Psych Lovers Top 10 - Re-issues/Compilations & Live Albums
Tucked far away in the darkened recesses of Facebook lurk a secret group of like-minded individuals who eat, drink and breath psychedelia. It is a pleasure to share a small piece of cyberspace with these people.....enlightened, knowledgeable and above all filled with love and passion for all things fuzzy, nary a day goes by without someone unearthing a gem.....and it all becomes bloody expensive. Anyway, the Psych Lovers group have had a poll or 2 regarding this years bumper crop of releases and I'm proud and as pleased as punch to present the Psych Lovers Top 10 of Re-issues, Compilations and Live Albums. It's only right and proper that members of the group provide the words...and fine words they are as well! For the Psych Lovers Top 10 of New Albums, please head over to Simon Delic's rather spiffing Psych Insight blog...you can find it right here
1. The Heads - Burning Up With...
(Words by Dai Croll) "In April 2015, The Heads were chosen as 'Artist In Residence' for the 20th incarnation of Roadburn Festival in Tilburg, NL. They played two sets over the weekend, the culmination on the main stage on the Saturday night was recorded for posterity & released as 'Burning Up With...' 11 tracks in just over 60 minutes split over 4 sides of delicious pink or green wax capture the Heads at their primal, pummelling best. More fuzzed out rawk than psychedelic freakout but that's certainly not a bad thing in this case. If you only get one live album this year, make sure you get this one. You won't be disappointed I promise you. Burning Up With The Heads, come, feel the fire..."
2. The Band Whose Name Is A Symbol - 3xLP Box Set
(Words by Iain Wiltshire) "When a small label such as Cardinal Fuzz decides to put out a box set by any band its labour of love. When that band is relatively unknown in their home country then it becomes something so much more. The Canadian collective known as The Band Whose Name Is Symbol are a band who specialise in a kind of free form krautrock, their sound is dedicate to groove and improv and an appetite to capture the moment. The three albums contained within this box set are selected from the bands enviable back catalogue and showcase all the elements that back this band so damn good. In a world full of needless reissues and repackages it is refreshing to see that only the underground knows how treat the underground."
3. Dreamtime - S/T
(words by Iain Wiltshire) "With the psych community currently swooning over the new Dreamtime album, it’s worth reminding ourselves of this year’s reissue of their first album. The album sets out its stall early from the off with speeding guitars reminiscent of Dick Dale before easing its way into four and half minutes of chaotic psych groove. From here on, every track seems to do the same thing and that is the unexpected. ‘Slag’ is full of dreamy female vocals, guitar burnouts and a slow groove that is to die for, ‘Gympie’ hits a bit harder with a meandering guitars and its hypnotic duel male/female vocal. Dreamtime prove that they are willing to push their sound with ever the morphing ‘Robe’ before closing with the nine minute psych epic that is ‘Eve pt 1 &2’. A brilliant and accomplished first album."
=4. Shooting Guns - Born to Deal in Magic
(Words by Ian McGlynn) ": For people like me who are relatively new to the whole psychedelic scene, it gives me a chance to delve into Shooting Guns earlier works and see how they have developed as a band. Like a lot of instrumental bands the songs are often improvised. Not with this band! It is very measured in its song structure. For example in the opening track "Harmonic Stepphenwolf" the song starts off with a guitar riff and continues throughout. It builds with intermittent layering of sound effects, be it with additional guitars, synch loop effects or a change of pace etc. Shooting guns have mastered this technique to perfection throughout. Each song crafted entirely differently which gives for a complete album. This is one of those albums where you will find yourself nodding your head, foot tapping or like me, both!"
