I've spent the last week digesting this. It's true, every bit of good criticism this has gotten is worth it. A true gem of folk music right here, and one that somehow DIDN'T explode when it was released on Columbia at pretty much the EXACT right time and still didn't sell a damn bit. This is also one of the truly great crossovers of country and rock and like John Gabree's review (included in this file) is 'one of the best pop records I've ever heard'. The lyrics here are damn poetic. Listen to the way they croon together on "Waltze of the Tennis Players" between the punctual, emotive playing of Guenther. "My love for you/ is an over night sensation/ Your love for me is an overnight sensation, too". The words are deftly simple and in a couple places hit you hard enough to weep. The songwriting is some of the best of the 70s, period. They apply an alto sax and piano to great effect on "Them Dancehall Girls", the albums most heard of track, and the most well produced. Everything else seems like it was recorded with no overdubs, but I'm not sure; it might as well be. Listen for the mild, playful wordplay on "Warmth"; notice the great guitar play on things like "Stoney Day" and "All My Paradise" which opens the album with an intro so slow and angellic as to make things almost surreal. Not even mentioning that they tackle a Beatles song (not even a year after it'd be realeased, and even better than the original!), or that a few of the tracks are mere snippets, this is one of the truly great folk/rock gems of the 70s, with many a song that could be placed on your mixtape of greatest love songs of all time. Drop everything else you're listening to if you haven't heard this. I wish I had sooner.
Showing posts with label acid folk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label acid folk. Show all posts
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Fraser & DeBolt — With Ian Guenther [1971]
I've spent the last week digesting this. It's true, every bit of good criticism this has gotten is worth it. A true gem of folk music right here, and one that somehow DIDN'T explode when it was released on Columbia at pretty much the EXACT right time and still didn't sell a damn bit. This is also one of the truly great crossovers of country and rock and like John Gabree's review (included in this file) is 'one of the best pop records I've ever heard'. The lyrics here are damn poetic. Listen to the way they croon together on "Waltze of the Tennis Players" between the punctual, emotive playing of Guenther. "My love for you/ is an over night sensation/ Your love for me is an overnight sensation, too". The words are deftly simple and in a couple places hit you hard enough to weep. The songwriting is some of the best of the 70s, period. They apply an alto sax and piano to great effect on "Them Dancehall Girls", the albums most heard of track, and the most well produced. Everything else seems like it was recorded with no overdubs, but I'm not sure; it might as well be. Listen for the mild, playful wordplay on "Warmth"; notice the great guitar play on things like "Stoney Day" and "All My Paradise" which opens the album with an intro so slow and angellic as to make things almost surreal. Not even mentioning that they tackle a Beatles song (not even a year after it'd be realeased, and even better than the original!), or that a few of the tracks are mere snippets, this is one of the truly great folk/rock gems of the 70s, with many a song that could be placed on your mixtape of greatest love songs of all time. Drop everything else you're listening to if you haven't heard this. I wish I had sooner.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Tyrannosaurus Rex — My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair... But Now They're Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows [1968]
More on this after you finish reading the album title...Genre: Acid Folk
Label: Regal Zonophone
Country: U.K.
Bitrate: 192
MediaFire
Monday, December 29, 2008
Nagisa ni te - The Same as a Flower [2004]
More sweeping acid folk from the land of the rising-san, this boyfriend-girlfriend couple do things up right with clear acoustics, fuzzy wah freakouts and typical hippie vocals. The band leader runs the label, which has also put out shit from Maher Shalal Hash Baz (which I don't like, but whatever). This will make you think of summer days and hallucinogenic drugs. You can't ask for more.Genre: Acid Folk
Label: Org
Country: Japan
Bitrate: 192k
MediaFire
Friday, December 12, 2008
Trees Community - The Christ Tree [1974]
Imagine Ken Kesey's merry group of fuckups getting hijacked on the freeway by Gideons with LSD-blotter papered Bibles and have them record an album and this is what you'd get. This is one of the 70s biggest psych/folk gems, whether you're a Bible beater or a Bible reader beater like myself. There is so much here to enjoy and a lot of it is downright beautiful. The arrangements are godlike (heheh) and the lyrics can be appreciated on more than one (read: Christian) level. For anyone saying Christianity hasn't done anything good in the music world I'll point them to Trouble, and then this group. If you get down with Joanna Newsom, Feathers, Maher Shalal or the like, you really need this. Get this.Genre: Psych/Folk
Label: Dark Holler
Country: USA
Bitrate: 320k
Length: 37:42
Merry Xmas
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