Os Mutantes - 1970 - A Divina Comedia Ou Ando Meio Desligado

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

On this, Os Mutantes' third album, we hear a somewhat different band than what was on their debut. Sure, the core members of Rita Lee and the Baptista brothers are still in place, but there are some major aesthetic differences. By this time the tropicalia movement had petered out, and this album, while still plenty strange, is not quite as experimental and crazed as their debut. We won't hold this against them, however, as many of the major players of tropicalia were being jailed, exiled, or worse under the military dictatorship ruling Brazil at that time. As such, the Brazilian songwriting pool must have been much smaller, and Os Mutantes rely on their own formidable songwriting skills.

There is much more focus on the band's instrumental skill as the studio trickery and oddball arrangement are somewhat reduced here (although far from absent). Sergio Baptista is a phenomenal guitar player, and Arnaldo is similarly fine on the drums, and there is a lot more focus on the playing here. The bass lines also rock my balls, but I'm not sure who is responsible for that particular instrument here.

Although pening with the great, tropical psych rocker "Ando Meio Desligado," Os Mutantes
saved the full punch for the next two tracks. "Quem Tem Medo de Brincar de Amor" is a wild, completely insane sounding rocker punctuated by a slide whistle and some awesome stop-start rhythms. It probably stands as my favorite single Mutantes song. Next, "Ave Lucifer" returns to the sound of studio weirdness with inverted, underwater sounding percussive guitar and some orchestration near the end.

From here the album runs a little more along the lines of well-played acid rock. Unfortunately, that is to say it doesn't stand out as much, although it's certainly still well constructed. The are still some nice surprises like the sound effects on "Chao de Estrelas," the choir on "Haleluia," and the full scale sonic blastout ending the album on the last minute of the otherwise chill instrumental "Oh! Mulher Infiel."

Like the first album, the middle of the album has a bit of drag. The bluesy "Meu Refrigerdor Nao Funciona" runs about three minutes too long (although you do get to hear Ms. Lee sing in English), and the doo-wop of "Hey Boy" sets off my cheese alarm. Still, none of these problems are major enough to avoid this album. It is the last of the classic Mutantes albums for many folks.

Buy Me:
Os Mutantes - 1970 - A Divina Comedia Ou Ando Meio Desligado

Os Mutantes - 1968 - Os Mutantes

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

Even at it's best, world pop often sounds like it using too many western (read American and British) sonic ideas, and fails to have much ethnic identity. Brazilian pop has always been a happy exception to this rule with distinctive percussion, melodies, and touches of bossa nova and samba making this music quite distinctive. This was never more true than with the tropicalia movement of the late 1960's, of which Os Mutantes was practically the house band.

Having already appeared backing Brazilian luminaries such as Caetano Veloso and GIlberto Gil, Os Mutantes came into their own flowering on this debut album. Although still relatively obscure outside of Brazil, this album is easily the equal of A-list offerings from folks like The Beatles and The Stones. In fact, the psychedelia here as a fair sight wilder than those bands managed, while still maintaining a great sense of melody and artistry.

"Panis Et Circensis" (Bread And Circuses), the album opener, is a production tour de force which is the peer of other psych production masterpieces such as "Good Vibrations" and "Strawberry Fields Forever." Impressively, where the Beach Boys and the Beatles spent weeks to months perfecting their iconic tracks, Os Mutantes (with the help of Rogerio Duprat) got "Panis Et Circensis" down in a day. Starting with a short fanfare, the tracks shifts through several worlds of sound. It's very much in the 'pocket symphony' mold with seemingly unrelated parts actually working together. For me the highlights are the strange mid-song tape drop out and the almost too busy horn parts punctuating the melody.

Os Mutantes focused more on covers than originals, but unlike many other South American psychedelic groups, the band is outsourcing and collaborating on songs with their countrymen. Jorge Ben shows up in a guest spot to help out on his fabulous "A Minha Menina" while the afore mentioned Gil and Veloso contribute several tracks, including the amazing opener and the tribal rave up of "Bat Macumba."