=4 The Band Whose Name Is A Symbol - Live at Dominion Tavern
(words by Brian Dennis) "TBWNIAS, Is not just a band you either love or hate but a band that, i reckon ... Everybody would find at least one track off of any album that you REALLY like. Its that simple.... Live @ The Dominion is a relative compendium of tracks, mostly from the Scrappy Little Jaw album. This is in itself is a bonus. The album captures very well what TBWNIAS is about. An Improv, Psych Rock band thickly laced with Jazz and everything in between, with so much Energy and Volume its scary. John Westhaver is like a Psychedelic Wizard, conjeuring up magical tunes from formulas that really shouldn't in theary work. Thundering Bass and Drums, interwoven with riffage from Johns nimble fingerwork, layered with Harmonicas,Violins and anything else that is added to the recipe. Its like a musical gumbo. As a live album the production is faultless. I'm not a huge fan of the live album but i found myself being dragged in, down to the front and jumping with the best. I was really there man..... It really is that powerful. TBWNIAS really are an eccentric lot. A Multicoloured, Patchwork Bag and within, a different flavour at every dip....You just can't help smiling when listening to this band. ... Whether you like it or not, simply because it is just so hard to define and you can't really get a grasp of what you have heard, what you are listening to or what you are getting next ... These guys are special. Absolutely bonkers. I love em'"
=6. Cosmic Dead - Inner Sanctum
(Words by Sean Gibbins) "The first song, Gustav Björnstrand stomps off with the bass and drums setting a brisk pace while distorted echoey guitars satutrate the listener, initially standing out as the most structured tune on the album, but eventually breaking down into its component parts, thereby setting the scene for the roughly ordered chaos that follows. With the second number, The Mass of Betelguese, you’re no longer storming through the void so much as swirling around in it, tossed by howling guitars and buffeted by slow, lumbering bass lines, the jam-based origins of The Cosmic Deads songs very much in evidence here. Like all good psychedelic sounds this album really has the power to lock your body into the groove while sending your mind elsewhere, and this is best demonstrated by the title track’s insistent Krautrocking vibe; if there's a high point of the album, Inner Sanctum is probably it. Finally, Hello SATAN drops the pace, initially picking out a cautious path which gradually becomes more and more intense and intimidating as you progress along it, only for it to fade out, gently depositing the listener back in reality!"
=6. V/A - Magnetic North
(Words by Laurence Blackwell) "This four track compilation from Brightons Drone Rock Records is the labels 5th release a gem amounst many gems on the label. The first thing that strikes you is the cover art a flame orange and blue sun created by Neil Whitehead from Vert:X who's bands track Drill is the first of four very different slices of physch, the other three tracks being Lupine Wavelength by Dead Sea Apes, Transportation Ventures by Blown Out and Mountain King Blues by Earthling Society. Adam Harmsworth at Drone Rock Records has done a great job in putting together a very good album, each track being different enough from the next that gives a good insight to a few current psych scene favorites."
8. Dreamtime - Sun
(Words by Denise Arkley) "Repressed by Cardinal Fuzz and Captcha, Dreamtime’s second album takes off with Centre of Mind. Gentle guitar, laid back bass and drums mislead you down paths you don’t expect. Whimsical guitar plays throughs, lifts you high, then drops you. I’m happy to fall. A good start to the journey. Baphomet lulls with rippling water and hypnotic percussion before relentless drums and frenzied guitar pin you down before releasing you, spent, on your way. If Baphomet was the delirium of the night before, The Road is the clarity of the next day, of lessons learned. Cat’s vocals meld into the guitars lifting you with her. Their version of Blue Phantom’s Equivalence feels like a palate cleanser. A chance to take stock and prepare for what’s to come. The title track Sun keeps you guessing; you think it’s over then another wave lifts you up to crash you down heavier and deeper. Brujeria feels like the soundtrack to a film set in red deserts and scorching sun. The Art of Invisibility finishes the album with guitars circling while bass and drums keep it together til it explodes into heavy riffs, sometimes reminiscent of Sweden’s Baby Grandmothers. This album speaks to me of heat, of space, of scorched land, of Sun."
=10. The Heads - Enten Eller
(Words by Dai Croll) "So, this year finally saw the 2012 cdr only release of Enten Eller get the vinyl treatment it so richly deserves. Originally recorded over 2 sessions at the 'Circle In The Square' in 2005 & 2010, this release captures The Heads at their abrasive best. Side 1 consists of Either (Parts I- IV), relatively short, visceral stabs of pounding fuzz laden goodness that draw you in, chew you up & spit you out before you really know what's going on. Side 2 (Or) is a full on 20 minute psychedelic noise freak out that is as brutal as it is long & surely must have been aural ecstacy for the 3 lucky souls that got to witness it first hand. This isn't easy listening background music. It's raw, uncompromising & deserves to be played loud. Do it. NOW!"
=10. White Hills - No Game to Play
(Words by Ian McGlynn) "Before I bought this LP, the only other White Hills album I had was the s/t from 2010. I loved it! So when I heard they were releasing their debut 'No Game to Play' on vinyl, I jumped at the chance. It was a surprise to me that Dave W Recorded this album by himself before Ego Sensation came on board. The album starts off with what sounds like an Arab boy belting out a chant which eases nicely into a wonderful baseline that continues throughout the song. Dave layers the rest of the song with a repetitive chorus and fuzzed up guitars. The end melts effortlessly into the second song 'Above All' and straight into the epic 8 minutes spaced out synch soundscape of 'They've got Blood Like You've got Blood'. It picks up the pace again with 'coming For You' like a rocket being cast into orbit! The following couple of songs give a sense of being in outer space drifting into the unknown. This album sounds very much like a soundtrack to a film I'd very much like to watch!"
