TCCDM Pulls One Out..."Emerge" - The Litter (1969 - Rei 2014)

"Emerge" / The Litter (1969 - Rei 2014)

I've played this a bunch since cracking it open last week.  There are dustings of psych here and there, but this is one of the early golden nuggets that foreshadows the 70s hard rock poundage to come.  Proto-aggressive, and yet beautifully precise.  The guitars fuzz and burn in satisfying measure and sound fresh.  Even when the band chills down, like on "Breakfast At Gardenson's" or the jazz-bent "Silly People," the songs never drag or lose focus.  The lyrics are interesting and the frontman vocals are just fine.  Not great, but they do no harm.  From needle drop to matrix, "Emerge"...is a tasty spin.  And when I need a bit of a hit, this is a nice one to light up.

"Emerge" / The Litter (back)

Of the 9 songs included on this reissue, two are covers.  Buffalo Springfield's..."For What It's Worth" and Love's..."Little Red Book."  They didn't outdo the originals, but they do give the songs their own unique flavor.  I enjoyed both.  The last song on the album is a bonus track and has a more garage-punk sound.  Favorites include the 12-minute "Future Of The Past."  The song has a wonderful psych-driven portent vibe and is so good.  The jazz-dusted "Silly People" is choice-prime.  And "Blue Ice" is a nice burner.

I don't see this one talked about very much, but it's a nice spin.  My copy is a 2014 reissue on the Purple Pyramid label.  It had an $18 price tag new and had been sitting around forever.  The dealer finally let it go for $14 because of the weird crinkled hype sticker on the front cover. (see below)  That didn't bother me a bit.   The album and cover were just fine.  When I got home, I just cut the sticker out and saved it.  Out of Minneapolis, Minnesota, this was The Litter's third (and final) album.

"Emerge" - The Litter (hype sticker)

"Emerge" / The Litter (inside gatefold)

Purple Pyramid label

Cat #
CLP 1799
SIDE A  MATRIX
CLP 1799 - A  S-90998
SIDE B  MATRIX
CLP 1799 - B  S-90999

"Blue Ice" - The Litter / "Emerge" (1969)

TRACKS:
A1  "Journeys" 2:15
A2  "Feelings" 2:50
A3  "Silly People" 3:30
A4  "Blue Ice" 3:14
A5  "For What It's Worth" 5:18
B1  "Little Red Book" 3:35
B2  "Breakfast At Gardenson's" 3:00
B3  "Future Of The Past" 12:35
B4  "On Our Minds" 2:15

PERSONNEL:
Mark Gallagher - lead and b-vocals 
Ray Melina - lead guitar, acoustic guitar, lead vocals, b-vocals 
Dan Rinaldi - rhythm guitar, b-vocals
J. Worthington Kane - bass, fuzz bass, special effects
Tom Murray - drums, percussion

Good stuff.

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