Bobby Beausoleil and the Freedom Orchestra - Lucifer Rising

Quality: 4.5 out of 5
Trip-O-Meter: 4.75 out of 5

Let's just get it out of the way that there is some serious bad blood involved with this album. Bobby Beausoleil was a member of the Manson family (and almost a member of the band Love) and he has spent the last few decades behind bars. In fact, this album was recorded by a group of inmates. I'm going to refrain from focusing on the morality issues surrounding Beausoleil, and instead accept the fact that I really like this album. For me this music is the perfect archetype of the kind of west coast psychedelic music to fill a late-night bohemian club or to score wildly avant-garde films. Of course much of the music here adorned Kenneth Anger's Lucifer Rising.

Beausoleil was promised the soundtrack work for Lucifer Rising back in the 60's, but Anger never completed the film until the early 80's. By that time Beausoleil had been incarcerated for several years and had no lack of notoriety. Yet, Anger stayed true to his promise (along with the fact that Jimmy Page was unavailable) and this music more than justifies that decision.

The first disc of this reissue is pretty much a sonic rendering of the film. This is very mystical music with majestic organs and plaintive horns wafting through the intentionally cloudy mix. This being a soundtrack, themes are repeated through the six movements and the whole thing is constructed in a classical manner despite the fact that the sounds are clawing towards psychedelic rock. While not a pristine recording, the production is very well done and the playing is generally pretty top notch. It's far better than its prison roots would suggest.

As good as the soundtrack work is, I have a affinity for the bonus tracks on disc two. I imagine that these tracks are simply the result of the warden having given the musicians more time to record. The sound gets murkier, and the disciplined sound of the proper soundtrack gives way to far more wild psychedelia. "Punjab's Barber" sounds like it may have been an attempt at a different approach to the soundtrack while "Flash Gordon" is a full-fledged West Coast acid-rock freak out. The extended tracks skirt free jazz/Sun Ra territory with "The Magick Powerhouse of Oz," and oscillate between acid rock jamming and organ ambience on "The Freedom Orchestra."

With the Manson family connections and the strong occult leanings, I can see where many people would be put off by these recordings. If you're able to get past that, you'll find some exceptional psychedelic music included in this collection.

And I'd be nothing but a tease if I didn't get to the film as well. Kenneth Anger is one of the major avant-garde filmmakers in this country, and I'd have to say that this is probably my favorite of his films. It has some disturbing imagery along with Anger's typical homoerotic subtexts, but you'll also note that many of his innovations have also been adopted by more mainstream filmmakers. Viewing this film will most certainly highlight the more occult aspects of the music.

Walter Wegmuller - 1973 - Tarot

Quality: 4 out of 5
Trip-O-Meter: 4 out of 5

So this is where those low German grades in my middle and high school classes come back to haunt me. Walter Wegmuller was a Swiss mystic who stumbled into recording with the best psychedelic musicians in Germany, the core of which were the same fellows who made up the Cosmic Jokers. I must admit that I can't fully appreciate Wegmuller's contribution as the language barrier is firmly in place. That said, I do think his presence works out better than the similarly structured Sergius Golowin album. Wegmuller's German-language passages are typically restrained (although often heavily echoed) and the focus of the album often shifts to the Jokers. Musically, this is a krautrock epic version of throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks. I'd say that practically every facet of that genre circa 1973 is represented here, and they probably anticipated a few sounds as well. As a side note, I'm pretty sure that the titles reference various tarot cards, and I'd also be willing to infer that Wegmuller's spoken bits refer to those cards. Those of you that understand German will probably be able to wrap your brain around this album's concept in a way that the rest of us cannot. If anyone wants to post a few translations in the comments, I'd love to see them.