The bands not-so-secret weapon is the ghostly vocals of Rita Lee. Think of a more emotive Nico or the obviously Mutantes-inspired vocals of Stereolab. Her best showcases are on the almost scary "Le Premier Bonheur Du Jour," in which Lee songs accompanied by the odd choice of the sound of ripping paper, and "O Relogio," which starts mysterious but picks up some definite steam halfway through.

With other highlights like "Trem Fantasma" hanging around this album, we find that Os Mutantes is an extremely focused collection. It's simply a matter of taste which separates the classic from the merely 'above average' (for me "Baby" and "Senhor F" mark the slight mid -album slump). No psych listener should go without at least hearing this one.

Buy Me:
Os Mutantes - 1968 - Os Mutantes

Dantalian's Chariot - 1967 - Chariot Rising

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

Here we have another band that scored a major single on the Nuggets box (with "Madman Running Through The Fields") but never produced a proper album back in the day. Unlike The Third Bardo, however, the extra recordings stand up to the single and this collection in fact makes for an almost-classic ad hoc album.

It might have helped that Dantalian's Chariot had a relatively impressive pedegree. The bulk of the band were holdovers from the R&B rockin' Zoot Money Big Roll Band. Finding themselves hopelessly out of date come 1967, they refitted their sound to psychedelic pop. Also joining the ranks was future Police guitarist Andy Summers, although I wouldn't come here looking for anything even slightly resembling that bands signature sound.

Each of the ten tracks present here has something groovy to offer, even if they don't all necessarily equal the classic "Madman." It is definitely an above-average collection of British psych-pop. "World War Three" trails "Madman" with some wild and freaking acid guitar and organ parts, while "Sun Bursting Through My Cloud" is a well written ballad that might have made for a great second single. "Coffee Song" is another contender for that distinction. Meanwhile "Flying Bird" is just waiting to track a 60's documentary for shot of freaky hippies frolicking in the park.

There are a few instrumental tracks here that take the band in a slightly different direction, and I feel shows them at their best. These guys had some impressive chops to show. "This Island" is an evocative, sitar-laden piece that almost sounds like something Martin Denny would have done, although first dragged through a thick cloud of an opium den. Also featuring sitar is the six-minute long "Soma," which glides nicely though several different moods and makes me think of a really chilled out early Floyd instrumental.

This album arrived about 30 years late and is already lost to the winds. For those of you that are curious about this bands further exploits, Chariot Rising should be nicely satisfying.

Buy Me:
The magic 8-ball says this is doubtful

The Third Bardo - 1967 - The Third Bardo

Quality: 2.75 out of 5
Trip-O-Meter: 3.75 out of 5

I've always considered The Third Bardo's "I'm Five Years Ahead Of My Time" to be one of the absolute highlights of the Nuggets box. It has an odd, ranting insanity that I love, and has gotten some modern acknowledgement by way of a not-too-bad cover from Primal Scream a few years back. Alas, The Third Bardo is the very definition of a one-hit-wonder (although I suppose they were missing the actual hit) and never found the opportunity to record a proper album. Here we have a short collection of their few other recordings along with their moment of demented glory.

The B-side of "I'm Five Years Ahead Of My Time" is "Rainbow Life." It's got nice, trippy squiggly guitar, but it doesn't really grab you by the nuts the way the A-side does. I'm sure no one had trouble figuring out which side to play, although I don't think many DJs played either side.

There are a few remaining tracks that unfortunately fail to distinguish themselves much. "Dawn Of Tomorrow" is a pleasant, but forgettable rocker that seems to be drifting over into R&B while "Lose Your Mind" recycles the "Five Years Ahead Of My Time Riff" while severely suffering from the Law Of Diminishing Returns. Then there's a demo-quality "I Can Understand Your Problem" which sounds about like what you'd expect from a demo.

The Third Bardo's moment in the sun had left me thirsting to hear more of them for about ten years. I have to admit that I was more than a little dissappointed by the big reveal, but sometimes a one single band really was a one single band. Still, you very well may be curious as I was. So, listen, listen...

