tangerine Dream, Hoenig went on to create what is considered by many to be one of the most important albums to come out of the German electronic movement. He now resides in Los Angeles, California, where he has a career as a composer of film scores.

Fairfield Parlour (Kaleidoscope) - 1970 - From Home to Home

Fairfield Parlour: "From Home to Home"
Vertigo, 1970
(Psych pop)

DOWNLOAD (138.13 MB)

The story goes, around 1969 after Kaleidoscope had released two albums on the Fontana label, the band had disputes with the record label and left. They were not able to take along their name, so they became Fairfield Parlour. Compared to the Tangerine Dream album, From Home To Home shows maturity in the bands sound. It is much more mellow and the musicianship is much more precise. If you like Kaleidoscope, you will more than likely enjoy this album.


Peter Daltrey's Myspace page. I urge you to send him a message on there telling him what you think of his work, if you feel inclined to do so. I did and received a response.

Ferris Wheel - 1974 - Supernatural Girl

Ferris Wheel: "Supernatural Girl"
1974
(Lo-Fi Psych folk)

Sample Song: "Flowers"


DOWNLOAD (47.0 MB)

This is an extremely catchy record. The recording is lo-fi, but that only adds to the music. The album is a private pressing from 1974 that was only recently discovered. "Dark and broody electric folk with a weird dreamy atmosphere." Only one known surviving copy of the original vinyl LP. A kind of album that is perfect when you need sad songs on a rainy day.

Growing Concern - 1968 - The Growing Concern

Growing Concern: "The Growing Concern"
Mainstream, 1968
(Psych pop)

Sample Song: "Hard Hard Year"


DOWNLOAD (84.15 MB) .zip

This album was first released on Bob Shad's Mainstream label and re-released by Radioactive Records in 2004. After the album's initial release the group was dropped from the Mainstream label. It seems like it is finally starting to receive much-deserved appreciation. "The support of vocalists Bonnie MacDonald and Mary Garstki are an intrinsic part of the band's distinctive sound, and the songs contributed by organist Dan Passaglia, bassist John Pedley and guitarist Ralph Toms are more than equal to the offerings from more illustrious contemporaries." The recording quality of this album is outstanding given the time and circumstances. The musical and vocal quality also shine brightly on this record. Although I have not been able to find it on sale anywhere that isn't on backorder, this is a must listen!

State of the Union Address

Here are some download statistics (as of the date and time of this post). I hope to one day reach a readership that will garner upwards of 250DLs per day (at the very least).

# Fifty Foot Hose - 1968 - Cauldron: 34 Downloads
# Complex - 1970 - Complex: 46 Downloads
# Ramases - 1971 - Space Hymns: 92 Downloads
# These Trails - 1973 - These Trails: 54 Downloads
# Bill Fay - 1971 - Time of The Last Persecution: 62 Downloads

Unfortunately, I am not able to access the statistics for the 3 albums prior to this, but I would wager that they are 100+ by now.

I will soon be broadening the format. If you have any genre/style suggestions of things you'd like to see posted, please comment with them. Take a look at the earlier posts from 2006 to get an idea of what kind of music I'll be broadening to. I will eventually start representing a wide array of pre-1980s styles.

I am really enjoying doing this again, and the only thing I ask of you is to comment more. I would really love to hear your thoughts on these albums and this blog.

Fifty Foot Hose - 1968 - Cauldron

Fifty Foot Hose: "Cauldron"
Limelight, 1968
(Experimental/Psych)

DOWNLOAD (95.66 MB)

This album is one of a kind. It is a very experimental record which utilized the growing technology of synthesizers. There are very few dull moments on this album, as it seems one sound is always building up to another sound. Acidic guitar riffs begin the track "Red The Sign Post" and it builds into a psychedelic extravaganza. The song "Rose" seems like a documentation of jazz musicians playing in outer space. This is possibly the greatest record to completely lose your mind to. ***The last five tracks of this album are bonuses that were added onto the CD re-release.

Complex - 1970 - Complex

Complex: "Complex"
Wooden Hill, 1970
(Psych Rock)

Sample Song: "Images Blue"


DOWNLOAD Album, ALTERNATE SITE (70.67 MB)

This is a private pressing that was originally released in 1970 and was re-released on CD in 1999. The overall sound quality is murky, but not bad enough to render the music obsolete. You should keep in mind that this was an independent recording and the budget was low. I can only imagine how amazing some of these songs would sound, had they been recorded, produced, and mastered correctly. This is a very warm album that is more rock than psych. Overall, this album is a great piece of psych history. My favorite songs are: Mademoiselle Jackie, Images Blue, and Norwegian Butterfly. There is also a pretty nice cover of the song "Hush" by Deep Purple.