Making your way through this double album does require some effort, but you're sure to find several things that you enjoy here. For me the standout tracks are the deep space ones. After a questionable introductory track, "Der Magier' mainlines the listener directly into a magisterial nebula, Wegmuller's voice echoing through the cosmos, propelled by Manuel Gottschings echoing guitars and Klaus Schultze's analog synth madness. "Der Wagen" builds upon tribal-like rhythms, which is never a bad idea if you're looking for a rave up, which the musicians manage here with an intensity surely rivaling the Yardbirds - and with far more squealing electronic noises. Tracks like "Das Gluckstrand" and "Der Massigkeit" nicely channel early Tangerine Dream, but with more acid rock guitar and odd spoken word thrown in. While I wouldn't call it bad, I'm less partial to the more conventional rock blast of "Der Herrscher," the Hosianna Mantra vibe of "Der Hohepriester," and especially the slighly out of tune folk ramblings of "Der Teufel." Part of the charm of the album, however, is that these may very well turn out to be your favorite tracks as they tend to hit their musical targets, even if it's not one that I'd personally like to hear.

Although the presence of the star attraction is a bit of an oddity, Tarot pretty much serves as a primer for the prime years of krautrock. While this probably isn't going to overcome the double album curse for most people, you will find at least an album's worth of prime krautrock if you take the time to look for it. Once you've done that, feel free to allow the quality and trip-o-meters to notch all the way up to five.

The Cosmic Jokers - 1974 - Sci-Fi Party

Quality: 4 out of 5
Trip-O-Meter: 4.5 out of 5

This was pretty much of a barrel-scraping release for the Cosmic Jokers, which is somewhat understandable when you factor in that the band was pissed off at the fellow releasing these slabs of vinyl. Sci-Fi Party is really in some strange netherworld between a label compilation and what we would now refer to as a remix album. There are bit off cutting room floor sounds spliced in, and bits and pieces of previous Cosmic Joker albums, Ash Ra Tempel albums, Wallenstein albums, and even the Cosmic Joker adorned Walter Wegmuller album (that you will see here at the garage shortly), all resequenced. That pretty much means that there is not much to review here as I've probably done it elsewhere already. I will say that I really dig it and tend to put this on about as much as the 'proper' albums (I guess they remain ethically improper). I really, really like the cover art as well. It makes me think of something someone would have in hand in the City of the Domes from Logan's Run. In fact, this album would probably play well in the sex party room from that film (but not the sex party room from the recently-released Caprica).

The Cosmic Jokers - 1974 - Galactic Supermarket

Quality: 4 out of 5
Trip-O-Meter: 4.5 out of 5

The endearingly disreputable Kosmiche Records producer Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser dug deeper into his bag of ill-gotten recordings for another wild ride through spaced-out psychedelia. Our intrepid explorers from Ash Ra Tempel and Wallenstein are once again here as your tour guides, along with Kaiser and guitarist Manuel Gottsching's girlfriends spouting of reverbed verbal oddities. This time out, the energy level is much higher with the rhythm section plowing through most of the album, and if I dare say so, these Germans managed some pretty funky moments here. Maybe that's why this was originally released without the Cosmic Joker's name attached.

There are again side-long expanses of music, titled "Kinder des Alles" and "Galactic Supermarket" here, but they legitimately subdivide into about three tracks each. I guess once you've infuriated your musicians, you have trouble getting track titles out of them. Only the second part of "Kinder des Alles" really scrapes the interstellar aether, but the grooves here are uniformally first-rate and there are plenty of deranged noises riding on top of them. It's best to absorb this one all at once, but keep an ear out for the phenomenal drum work in the second section of "Galactic Supermarket." In fact, that second side probably rates a few hairs over the first in my book.

Although far from a copy of the first album, Galactic Supermarket also deserves a place in the pantheon of krautrock. This is a much more rocking affair, and I'd say that especially on this one the 'supergroup' aspect coalesces more or less completely. In fact, I can't think of any other 'supergroups' that I prefer than the Cosmic Jokers. Too bad that the joke turned out to be played on the band itself.

The Cosmic Jokers - 1973 (or '74) - The Cosmic Jokers

Quality: 4.25 out of 5
Trip-O-Meter: 4.75 out of 5

The Cosmic Jokers are a sham, like Milli Vanilli. Kosmiche records guru, Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser, devised a fiendish plan to get in some krautrock superstars from Ash Ra Tempel and Wallenstein into a studio stocked with hallucinogens and a tape recorder for a nominal fee. Several months later the recordings started appearing on record shelves under the monkier "The Cosmic Jokers" without the musicians' knowledge. Apparently Klaus Schultze (synthesizing here) still holds a grudge about it. So, morally this band is the butt of an unfortunate scam. For better or for worse, this is also one of my favorite krautrock bands.