Buy Me:
Probably Not

Richard Davies - 2000 - Barbarians

Quality: 3.5 out of 5
Trip-O-Meter: 3.5 out of 5

Critical consensus tends to laud There's Never Been A Crowd Like This while considering this a lesser effort. I've always seen this the other way around. TNBACLT did have some intricate production, but to me it all sounded a little samey and production for the sake of production. I feel that Davies' songwriting is much better on Barbarians, his third solo album, and lets the production serve the songs instead of the other way around.

As it is, the first three tracks of Barbarians are among Davies' best. "Coldest Day" opens the album to a slightly ominous, yet still inviting note, while "Palo Alto" is a gliding acoustic driven number with some cool delayed vocals. Even better is "Stars," which has been randomly appearing in my head for the past seven years and is a refined version of the masterful guitar psych of The Moles.

Indeed, Davies makes a full return to the lo-fi garage clamor of the Moles on "Great Republic." It's the kind of variation that I felt was missing on TNBACLT.

Admittedly, this is a front loaded album, and the second half of the disc is like a more stripped down version of TNBACLT (and once again drifting into Robyn Hitchcock territory). Still, this gives his songs a little more room to breathe, and once again Davies' awesome vocals adds a much needed layer to tracks like "Formulas." Besides, it's still a short album at 33 minutes and can survive a little bit of a sound plateau.

As a context note, the Australian Davies had immigrated to America by the time of this album. The word is that Barbarians is a bit of a protest, social-issue album, and I guess the lyrics are a little less abstract than usual. Still, there's enough abstraction that I would have never caught on if someone hadn't told me. I guess the cover would hint at that too. Maybe I'm just not that smart.

Buy Me:
Richard Davies - 2000 - Barbarians

Richard Davies - 1996 - There's Never Been A Crowd Like This

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

After finally ditching the Moles brand, Richard Davies made a quick detour with Eric Matthews for the good but somewhat-overrated Cardinal before commensing on his proper solo career. Cardinal apparently dissolved because of Davies dark musical undercurrents, but strangely enough this solo album opts for the light anyway.

Davies abandoned his experimental songwriting of the last Moles album and coasted into a more folk rock, singer-songwriter vein for There's Never Been A Crowd Like This. This isn't to say that Davies doesn't continue with some quirky arrangements, and his lyrics remain very abstract, but the psychedelic elements here are notably less. The baisc instrumentation here is relatively conventional sounding (although very well-produced) drums, bass, acousitc guitar, and piano, although Davies' sense of singing and harmony remains pretty spacey.

This is actually a bit of a problem as the album soungs a little too uniform for my tastes. There's just not enough variation. As it is the best tracks here feature Davies' odder vocals as on "Sign Up Maybe For Being" and "Jubilee." It often seems that Davies is encroaching on Robyn Hitchcock territory, which I feel was a mistake as it takes away from Davies' strengths. Still, he is quite a craftsman and there's nothing here which isn't well put together, even if it's not as inspired as some of his other efforts. The best we get here are some acceptable indie-pop tracks like the opening "Transcontinental."

This is another short album, not quite reaching the 30 minute mark. But unlike the even-shorter Instinct, Davies' doesn't really think outside the box. Aside from a few strange dischord and atonal guitar parts, Davies' doesn't really do anything particularly experimental until the sped up ragtime of "Showtime," although it's nowhere near as innovative as his previous works. We'll just catagorize tihs disc as pleasant but somewhat forgettable.

Buy Me:
Richard Davies - 1996 - There's Never Been A Crowd Like This

The Moles - 1994 - Instinct

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

Although still sporting the name of The Moles on the cover, this is really a Richard Davies solo album as the rest of the band is no longer around. Davies was very much the leader of the proper band, but without the rest of the group, the sound here is extremely different. The garage-psych wildness of Untune The Sky has been replaced by much higher production values and baroque arrangements.

Even more notable is Davies completely fractured, yet masterful songwriting on this short album. There is still a great deal of pop to the melodies, but the songs here are completely unpredictable, constantly lurching in strange directions and displaying an almost total lack of logic. These tracks really seem to have been beamed in from a neighboring dimension. It can be a little off-putting at first, but it's never less than fascinating. All the song elements are familiar (no particularly cosmic sounds or studio trickery here), but they're all ordered and recombined on totally unfamiliar ways.