Well, there ya go...a damn fine list by some damn fine people. Many thanks to all those who penned some loving words....and thanks to all Psych Lovers out there :-)
1. The Heads - Burning Up With...
(Words by Dai Croll) "In April 2015, The Heads were chosen as 'Artist In Residence' for the 20th incarnation of Roadburn Festival in Tilburg, NL. They played two sets over the weekend, the culmination on the main stage on the Saturday night was recorded for posterity & released as 'Burning Up With...' 11 tracks in just over 60 minutes split over 4 sides of delicious pink or green wax capture the Heads at their primal, pummelling best. More fuzzed out rawk than psychedelic freakout but that's certainly not a bad thing in this case. If you only get one live album this year, make sure you get this one. You won't be disappointed I promise you. Burning Up With The Heads, come, feel the fire..."
2. The Band Whose Name Is A Symbol - 3xLP Box Set
(Words by Iain Wiltshire) "When a small label such as Cardinal Fuzz decides to put out a box set by any band its labour of love. When that band is relatively unknown in their home country then it becomes something so much more. The Canadian collective known as The Band Whose Name Is Symbol are a band who specialise in a kind of free form krautrock, their sound is dedicate to groove and improv and an appetite to capture the moment. The three albums contained within this box set are selected from the bands enviable back catalogue and showcase all the elements that back this band so damn good. In a world full of needless reissues and repackages it is refreshing to see that only the underground knows how treat the underground."
3. Dreamtime - S/T
(words by Iain Wiltshire) "With the psych community currently swooning over the new Dreamtime album, it’s worth reminding ourselves of this year’s reissue of their first album. The album sets out its stall early from the off with speeding guitars reminiscent of Dick Dale before easing its way into four and half minutes of chaotic psych groove. From here on, every track seems to do the same thing and that is the unexpected. ‘Slag’ is full of dreamy female vocals, guitar burnouts and a slow groove that is to die for, ‘Gympie’ hits a bit harder with a meandering guitars and its hypnotic duel male/female vocal. Dreamtime prove that they are willing to push their sound with ever the morphing ‘Robe’ before closing with the nine minute psych epic that is ‘Eve pt 1 &2’. A brilliant and accomplished first album."
=4. Shooting Guns - Born to Deal in Magic
(Words by Ian McGlynn) ": For people like me who are relatively new to the whole psychedelic scene, it gives me a chance to delve into Shooting Guns earlier works and see how they have developed as a band. Like a lot of instrumental bands the songs are often improvised. Not with this band! It is very measured in its song structure. For example in the opening track "Harmonic Stepphenwolf" the song starts off with a guitar riff and continues throughout. It builds with intermittent layering of sound effects, be it with additional guitars, synch loop effects or a change of pace etc. Shooting guns have mastered this technique to perfection throughout. Each song crafted entirely differently which gives for a complete album. This is one of those albums where you will find yourself nodding your head, foot tapping or like me, both!"
=4 The Band Whose Name Is A Symbol - Live at Dominion Tavern
(words by Brian Dennis) "TBWNIAS, Is not just a band you either love or hate but a band that, i reckon ... Everybody would find at least one track off of any album that you REALLY like. Its that simple.... Live @ The Dominion is a relative compendium of tracks, mostly from the Scrappy Little Jaw album. This is in itself is a bonus. The album captures very well what TBWNIAS is about. An Improv, Psych Rock band thickly laced with Jazz and everything in between, with so much Energy and Volume its scary. John Westhaver is like a Psychedelic Wizard, conjeuring up magical tunes from formulas that really shouldn't in theary work. Thundering Bass and Drums, interwoven with riffage from Johns nimble fingerwork, layered with Harmonicas,Violins and anything else that is added to the recipe. Its like a musical gumbo. As a live album the production is faultless. I'm not a huge fan of the live album but i found myself being dragged in, down to the front and jumping with the best. I was really there man..... It really is that powerful. TBWNIAS really are an eccentric lot. A Multicoloured, Patchwork Bag and within, a different flavour at every dip....You just can't help smiling when listening to this band. ... Whether you like it or not, simply because it is just so hard to define and you can't really get a grasp of what you have heard, what you are listening to or what you are getting next ... These guys are special. Absolutely bonkers. I love em'"
=6. Cosmic Dead - Inner Sanctum
(Words by Sean Gibbins) "The first song, Gustav Björnstrand stomps off with the bass and drums setting a brisk pace while distorted echoey guitars satutrate the listener, initially standing out as the most structured tune on the album, but eventually breaking down into its component parts, thereby setting the scene for the roughly ordered chaos that follows. With the second number, The Mass of Betelguese, you’re no longer storming through the void so much as swirling around in it, tossed by howling guitars and buffeted by slow, lumbering bass lines, the jam-based origins of The Cosmic Deads songs very much in evidence here. Like all good psychedelic sounds this album really has the power to lock your body into the groove while sending your mind elsewhere, and this is best demonstrated by the title track’s insistent Krautrocking vibe; if there's a high point of the album, Inner Sanctum is probably it. Finally, Hello SATAN drops the pace, initially picking out a cautious path which gradually becomes more and more intense and intimidating as you progress along it, only for it to fade out, gently depositing the listener back in reality!"