I have to admit that I'm not particularly familiar with Wallenstein, but the early Ash Ra Tempel fingerprints are all over this recording. I dig it more than Schwingungen, and it's certainly within spitting distance of Ash Ra's eponymous debut and Seven Up. Like those recordings, The album is basically divided into two side-long jams, here titled "Galactic Joke" and "Cosmic Joy."
This is the deep-space jamming side of krautrock, with guitarist Manuel Gottsching in particular turning in some of his best work. "Galactic Joke" works up a nice head of steam as Wallenstein's rhythm section works into some serious groove as Schultze and Gottsching plow into phased-out weirdness. "Cosmic Joy" is a little more chilled out, featuring far less percussion, but its cavernous plumes of sound may guide you through a few moments of zen.

One thing that the Cosmic Jokers has over all other krautrock is their complete lack of pretentiousness. In fact, that is very, very rare for any psychedelic jam. These are just a few wasted guys getting used in a studio. Their collective chops, however, are top flight and they manage to create some great music. In fact, for those of you unfamiliar with the strange side of krautrock, this is probably as good a boarding point as you'll find. Those of you already in the 'circle of trust' must hear this.

Michael Flower - 2005 - Return to Knowing Nothing (Phase Two)

Quality: 4.75 out of 5
Trip-O-Meter: 5 out of 5

Now here's what I was looking for with that Sitaar Tah! album. Michael Flower is also very interested in trance inducting sound, but his approach is very much rooted in modern minimalism along with those concepts that have carried on from eastern drones. This album is rife with experiments and most of them work out very well. The sound is a little ragged, but very charming. This is music that you'd expect to hear at 2am in the hippest of clubs.

While the emphasis is certainly on droning sounds, there is quite a bit of variety here. Bookending the album we find "FFR #1," which recalls 60's jazz weirdos like Pharaoh Sanders (although with less sax insanity and with more cosmic drone), and "Guitar Solo," which is like the more entertaining moments of your tripped-out buddies jamming in a garage. In between we find the chill drone of "ZAP!...That's Witchcraft," which must be near the top of my favorite song titles. "Antlers and Whiskers" mixes blaring horns with another good Terry Riley impression, while a touch of electronics find its way into "Twelve Tone Down" and "FFR 28 08 05."

This is a fun take on minimalism with a strong, grungy, urban twist. My father and I went to see the Japanese avant-metal band Boris a few months ago, after which he suggested that the band's height of guitar noise was like the sonic equivalent of blue smoke. I'm willing to attach a similar signifier to this album.

Sitaar Tah - 2007 - Tah

Quality: 3.75 out of 5
Trip-O-Meter: 4.25 out of 5

Sitaar Tah! is a Japanese ensemble of about 30 people focusing primarily on the, uh, sitar. The music itself is very cool with layers of sitars floating on top of electronics, organ, and I think some acoustic percussion. Obviously, the music owes quite a bit to Indian music, but there are plenty of modern sensibilities at work and the occasional strain of Japanese folk sounds (sitars and kotos are not that far off from each other). If you haven't caught on yet, I have a soft spot for sitar sounds, so this album got one foot in the door without even trying. It does live up to its promise in great part, but I do have one bone to pick concerning the production. My philosophy is that trance-inducing music works best with the ambiance of a secluded, ancient mountain temple, incense wafting through the air. Tah!!!, however, too often has more of a sterile studio sound. It makes me think of some of Bela Fleck's recordings production-wise, with all the instruments clearly separated and clearly defined. I suppose it works fine for Fleck's jazzy banjo aesthetic, but I do wish this album produced a touch more haze.

