I Am the Cosmos

Fermit the Krog

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan C. P.) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 23:28:00 +0000

Karin Krog - We Could Be Flying (1974)

Norway's Karin Krog has a crazy voice. It has this grown-up/child hybrid sound that makes her songs seems less grounded in reality. She's a jazz singer, and an accomplished one, but here she's working in elements of breezy funk and the singer/songwriter style of Joni Mitchell - but not letting go of the improvisational jazz she is more well known for. The track is written by pianist Steve Kuhn, who was an American ex-pat in Norway at the time. Everything on this album is understated, though. It's as if she's off in some perennial la-la land. And you know, la-la land is always the place to be. "Meaning of Love" is one of those songs where you can't really believe it was recorded when it was. It seems so . . . current. The spacey effects . . . the nebulous, airy quality. It's very much the sound of a post-modern club. But fear not the Zero 7 remix, friends - this is a stone cold Norwegian killer from the 1974 album We Could Be Flying.

Karin Krog - "Meaning of Love

It's A Righteous Life We're Leading, Friends

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan C. P.) — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 04:52:00 +0000

Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66- Stillness (1970)

One of my pet peeves is when someone doesn't acknowledge something that is blatantly obvious to those around him/her. The white elephant, as it were. Like there was this one time I was talking through the Mission here in San Francisco and this guy was walking down the street with a parrot on his shoulder. One of those guys. A little boy and his mother were in front of me and the boy was sort of wide-eyed and pointing at the bird, slowing down, hopefully to get a closer look. And this guy, this bird man, didn't even acknowledge the kid. He just kept on walking by, completely stone-faced. If you've got a bird on your shoulder, I'm sorry, but you've got to be prepared to do some kind of stop and chat.

That said, it's been a long time since I've posted and I acknowledge that and I feel I'm ready to get back and do this thing right. This track was meant to go up right after that last post about Lani Hall. She is the vocalist here and I love this album. It's a folk-rock record, with a more melancholy tone than anything else they ever did. It also contains a Caetano Veloso cover ("Lost in Paradise" from his third self-titled album, the white one), amidst the Joni Mitchell and Buffalo Springfield. So it's good to know that they were listening to what was happening back home. But more importantly, it's got this cut - "Righteous Life." A reflective little bit of folk-ified funk.

This tune, as well as the moody title cut, were written by Paula Stone. Having trouble finding out more about her, but she appears to have also written songs for Edu Lobo and Richie Havens. Enjoy!

Righteous Life

Until You Give Your Love, There's Nothing More We Can Do

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan C. P.) — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 22:09:00 +0000

Lani Hall - Sundown Lady (1972)

Lani Hall was the main vocalist for Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66 on the record of theirs that I like the most - Stillness. It's their folk-rock record and it has the standard covers that you would expect ("For What It's Worth" e.g), but as a fan of summery folk and the bossa sound - it's good stuff and the song "Righteous Life" is a stunner. But nobody really liked this direction for them at the time and they went back and returned with País Tropical, without Hall. By then Hall had hooked up with Sergio Mendes tourmates Herb Alpert and his Tijuana Brass and began seeing (and eventually marrying) Herb Alpert. I have often wondered if Herb Alpert and his Tijuana Brass and Sergio Mendes and his Brasil '66 ever got together to play soccer or basketball or if they were more like vicious rivals, often engaging in chain fights. I prefer the latter scenario.

Lani's strong, intimate way of singing made her a prime candidate for a solo career, which she began with Alpert at the console. Out comes Sundown Lady in '72. The lead-off track is "Love Song", a slinky, funky reworking of the Lesley Duncan song that Elton John also thought to cover on Tumbleweed Connection. Hall's version is soft, braced by a light funk rhythm and brightened up by some gentle work on the keys and some slick bass style. It really has a great, breezy funk-folk feel that you don't find often enough. Ease back a bit. Take a look out towards the horizon. Imagine kicking a beach ball across the sand . .. then tripping and falling on your face and cutting your chin on a rock, and then just standing up and laughing and pretending like it's all good, but really you're very dizzy and should probably go to a doctor. Actually, just imagine the beach part. Forget the rest. Hope you don't mind the crackles - this one's hot off the hi-fi. Have a listen.