=6. V/A - Magnetic North
(Words by Laurence Blackwell) "This four track compilation from Brightons Drone Rock Records is the labels 5th release a gem amounst many gems on the label. The first thing that strikes you is the cover art a flame orange and blue sun created by Neil Whitehead from Vert:X who's bands track Drill is the first of four very different slices of physch, the other three tracks being Lupine Wavelength by Dead Sea Apes, Transportation Ventures by Blown Out and Mountain King Blues by Earthling Society. Adam Harmsworth at Drone Rock Records has done a great job in putting together a very good album, each track being different enough from the next that gives a good insight to a few current psych scene favorites."
8. Dreamtime - Sun
(Words by Denise Arkley) "Repressed by Cardinal Fuzz and Captcha, Dreamtime’s second album takes off with Centre of Mind. Gentle guitar, laid back bass and drums mislead you down paths you don’t expect. Whimsical guitar plays throughs, lifts you high, then drops you. I’m happy to fall. A good start to the journey. Baphomet lulls with rippling water and hypnotic percussion before relentless drums and frenzied guitar pin you down before releasing you, spent, on your way. If Baphomet was the delirium of the night before, The Road is the clarity of the next day, of lessons learned. Cat’s vocals meld into the guitars lifting you with her. Their version of Blue Phantom’s Equivalence feels like a palate cleanser. A chance to take stock and prepare for what’s to come. The title track Sun keeps you guessing; you think it’s over then another wave lifts you up to crash you down heavier and deeper. Brujeria feels like the soundtrack to a film set in red deserts and scorching sun. The Art of Invisibility finishes the album with guitars circling while bass and drums keep it together til it explodes into heavy riffs, sometimes reminiscent of Sweden’s Baby Grandmothers. This album speaks to me of heat, of space, of scorched land, of Sun."
=10. The Heads - Enten Eller
(Words by Dai Croll) "So, this year finally saw the 2012 cdr only release of Enten Eller get the vinyl treatment it so richly deserves. Originally recorded over 2 sessions at the 'Circle In The Square' in 2005 & 2010, this release captures The Heads at their abrasive best. Side 1 consists of Either (Parts I- IV), relatively short, visceral stabs of pounding fuzz laden goodness that draw you in, chew you up & spit you out before you really know what's going on. Side 2 (Or) is a full on 20 minute psychedelic noise freak out that is as brutal as it is long & surely must have been aural ecstacy for the 3 lucky souls that got to witness it first hand. This isn't easy listening background music. It's raw, uncompromising & deserves to be played loud. Do it. NOW!"
=10. White Hills - No Game to Play
(Words by Ian McGlynn) "Before I bought this LP, the only other White Hills album I had was the s/t from 2010. I loved it! So when I heard they were releasing their debut 'No Game to Play' on vinyl, I jumped at the chance. It was a surprise to me that Dave W Recorded this album by himself before Ego Sensation came on board. The album starts off with what sounds like an Arab boy belting out a chant which eases nicely into a wonderful baseline that continues throughout the song. Dave layers the rest of the song with a repetitive chorus and fuzzed up guitars. The end melts effortlessly into the second song 'Above All' and straight into the epic 8 minutes spaced out synch soundscape of 'They've got Blood Like You've got Blood'. It picks up the pace again with 'coming For You' like a rocket being cast into orbit! The following couple of songs give a sense of being in outer space drifting into the unknown. This album sounds very much like a soundtrack to a film I'd very much like to watch!"
Well, there ya go...a damn fine list by some damn fine people. Many thanks to all those who penned some loving words....and thanks to all Psych Lovers out there :-)
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