The album opens with a dirge-like horn arrangement, and nothing but drum fills for a rhythm track on "Minor Royal Charge." Lyrically, this is equally strange as Davies admonishes us to "drink until you're blind, and you'll sing like Ray Charles."

Still rhymically skittering, and almost threatening sounding is the "rocker" "Already In Black." It a musical iteration of Hunter Thompson's observation that "you can turn your back on a man, but you can't turn your back on a drug." Davies is rocking out with no linear sense of logic.

If there's a flaw here, it that the songwriting is so disorienting that it's sometimes hard to keep track of what's going on a grabbing the bits that emerge from the baroque ocean. Maybe this helps explain why the album is only 23 minutes long. "The Crasher," as in party crasher, closes the disc with a return of the horns, a touch of buzzing guitars, and just a few moments of a groovy party beat.

I really haven't heard another album like this one, even from Richard Davies. It's like taking the random, unpredictable sound of Skip Spence's solo album Oar, and handing them over to a scientist intent on working the sound theory into some complicated quantum law. Nevermind the 1994 date, this belongs at the top of any pile of psychedelia.

Buy Me:
The Moles - 1994 - Instinct

The Moles - 1991 - Untune The Sky

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

The Moles' Untune The Sky is simply one of the unheralded peaks of neo-psych. This Australian group, headed by the exceptionally talented Richard Davies, managed to eke several new angles out of shopworn psychedelic influences while throwing a few new curveballs of their own. According to the liner notes, the band recorded this with the help of copious amounts of beer. This may be true, but judging from the warped recordings found on the disc, they very well may have spiked it with something a little stronger.

The first two tracks of the album establish the band's battle plan. "Bury Me Happy" opens the disc with a hazy Byrds/early-REM 12 string riff and some happy monks sort of harmony. Davies' top rate pop songwriting hits this one right out of the park and the somewhat lo-fi recording quality adds in a cloudy atmosphere that works perfectly for the song. The entire album is pretty lo-fi for that matter, but it gives the impression of hanging out in a really kick-ass basement club.

The album then plunges into lysergic weirdness for the maniacally shifting "Tendrils And Paracetamol." It's quite unique as the parts of the varying parts of the song are almost like something a prog rock band would do, but the punkish acid-soaked playing erases any notions of prog. It takes a few listens to really get this one, but it is yet another highlight, so make sure to give it more than one chance.

Amazingly, almost every track here has something amazing to offer. Davies continues to work out his pop mojo on the groovy "Rebecca" (featuring the strange chorus of "Wonder free fall Rebecca"), and power-pop like "Europe By Car." The groups harmonies are often strange, yet alluring. Check out the demented singing on "Breathe Me In" for a highlight. On "Lonely Hearts Get What They Deserve" and "This Is A Happy Garden" nail the more dreamy ballad-esque side of the psychedelic coin.

Matching "Tendrils And Paracetemol" for disturbing freakiness is "Nailing Jesus To The Cross." Over a background of buzzsaw guitars and hammering percussion is an all-too-happy vocal singing about the title subject. The album proper comes to a fantastic close with the Beach Boys-nicking title "Surf's Up." It has nothing to do with the Smile track, but lives up to its name with cascading waves of guitar and organ.

Added on to this CD compilation is the four song What's The New Mary Jane EP. The title track matches anything on the album, although the other three tracks don't display quite the same level of songwriting. Still, the production values are a little better and there is some wild experimentation, especially on the closing "Let's Hook Up And Get Some."

Buy Me:
The Moles - 1991 - Untune The Sky

Taking a Short Break

The Doctor will be heading home this Sunday for a few weeks. Expect new posts somewhere in the vicinity of August 20th. Until then, please enjoy the archive and leave some comments. I'll be happy to chat with you from my parents' house although I won't be able to post new albums. See you soon!