Love Song

You could say that we are like porridge.

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan C. P.) — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 23:59:00 +0000

Turid - Bilder (1973)

Turid was a singer/songwriter often written up as "the Swedish Joni Mitchell" by anyone who has tried to write about her (admittedly not that many). That's how I was introduced to her in the film Together - one of the characters in the film gives that description before placing one of her records on a turntable. Being who I am, and given my obsession with finding things like "the Turkish Bob Dylan" and "the Sudanese Nick Drake", I set out to find her records upon seeing this scene and hearing her music. There are similarities (namely her cover of "I Had A King."), but I am more caught up in this spectral world that exists around her music. Joni was a heavy-hitter - she plumbed some emotional depth that most singer-songwriters aren't going to be able to touch. But I don't know a lick of Swedish, so I don't know how Turid ranks up there, but she has some great songs. Like I mentioned - spectral, earthy, very elfin. "Tintomara" sounds like it was recorded in the middle of a forest, with ol' Turid perched up on a toadstool. "Låt mig se dig" is a more of a jam, an 8 minute space-out with Turid hitting all the high notes perfectly while the band play this really restrained, swirling mood piece. It's really set back in the mix which is a nice touch. Get ready to feel the magic! Or something.

Tintomara

Låt mig se dig

Everybody That You Knew Was Wrong

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan C. P.) — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 22:54:00 +0000

The Velvet Underground - Squeeze (1973)

Okay, I really think this record gets a bad rap. I guess the most obvious complaint is that it is not the Velvet Underground, or more specifically, Lou Reed isn't anywhere near this thing. There's no getting around that. But it does have Doug Yule. I happen to love the post-Yule Velvets, love the live bootlegs with him in the band, and love what he brought to the sound. If this was labeled fairly and released as a Doug Yule solo record, I think people would talk about it more. But they don't. So he released an album under the name of one of the most critically lionized bands in pop culture history, so what? (Eh...well, that IS pretty lame, but that isn't Yule's issue, that was manager Steve Sesnick's issue) So anyway, is there anything salvageable on here? I'm hearing some streetwise country rock, some ruff 'n' ready pub-rock. But it's soft, yet wiry version of these things with a heavy '50s influence. It's not authentic, it's weary and very much the sound of a city band. And some songs are pretty lightweight, but "Friends" could have easily been a song off of Loaded and "Jack and Jane" is a bit stilted at first, but the chorus is great. Just try to think of them as a cousin to Hackamore Brick, not a cash-in on the VU name.

Friends

Jack and Jane

I Am More than a Fool

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan C. P.) — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 18:49:00 +0000

Linda Lewis - Lark (1972)

Linda Lewis was one of those great little boy soul voices. Like Michael Jackson used to have. Like the Five Stairsteps. But Linda Lewis is not a little boy at all. In fact she was about 22 years old when she recorded Lark. Lewis is very much the British equivalent of Minnie Riperton, with her band Ferris Wheel in the place of Riperton's Rotary Connection. If we're going to further the comparison, Lark is her Come to My Garden. They really do sound very similar and both vocalists reportedly have the five-octave range, but whatever. This album rules and is really filled with post-Joni Mitchell brightness and arrangements. The acoustic guitar is mic-ed really well and save for some bongos here and there, she doesn't go overboard with the arrangement and that voice, she doesn't use it to show off - it's just a good thing. Looking for some blissed-out, macramé-friendly folk-soul? Here's two tracks from this fantastic record.

Its the Frame
Lark

"He Knows Where My Locker Is"

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan C. P.) — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 16:52:00 +0000

Brick - Brick (1977)
Brick. A funk ensemble out of HOTlanta. Also the name of a damn good movie starring a former cast member of Third Rock From the Sun who is not named John Lithgow. But these guys hit big with "Dazz" - it's disco - it's jazz - it's....a mixture of both. This record contains a track called "Dusic" which, i guess is a mixture of "disco" and "music" which to me sounds like a slight against disco, possibly unintentional. But the track I'm all about is "Ain't Gonna Hurt No Nobody", which is just one of those tunes that has been rolling around in the back of my head for years. I would generally call this a medium piece of funk. Not quite redolent of the yacht style, but not the dirty back alley stuff, either. However, it's got enough action going on to keep the crowd stepping. The group sort of paved the way for your Lakesides, your Dazz Bands, - the glossier stuff. But you shouldn't mind. After all, it ain't gonna hurt nobody . . . to get on down.

