TCCDM Pulls One Out..."The Baroques" - The Baroques (1967)

"The Baroques" - The Baroques (1967)

     In 1967, The Baroques were walking their walk, bringing some early psychedelic desserts to an underground hookah house somewhere, I'm sure.  Not a lot of bells and whistles, but their self-titled album has its moments.  The square has a folky-garage-pop delivery that falls right in my wheelhouse.  The album has a few fuzz-bomb jammers.  There are a few atmospheric janglers with vocals that invoke a hint of the Brummels.  And there are a couple of songs a bit off-center, as one might expect, but even those arrive at a good place.  One of the earlier psych albums to be released, and a grower in the best of ways.   

     Not nearly as baroque as their name suggests, but the album does cross off a few Ts.  And the songwriting is especially good.  The album is often described as dark, and its cover suggests that, but that doesn't quite capture its essence.  However, an atmospheric vibe does float throughout the square.  It's not heavy, but it's there.  And I like it when my head feels it.  You can find them mentioned in The Acid Archives, and the album has become a highly sought-after psych record.  A nice complement to any psych collector's shelf.

"The Baroques" - The Baroques (back)

Favorites include:
"Iowa, A Girl's Name"
"Musical Tribute To The Oscar Mayer Weiner Wagon"
"Mary Jane"
"Bicycle"

     My copy is an original mono pressing that still has a nice shine.  It does have a very light scratch on side one, but you can't feel it.  The vinyl sounds clean and plays a strong VG+.  The white part of the cover had heavy black scuffs all over the top, but I used a simple grade-school eraser, and it cleaned up rather nicely.  After a good cleaning, the cover really pops.

     There is a small punch hole at the top-left.  The cover has "mono" on the front bottom, "stereo" on the back top.  Apparently, some mono copies came in stereo sleeves.  The vinyl was pressed on the blue gradient Chess label, which was better known for recording Chicago blues and R&B artists.  And this ain't that!  The Baroque's self-titled offering is considered the first psychedelic square from the Midwest region...Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for those taking notes...so wave over your hookah attendant and enjoy a spin. 

"The Baroques" - The Baroques (sleeve)

Chess label

Cat #
LP 1516
SIDE A  DEADWAX
U4RM-5937-1D  S-1  15364  LP-1516  ⴴ
SIDE B  DEADWAX
U4RM-5938-1F  S-2  LP-1516  15635  ⴴ

"Iowa, A Girl's Name" - The Baroques / "The Baroques" (1967)

TRACKS:
A1  "Iowa, A Girl's Name" 2:45
A2  "Seasons" 3:00
A3  "Mary Jane" 2:45
A4  "Rose Colored Glasses" 2:40
A5  "Musical Tribute To The Oscar Mayer Weiner Wagon" 3:35
A6  "In Silver Light" 2:07
B1  "This Song Needs No Introduction" 3:00
B2  "There's Nothing Left To Do But Cry" 2:55
B3  "Bicycle" 2:25
B4  "Purple Day" 2:45
B5  "Boop" 1:45
B6  "Love In A Circle" 2:30

PERSONNEL: 
Jay Borkenhagen - lead vocals, guitar, piano,harpsichord
Jacques Hutchinson - vocals, guitar
Rick Bieniewski - bass
Dean Nimmer - drums

Good stuff.

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