Tomorrow - 1968 - Tomorrow

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

Tomorrow's sole album is one of the best examples of British Psychedelia around. It more than earns it's credentials by the presence of the single "My White Bicycle," easily the peer of better known psych singles such as "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "See Emily Play." In fact, the disc contains an interesting beefy acid-rock take of that Beatles' single. It's not better, but it holds it's own without problem and is fun to hear with a little less production.

Tomorrow was a mover and shaker in the London UFO scene, even appearing at the legendary 24 Technicolour Dream, but they never quite got their head above the water due to things like management problems and egos. The band did serve as an artistically superior halfway house to such luminaries as cult-psych hero Twink, Keith West, and future Yes axeman Steve Howe.

Although occasionally brushing sleeves with the more twee side of psych pop, Tomorrow manages to deliver on almost every cut of their only LP. "My White Bicycle" probably is the best track here, but several other tracks come close to it. Second single "Revolution" doesn't have quite the immediate impact, but it is truly freaky and is a masterful track. "Real Life Permanent Dream," "The Incredible Journey Of Timothy Chase," and "Hallucinations" are all A-list tracks that absolutely must be heard by anyone who digs psychedelic sounds. Even goofy tracks like "Three Jolly Little Elves" have enough propulsion and confidence to make them winners. The band even nails the Byrds' "Why" on a bonus track, which the original band could never quite get their head around (they did at least three very different takes).

Everything here maintains a strong rock edge, while still displaying some of the freakiest sounds of psychedelic pop. I'd say only Barrett's Pink Floyd or the 1967 Pretty Things managed this perfect balance as well. Even the Beatles' could never quite rock out as hard, while Cream tended to revert to the blues for their harder sounds.

Maybe this disc is old hat for you, as I'd like to think that everyone has had a chance to discover Tomorrow. But if you haven't, I hope that I've given you the incentive to delve into their world. I just wish they'd gotten some technicolour for the black and white album cover.

Buy Me:
Tomorrow - 1968 - Tomorrow

Edan - 2005 - Beauty And The Beat

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

The search for psychedelic obscurities typically involves diving deep into the morass of almost lost records from the late 60's and early 70's. Not many think of searching modern hip-hop, but he were find an album that bends the spectrum of sound just as much as the likes of something like the Soft Machine or Syd Barrett. I think any open-minded psych fan needs to give this a close listen.

Edan is an emcee and producer coming out of a vibrant Boston underground scene. While he was able to firmly secure his hip-hop credentials on the 80's filtered freak out of Primitive Beat, he uses the stranger sounds of the 60's for Beauty And The Beat. There are plenty of shimmering, mangled samples at work here, as well as several layers of echoplexed effects.

Typically on a hip-hop album, the introduction track is easily skipped, but here "Polite Meeting" is a firm declaration of intention, introducing Edan's kaleidoscopic, harpsichord-laced, acid-drenched sound. Let "Funky Voltron" act as your litmus test. Yes, there are some rhymes here, although Edan and guest Insight are definately exploring some surreal territory, but the sound is superb funked-out psychedelia.

Edan continues to breathe new life into the strange reverberations of "I See Colours" and "Fumbling Over Words That Rhyme." Yes, this is hip-hop and throws enough dirty word that you might not want to play it for your kids, but the choruses make it out of the 60's with some new sound enhancements and I feel that the artistry at work here demands attention.

Other highlights include the almost scary "Torture Chamber" and the flipped out "Science Of The Two." Edan rapping rarely makes sense, but he bends words in strange ways that echo the lyrical experiments of such illuminaries as 1967 Lennon and the afore mentioned Barrett.

The best is saved for last. "Promised Land" greets the listener with, of all things, an easily listening sample. Edan rips into an impassioned delivery about God knows what, but holding the listener's attention masterfully.

I know that this is not going to be the average psych listener's cup of tea. If you've got any tolerance for hip-hop at all though, you need to give Edan your ear and hopefully appreciate his strange warping and innovative approach to psychedelia. As the opening sample proclaims, "Just open your ears and listen."

Buy Me:
Edan - 2005 - Beauty And The Beat