Ain't Gonna Hurt Nobody

His Code Name Is Condor

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan C. P.) — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 22:09:00 +0000

Dave Grusin -3 Days of the Condor (1975)

This movie used to be shown as the ABC Sunday Night Movie back when I was a kid. I remember my initial disappointment when I found out that the movie had nothing to do with a giant, carnivorous bird. The title seemed to promise so much more. I remember hoping that the movie had some sort of character in it to rival that of the Hawk on Buck Rogers. That guy was totally awesome. I imagine that maybe other kids had similar experiences when they finally sat down to watch The Falcon and the Snowman. Reminds me of that Simpsons' episode where Bart and Nelson go see Naked Lunch and when they come out, Nelson goes, "I can think of exactly two things wrong with that title." But I've got to watch the movie now, as this soundtrack is SO great. The slinkiest paranoid funk ever. Was so happy to have picked this up in a thrift store in the middle of BF, Idaho. Put on the opening track and was just knocked out. Totally slick funk in the vein of the Mizell brothers. Bought this on the faith of the early Dave Grusin soundtrack that I have for Candy, which is more on the quirky kitsch '60s psych tip, but has some cool changes regardless. That said, LOVE this soundtrack and if there is a better name for your band than Condor! - then I've got a frankfurter sandwich you can have a nice big bite of.

Condor!

I'm Like the Northwest Mounties

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan C. P.) — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 06:11:00 +0000

Hackamore Brick - One Kiss Leads to Another (1970)

For a long time I tended to believe that there was a pretty solid ten-year gestation period before anyone really started putting out records heavily indebted to the Velvet Underground. I know there are all sorts of exceptions to that, but the thought was that the group didn't really have any immediate followers, especially in the early part of the '70s. I know that the first Modern Lovers record is heavily indebted to the Velvets (but that didn't even see the light of day until 1976, despite being recorded four years earlier). Another group is Simply Saucer, who recorded their album in 1974. This was also ground zero for both the Electric Eels and Rocket from the Tombs. But all of these groups (save for maybe the Modern Lovers) drew from the noisier parts of the Velvets, the drone, the nihilism, basically the "Sister Ray" side of the spectrum. Enter then, the one album from Hackamore Brick, released in 1970 (the same year as Loaded). This is basically a bunch of folkies who dug the song aspects of the Velvets. Especially the Doug Yule stuff. "Searchin'" is a Coasters cover that the group turn into their own barroom rumble. The whole album isn't solid all the way through, but it's a weird little bridge between VU's Squeeze album and the Flamin' Groovies Teenage Head. They kill it on this track, though.

Searchin'

Street Walking Cheetah

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan C. P.) — Thu, 13 Jul 2006 19:44:00 +0000

Donald Byrd - Street Lady (1973)

This is some seriously superior summer jamming courtesy of Mr. Donald Byrd. Who apparently never really dug the cover of this album very much. Guess he didn't think the woman was attractive enough. Seems accurate to me. But what do I know - most of the prostitutes I've seen look like something from a Basil Wolverton drawing. But I digress - every time this track bubbles up, I am completely taken into this realm of easy living (which possibly involves roller skating) and I end up conjuring up all of these scenarios that never really happened. It's like, (to self) "hey, remember when you cruised on up to the hamburger stand after midnight and that waitress rolled over to the window and was like, 'you guys are back again, huh?' And this song was playing in the background and summer never felt so good and alive?" Well, that didn't even happen but it doesn't matter because if music can't help you rewrite the past, then what good is anything. True, I did used to rollerskate a lot, but usually it was to the tune of Van Halen's "Jump" or that Debbie Deb track that goes "Look out weekend, cuz here I come...because weekends were made for fun" But yeah, Donald Byrd and his top notch bomb squad in the form of the Mizell brothers really break things down in this tune.