The record divides up pretty well into two camps - the first five tracks and the last one. That last one, entitled "Solo," is my favorite. It scraps percussion and actually produces some of the drifting production sounds that I enjoy. While there is a pad of sitar billowing out into the cosmos, I believe that some of the actual solo is performed on the koto. Maybe. The first five tracks are more of an electronic amalgam that hits and misses in about equal qualities. "In Sight" is a fine lead off track to acclimatize the listener to the ensemble's M.O. I also dig "Foyer" quite well; especially when freaky Terry Riley-esque sequenced organ tones begin invading the track in its second half. The three tracks in the middle are far from bad, but they do skirt close to the lamer side of electronica (like the drums in "Peering Into MNDR") and/or new age (like "Into Yaman Coir") a little more often than I'd like. Usually a crazed tabla appears just in time to course correct the music.

There is quite a lot going for the sounds of Sitaar Tah!(.) It's pretty hard to go wrong with a wall of sitars in my book, although there are a few annoying characteristics that I hope the group hashes out on other recordings. This is a wonderful album to provide droning weirdness to your day.

The Best Band Ever?

The Astral Projection - 1968 - Astral Scene

Quality: 4 out of 5
Trip-O-Meter: 4 out of 5

It could be the two manhattans that I just drank speaking, but I find this one exceptionally groovy. Even more than the Millennium's Begin, I feel like these cats are trying to induct me into some strange hippy cult. We'll dance around like the Brady Bunch on the days that Greg got high, sugarcubes in hand. That said, this sunshine pop is not musically in the same league as Curt Boettcher's productions (like the aforementioned Millennium), but I would go for this one before the 5th Dimension, and it's far trippier than the Mamas and the Papas. The Allmusic Guide mentioned that this was a studio construct and mostly exploitative of the counterculture scene, but I'll admit that I'm pretty well fooled.

Usually there are a few tracks on sunshine pop albums that leave me running in terror, but these tracks are exceptionally smooth. Yes, there is a pretty thick layer of cheese, but the orchestral arrangements hold just enough restraint to keep aware from complete kitsch, and the vocals are very well done. The keeper here is "The Happening People," which I hope ended up on some soundtrack for a low-budget counterculture documentary. I've also found myself humming "Whatta We Gotta Lose" is a few elevators. I'd like to think that the answer to that question is far more disturbing than the song. "Plant Your Seed" seeks to pose a misguided rebuttal to family planning, but in a very groovy way. I find most of the songs with parentheticals in the titles to stand out as well. These glue together the album concept of exploring the astral plane together, but I'd imagine that you have to join their cult before you do so. Hopefully it's a little more charitable than the Manson Family. Just as a little side note, the last track sounds like it REALLY wants to be a cover of Simon and Garfunkel's "Homeward Bound," but those hipsters in the Astral Projection just could quite justify paying residuals to those superstars.

If we look at this on a straight up taste level, a copy of this album should probably find itself flung out of the nearest window posthaste. Yet, giving this a listen fills me with peace, love, and the urge to watch one of those Brady Bunch episodes where the guys all have those Noel Redding 'fros. Maybe it will do the same for you.

Buy Me:
The Astral Projection - 1968 - Astral Scene

Grouper - 2007 - Wide

Quality: 4 out of 5
Trip-O-Meter: 4.5 out of 5

Most of my thoughts concerning Grouper in the review directly preceding this one pretty much relate to this album as well. Like Way Their Crept, Wide is an endless plunge into a hazy vortex of sound. I guess that this one rises ever so slightly above the aether. There is a little more of Ms. Liz Harris beating guitar strings (I think) through infinity, but this is still pretty unlikely to show up on your local top 40 station anytime soon. Once again, it's almost impossible to break this down into individual songs. If you put on Grouper, you best be in it for the entire 38 minute experience. As the rating above indicates, I'm not quite as infatuated with this one, but it goes nicely as a double feature with Way Their Crept. Our intrepid sound voyager does have another LP out which I haven't heard, but I'm hoping that a few stylistic changes appear. This is awesome music, but it could lead to quite a rut and I'd hate to think that Grouper is a one-trick pony. Well, we'll make it two tricks as I'm more than happy to pass on my recommendation for Wide.