Lansana's Priestess

Abismar: to throw into an abyss

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan C. P.) — Tue, 20 Jun 2006 21:18:00 +0000

Pep Laguarda & Tapineria - Brossa d'Ahir (1976/78)

The chord sequence D/A/G, when delivered in a rather slow, deliberate gait, is pretty much a knock-out-of-the-park guarantee. (pretty vague baseball metaphor, sorry) It seems to cause some sort of chemical reaction in the body that results in winsome reflection, followed by a physical manifestation in the form of arms upraised, perhaps even a swaying motion. See: Neil Young's "Helpless", Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door," Ernie Graham's "The Girl that Turned the Lever." I imagine this little tune may have been the staple of many a Spanish campfire. What do I know of these chaps? One record - 1976 or 1978 (sounds earlier to me). Daevid Allen of Gong had his greasy paws in here somewhow, as recording engineer, I think). Okay, get into it. Get involved.

Cims i Abismes

Back in the Highlife Again

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan C. P.) — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 21:38:00 +0000

Osei Sarfo and the Powerful Mercury - Gyesiwa (1980)
I had one of those thrift store scores a few weeks ago that sort of keeps the whole thing worthwhile. When I think of how many stacks of records I've flipped through over the past, christ - 15 years, well, it boggles the brainbones. But anyway, I found maybe a dozen or so highlife and afro-funk records from about 1972-80, Most of them no-name, pressed in Nigeria or Germany. A dollar a pop, just sitting their in some shitass Goodwill. Now, I feel like I've got a good handle on afro-funk and understand why it works for me and why it sounds so incredible. Highlife, I've been sort of indifferent to. I've always felt that it floated too high in the upper registers and didn't quite have the bottom heavy, earth-rattling stuff that I seem to gravitate to. This little outfit, who were apparently part of the Nigerian Army, hit it midway. But the clincher - the eye-popping, mouthwatering sugar that gets stirred up, comes from this wiggly little synth bomb that they drop just a few seconds in. Here, you have these guys taking a break from their army obligations, unwinding with some friendly, non-political highlife jams and then some guy comes in with a super sci-fi moog and just lets this little fireball loose and then suddenly we're talking about Contemporary Jammin' - in the style of 1980, where you could pull stuff like this off (whether or not it was 'seamlessly integrated') and you were a forward-thinking progressive, making the heavy-heavy future sounds. Well, dig it if you can.

Gwesiya

Para onde quer ir?

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan C. P.) — Wed, 31 May 2006 23:20:00 +0000

Various Artists - Sucesso de Ouro (1971)

This record was picked up in Santa Cruz at the record/book store known as Logos. I got it for 7 bucks and considering it was printed in 1971 and has tracks by Mutantes and Tim Maia on it, I'd say it was a pretty good deal. The cover is sort of ridiculous with the American-ized woman chilling in her va-va-voom bathing suit, but the record basically rules. Brazil in 1971 was a serious goldmine of great melodies. The track "O Carona" is a nice little fuzzy, funk stomper by Tony e Som Colorido. The Mutantes track is totally out of control once those synths come in half-way and Arnaldo Baptista just starts going bananas into the mic. Pretty sure that this Mutantes track is on this album. But so many great tracks, especially nice one from Marcus Pitter, whose 1970 album, A Voz do Sucesso I am now on the verge of shelling out for.

Tony e Som Colorido - O Carona

Mutantes - Balada de Louco

Flutes, Folk, Magic, and You

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan C. P.) — Wed, 24 May 2006 21:57:00 +0000

Congreso - El Congreso (1971)

Chilean psych-folk with big rock overtones? Sign me the HELL up. Congreso aren't exactly psych-folk - they do indeed have these drifty little moments where you can feel the ancient spirits rise up, but it's brief. They are, more often than not, a folk rock group that seem to like the later period Beatles and Buffalo Springfield. They were signed to EMI and they still exist in some form. This first track is a keeper for me as it leads off with a flute solo and it just takes so much balls (not sure if it should be "much balls" or "many balls" - probably 'much' as having 'many' doesn't really have the same sort of power - seems a little sickening, actually) to do something like that. Granted, it probably didn't at the time, but now from the safe haven of my California home, starting a song off with a flute is like seriously awesome. The second track, "El Errante" is another flute jam, but it has this low-key Crazy Horse thing going on and it sounds sort of dirty and mystical. The third one is the group at their most poppy. The album also has a very nice 11 minute folk-funk jam and a cover of "El Condor Pasa" - I mean, what more do you want?

Vamos Andando Mi Amigo

El Errante

Has Visto Caer Una Lagrima

Put Some Lotion On Your Hand

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan C. P.) — Tue, 16 May 2006 22:30:00 +0000

Layng Martine - "Rub It In" (1971)

This track was a bigger hit for Billy 'Crash' Craddock, who turned it into a greasy little slice of cajun country pop, but this version by the guy who actually wrote the tune - Layng Martine - is more my style. It's an odd, fairly licentious slice of bubblegum that is (at the very least) about applying lotion to your skin. It also repeats the chorus with some sort of bizarre effect that may be nothing more than a comb and a piece of tissue paper. Bubblegum's most enduring quality is that ability to take the most childlike sing-song melody and make it stick in your brain for days. "Rub It In" does this big time. The track has also been remade into a commercial jingle in the form of "Plug It In" - a tune for those weird Glade plug-in deodorizers.

Barnaby Records, the home to Martine's ode to the application of liquid was put together by Andy Williams. Mr. Williams formed Barnaby to re-release the host of masters he ended up with after buying the label Cadence in order to own his own early records. At the time, Andy Williams was trying to balance out his time hanging with murderous fox Claudine Longet by hanging out with Ray Stevens at every opportunity. So the Barnaby roster is a strange mix of solid records from Cadence by Charles Mingus,,,,, new schlock by WIlliams and Stevens, and the oddly beguiling soft pop of Ms. Longet. The other odd bird on the roster is the self-titled record by Sand - who were an incredibly tuneful band of country rockers with a penchant for weird chord changes and non-offensive jam sessions. I really need a copy of that record. Also, the cover of that Sand record features a big-ass sandwich on the cover. And everyone knows how delicious sandwiches are. But at any rate - "Rub It In" - let's do that.

Rub It In

Your Hand-Painted Garden Has Every Color There

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan C. P.) — Fri, 12 May 2006 21:13:00 +0000

Phil Cordell - "Red Lady" (1969)

Phil Cordell was in a band in the mid '60s called The Prophets (different from Thee Prophets), who reputedly had a record recorded with Joe Meek, but that record is still shelved. In between his time with Prophets and his new incarnation in the early 70s as Springwater and the regrettably-named Dan the Banjo Man (a record that features no banjo, by the way), Cordell recorded this incredibly melodic little track called "Red Lady." The plaintive melody on this thing puts it above so much of the mid-paced psych throwaways. Also loving the sitar-esque slide giving it the drift-away flavor. (mmm...drift away flavor). That heavy little drumbeat packed underneath all the hiss makes this even greater. Would love to hear how a pristine version of this track would sound.

Red Lady

Wind City Romance

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan C. P.) — Tue, 09 May 2006 21:14:00 +0000

Happy End - Kazemachi Roman (1971)

This warmth of the production that seeps in the brain on this record is pretty much untouchable. There's a dash of fuzz guitar here and there, but mostly this is in the roots-y folk blues style, heavy on the rhythm. Could probably stack this up against records in '72 by Neil Young, Grateful Dead, the Band, the countrified Stones, the whacked-out Beach Boys and those gentemen that used to be in the Beatles. Organic tones everywhere and the production spaced so that you can hear every instrument. "Kaze wo Atsumete" might be familiar to you if you listened to the Lost in Translation soundtrack. That song is basically a watertight pop song - I could pour this terrible coffee that I'm drinking in it and we'd still be good. On a background note, the bassist Haruomi Hosono played in the psych-blues group Apryl Fool (notable for the track "The Lost Mother Land, Pt. 1" - which is one of the more twisted psych tracks you're going to find). I was just reading that this album was conceived as an ode to a more simple time in Japan's history, and despite the language barrier on my end, the phrasing certainly suggests a more bucolic time. The group continue to be an influential force within Japanese music (despite breaking up in the early '70s). There is an earlier album available, a live album, a tribute album and a box-set. All of which can be yours for a ridiculous price.