Grouper - 2005 - Way Their Crept

Quality: 4.5 out of 5
Trip-O-Meter: 5 out of 5

I have to admit that I've been listening to this one pretty obsessively over the past two months or so. Grouper is not really a band, but one Liz Harris hailing from Portland, Oregon. On the surface, Harris' approach is a terrible idea. The majority of the sounds of this album is simply her voice run through a phalanx of echoplexes, delays, and other assorted reverb units. The songs are almost impossible to distinguish from each other, and the whole damn thing runs together. Yet there is a steady hand over the proceedings and the end result is just short of genius. I don't think I've run across a recording quite this hypnotic this side of Paul Horn's Inside.

While I've given Way Their Crept quite a few listens, I still feel unqualified to make much comment on the songs. The first track almost has discernible lyrics, and then everything plunges down a deep well for the rest of the album. The variety comes only in the density of the sound that you are experiencing at a single moment. I have trouble coming up with positives to express in words, yet I really dig this. Once again, I feel that Paul Horn is the best comparison, but while his music holds a very tenuous grip with jazz, Grouper's music hold an equally tenuous grip with shoegazing sounds.

I rarely find myself so infatuated with music, yet also find myself without the means to express the reasons why. Maybe this album is like the sirens' song. You best lash yourself to a masthead before hitting play on this one.

Andrew Rudin - 1967 - Tragoedia

Quality: 3.25 out of 5
Trip-O-Meter: 4.5 out of 5

This has to be one of the first Moog recordings out there. Andrew Rudin is very much part of the classical, technique-oriented school of electronic music. There's a very self-serious photo on the back of my LP along with thoughtful ruminations of the music and a short bio which states that Rudin taught at the Philadelphia Music Academy. Tragoedia is of a kin with Morton Subotnick's works and likely casts a spiteful eye on the more playful recordings of something like Perry and Kingsley. Be that as it may, this is pretty much one of those 'bleeps and bloops' sort of albums, and sometimes I have trouble justifying that this is much different than me dicking around on my Minimoog for 37 minutes. But I suppose that it's much better organized than that, at least on paper.

We've got four tracks here ranging from five to fifteen minutes and there's a ton of explanation for them in the liner notes than I'm too lazy to read. In my proletarian assessment, I'd say skip side one and go straight for side two. "Hybris" has some cool resonate Moog sounds, but once again I can dial that in on the Minimoog in 12 seconds or less (granted few people could do that in 1967). Side two is far more interesting in my humble opinion. "Peitho" is kind of like an insane, electrified "Flight of the Bumblebee." Better is the fifteen minute "Ate" (the 'e' has an accent but I'm not smart enough to know how to type it). The liner notes say it is "the quality of utter ruin and desolation resulting from (the first three tracks)." With the benefit of hindsight, I'd say it's more of a primitive precursor to Tangerine Dream's early long-form meditations. It's like an extra-planetary excursion much like a track such as "Alpha Centauri."

For your first venture into early electronic composition, scroll down through this blog posthaste for Morton Subotnick's "Silver Apples of the Moon." You seasoned sonic adventurers might give this a try. The doctor's advice is to start with track three and zone out to track four. If the first two get your attention as well, then consider it icing on the cake.

The Deep - 1966 - Psychedelic Moods

Quality: 4 out of 5
Trip-O-Meter: 4 out of 5

If you go by the cover, you'd probably guess that this is an early psychedelic exploitation album, and that would lead you off the mark. The Deep hailed from Philadelphia and did a fine job of assimilating the various strains of emerging psychedelic sounds. More notable, and what got my attention, is the fact that these guys seemed to have stumbled onto some of the Velvet Underground's signature sound a year before the first Velvet Underground (we're using VU from here on out) album appeared. Maybe the Deep hung out at Andy Warhol's happenings or something. Apparently, the leader of this band was one Rusty Evans. I believe he's responsible for the acid leads and songwriting. We'll credit him with psychic prescience as well.