Dakishimetai

Haru Ranman

One Day At A Time

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan C. P.) — Fri, 05 May 2006 22:27:00 +0000

John Phillips - Wolfking of L.A. (1970)

I wonder what the consensus on the Mamas and Papas was back in the day. They are very much the epitome of a sunshine pop act, but their does seem to be quite a bit of substance in the songs of John Phillips. Enter then: Wolfking of LA. - an album which gets a little bit better each time I listen to it. I also have to wonder at what point did he christen himself the wolfking of anything and was there perhaps any sort of ceremony involved? The recording for this took place in his big-ass drug mansion in Bel-Air. But he was far from faded at this point. The thing is, these tracks, which chronicle certain aspects of Los Angeles (Topanga Canyon, Malibu) are just fantastic. His lyrics branching out from optimism and reflection and instead verging on slyly cynical, impressionistic snapshots of slices of that deceiving sun-baked life. I used to dig me some sunshine pop (as recently as say...this morning), but I love the sound when people realized that it just wasn't going to pan out like they thought. Disillusioned, yet still slightly out of their minds.

Holland Tunnel

Malibu People

I'm Trying To Get to You

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan C. P.) — Wed, 03 May 2006 21:39:00 +0000

Stories - About Us (1972)

I pretty much ran the Left Banke into the ground, listened to that first album so many times that I had harpsichord coming out
of my eyes (painful). So it took me a few years to jump on to the Stories brigade. Michael Brown was the man behind the harpsichord and the man who did most of the instrumentation with Stories. Basically, he was the best part of the Left Banke (although Steve Martin - not America's used-to-be-funnyman - had a pretty amazing single called "Two by Two" that I have listened to close to 25 times). But I digress -- Ian Lloyd is the vocal here and he comes off sounding like early Rod Stewart or Todd Rundgren. This whole album is a bit of a mix - "Love In Motion" points to a whole new post-Beatles pop scene that could involve Rundgren, Raspberries, Big Star and little bits of Rockin' Chair or Blue Ash. There's a touch of gloss on this, giving it a sparkle that the rest of the album doesn't quite have. Their cover of Hot Chocolate's "Brother Louie" pretty much rules, but it's different breed of animal and frankly, some of the tracks on the album kinda blow. But yeah, this track is great.

Love In Motion

Many Ripertons To Cross

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan C. P.) — Tue, 02 May 2006 17:47:00 +0000

Minnie Riperton - Perfect Angel (1974)

I first heard Minnie Riperton when the Orb used a sample of "Lovin' You" on that track from their first album. Her voice sounds really disembodied on that track, and I had no previous knowledge of "Lovin' You", so those piercing notes might just as well have been field recordings of some strange bird. Fast forward a few years and my friend told me I should hear some Rotary Connection records (as should everybody). I'll have to save that post for another day, but Minnie's voice on those Rotary Connection just kills - alongside the band's own Sly Stone-style funk, folk and some strange Zappa-style abstractions. At any rate, this track from Perfect Angel is pretty nice - a steel-string, country-folk slow-burner (with Sneaky Pete on the steel) where Minnie doesn't really go overboard, she just relaxes and shows everyone just what a serious talent she was. The whole record is pretty much top drawer, Stevie Wonder is all over it and it goes well with other records of the folk-funk variety by Syreeta and Linda Lewis.
It's So Nice

Freakbeat, Italo-Style

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan C. P.) — Thu, 23 Mar 2006 19:04:00 +0000

Le Orme - Ad Gloriam (1968)

My knowledge of Italian prog rock isn't particularly extensive. I wish it was. Someday it will be. I thought that I'd start at the beginning. This is Le Orme's first album. Here they are a five piece and still a few years away from the pared-down trio that would make more ELP-inspired records later on. I found the repressing at this record store in North Beach. While I bought it, the guy working the counter was giving somebody a lesson in how to buy Steve Miller records. I didn't think that kind of thing was necessary. Aren't people born with that sort of knowledge? At any rate, this isn't actually a prog record - it's more on the freakbeat side of things. Ad Gloriam came out in 1968 and the thing is just bursting with all the possibilities that LSD and the Beatles seemed to provide. Don't forget that cover, either - it's basically stunning. It sounds awesome, too. So colorful and alive. Dig it.
I Mici Sogni
Ad Gloriam