"Color Dream" starts the album with a track that practically sounds like an outtake from the first VU album. "When Rain is Black" and "Shadows on the Wall" have a similar vibe to the VU's "Says" songs or third album in general. Then "Pink Ether" approximates the gothic vibe of something like "Venus in Furs." I guess it doesn't help that the Deep's main vocalist (Evans?) sings in a cadence remarkably similar to Lou Reed's. The truth is that I'm amazed by the VU comparisons, but we have tracks like "It's All a Part of Me" which comes across more like a garage hippy sing-a-long. Likewise, "Trip #76," probably the best known track here, is a very groovy psych-pop chant. "On Off -Off On" is more like Simon and Garfunkel on lots of amphetamines than the VU. I'd say the biggest freak out here is "Your Choice to Choose," which sounds like the 13 Floor Elevators playing backwards with Lou Reed ranting over it.

There are a few potential problems with the album, both of which you may be able to get around. First off is the tinny production sound. Listening to this straight through gives me a headache. The culprit may just be bad production (and there is a mono mix out there that I don't have as well), and one of the recent remasters may sound better. The lyrics also get psychedelically goofy. I can't defend the quality of the lyrics, but I will say that I quite enjoy them personally.

All in all, this is a album that deserves your ear. There is some solid, innovative, and obscure psychedelia at work here. And as you may have gleaned, there is a bonus jaw drop in store for those of you that groove to the Velvet Underground, especially since this album came out first.

Buy Me:
The Deep - 1966 - Psychedelic Moods

The New Hobbits - 1969 - Back From Middle Earth

Quality: 3.25 out of 5
Trip-O-Meter: 3 out of 5

I have to admit that I'm not a J.R.R. Tolkien fan. I've never been able to make it through the book despite several attempts, and I spent most of my time in the theater for the first Lord of the Rings movie doing my Mystery Science Theater impression (granted I also had a couple of martinis in my for that viewing). Fortunately, the New Hobbits don't seem to have more than a superficial connection to those works, although I imagine this may be unfortunate for some of you. What we get instead is some solid AM-pop in the mold of the Grass Roots. This music is far from experimental, but you will find so juicy hooks that might worm their way into your brain. It also features lower-fi, more ragged production than the more famous AM-pop herd. I see this as a positive thing.

The first track, "You Could Have Made it Easy," just happens to be one of the catchiest with a groovy horn arrangement and a propulsive beat. Many of the other tracks anticipate the soft rock of the 70's, so I'm more entertained by the paranoid Band rip-off entitled "The Devil's Gonna Get Me," even though it does feature an embarrassingly out-of-tune piano in the mix. "Underground" features what I consider the best melody on the disc and drifts the closest to the psych/sunshine pop sphere. "Love Can Set You Free" is like the pauper prison's rendition of "All You Need is Love."

There's a couple of keepers here, but this is more like the album you might have bought from the house band at the Holiday Inn after an evening of business dinner binge drinking in 1969, not that I've ever been a businessman or alive in 1969 (although I think I have stayed at a Holiday Inn). Still, if you can live with that comparison, then you will probably find something to enjoy here. For me, I guess the key appeal here is with the "You Could Have Made it Easy," "Underground," and the very groovy cover art.

Terry Riley - 1980 - Shri Camel

Quality: 4.75 out of 5
Trip-O-Meter: 5 out of 5

We have a soft spot for Terry Riley at the Psychedelic Garage. This album presents some of his more obscure recordings, but it's not for lack of quality. The basic framework here remains Riley's interlocking patterns or organ tones, but there is an attempt to meld his music with more eastern tones, especially those of the Indian variety. While it doesn't make any major stylistic changes, it's enough to distinguish this one from masterworks such as "In C" or "A Rainbow in Curved Air."

There are four tracks on this album, but I'd suggest that they probably fit in pairs. "Anthem of the Trinity" and "Across the Lake of the Ancient World" explore similar droning, lower level motifs more like what you'd hear with "In C." "Celestial Valley" and "Desert of Ice" tend to sparkle more and display more sonic relief. The eastern influence is subtle, but you'll hear it in small patches of melody wafting around through the lattuce of keyboard patterns. Riley also benefits here from clear studio production as all of the different threads of sound are distinguishable and clear.

I haven't heard anything by Riley that did not end up entrancing me and bring me back for multiple listens. This album is not exception. Yes, this music is technically minimalist, but there is a world of sound and infinite combinations available for the dedicated listener. You should hear this unless you simply have an absolute distaste for this tributary of music (yes, we are far from the mainstream).