The College Crowd Digs Me

"Think Pink" - Twink (1970 - Rei 2020) "Think Pink" is the debut album by Twink and is a UK stoner-psych square that is fuzzy, spacey, and trippy.   Twink  was the pseudonym for psych drummer  John Alder .  Alder had played with many psych bands like The Pretty Things and Tomorrow  and others in the late 60s, the early 70s.  And some of these musicians from the psych community sit in on this album.  It's all a heady-cool mix. The music has a "let's get high, go in the studio and mess with some heads" vibe all through it.  However, the musicianship is really top-notch and the ideas never overstay their welcome.  I don't hear too much about this album, but I really like it.  It hits the spot.  Quenches the psych thirst, for sure. "Think Pink" - Twink (back) Favorites include the solid psych gem... " Ten Thousand Words in a Cardboard Box.”   The groovy stone-rocker... "Tiptoe On The Highest Hill."   And the floaty....

(4 For Friday) *   Well, I sure wasn't expecting that!   (( shaking my fist! ))  Good stuff. *   Order 4 free at-home covid test kits from this US Post Office site .  Only takes about 30 seconds and is absolutely easy-peasy.  Seems like a no-brainer. *   Jack Black's mom is more badass than your mom. *   Save the eye-rolls for later and just sit back and take this all in.  "The Mothman of Point Pleasant" (2017)... a strange, well-done documentary about flying man-monsters, Men-in-Black, and the curse. (free Youtube) "Oh My" - UFO / "Phenomenon" (1974) Good stuff. Casey Chambers Follow Me On FACEBOOK

"Beware The Shadow" - Help Yourself (1972) I try to avoid band comparisons in my descriptions for fear I might taint your listening experience...but for a band hailing from the streets of London... Help Yourself ...has an amazing grasp of the California hippie wonderwheel. The album "Beware The Shadow" has a rural rock vibe that flirts occasionally with a bit of the psych dust.  Not heavy psych, but the scent is definitely in the air.  Songs are easy to warm to and      sometimes stretch into a nice heady jam.  To put your mind in the musical ballpark, imagine a mix of Quicksilver and the trippy period of New Riders and you'll find your way home from there. "Beware The Shadow" was the band's 2nd or 3rd album depending on the source, but all received high marks.  I don't think their albums sold very well in the States, I rarely see any in the wild.  But Help Yourself ...would be right at home at any West Coast jam session.  Of the two album...

  "Psychedelic Visions" - The Underground (1967) This is definitely an exploitation album.  An album trying to make a quick money grab in the psychedelic market.  A lot of record companies were doing it.  This one, however, is one of the better offerings and is a pretty good spin as cash-ins go.  And for this reason, “Psychedelic Visions” has become a bit of a sought-after square.   “Psychedelic Visions”  is a mix of good and very good early garage-psych rock with only a couple of uninspired lesser tracks not on the same level.  Lots of really good fuzz, drumming, and organ.  The Underground was made up of session musicians and probably whoever else was hanging around the studio.  Not much is known, but they're good players.  I imagine the label had some free hours open, so they knocked out some songs and then quickly moved on to other projects.  That's pretty much how the money-grab worked.  Fast and furious....

 (4 For Friday) *   Smooth as smooth.   Like skating on ice.  Now get your ass back in the car! *  Take a look and listen to  "Moain' In The Moonlight" - Howlin' Wolf (1959) over at Shitty Turntable, Awesome Records. *  Here are 39 awesome...things .  And yeah, I believe more than a few rub shoulders with the "A" word. *   Ask A Mortician gives us the wonderfully informative REAL story about iconic legend   Gram Parsons (and his botched Joshua Tree cremation.)   You're gonna wanna see this. "The Magic Tree" - Steve Forbert / "The Magic Tree" (2018) Good stuff. Casey Chambers Follow Me On FACEBOOK  

When Will There Be Good News?  by Kate Atkinson (2008) Hardcover, 348 pages NO SPOILERS: This is the third book in Kate Atkinson's ...detective Jackson Brodie series .  And like her previous two, the author loves weaving and winding backstories that seem almost random, but somehow fit together when you hit the homestretch.  This is a crime fiction tale with some intriguing pieces of mystery and a lot of characters to keep straight.  Many seem to have little connection with each other and I have to admit, I was a little bit confused.  It's only as I approached the homestretch that pieces began to fit together.  It's not a bad read, but I couldn't help thinking while turning pages, the author was just writing to be clever.  Maybe too clever.  There are a few Louies and twists to keep you off-balance, and Kate Atkinson definitely has a very unique way of managing the seemingly unmanageable.  But the story takes off pretty slow and it never quite...

"Runt" - Runt (1970) I didn't know that "Runt" was an alias for  Todd Rundgren's first solo album.  I always thought the album was some offshoot of Nazz.  But yes, this was really Todd's debut album and it's very good.  Catchy, trippy, sweet, and fearless.  Very much a prelude to his magnus... "Something/Anything." (1972)  The album is a pastiche of music filled with pop-psych, rockers, ballads, soul, and slices of avant-garde much like "S/A" ...but trimmed to a more manageable head-spin.  So it never gets overwhelming or boring.    "Runt" is a fantastic first album for anyone and I'm not the biggest TR fan by any means.  This is a keeper and the perfect place to catch the bus on Rundgren's lengthy discography. "Runt" (back) Favorites include "Baby Let's Swing / The Last Thing You Said / Don't Tie My Hands."   The Beefheart flavored... "I'm In The Clique" is a he...

  (4 For Friday) *   Have you watched the Let It Be documentary?  If so, this will be the best 58 seconds of your day . *   No more worries. Here's how to  stop Amazon Alexa from purchasing  something by accident.  Now go play Jeopardy in peace. *   Sometimes you get to see a little  crack in the matrix . *   Always fun.  This time Vinyl Richie shows his Top Ten albums from 1970 .  Is there a glaring omission somewhere?  Yes? No?  It's all good. "Slark" - Stackridge / "Stackridge" (1971) Good stuff. Casey Chambers Follow Me On FACEBOOK

(a short jaunt) "Almost Cut My Hair" - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young / "Déjà Vu" (1970) "I could've said it was in my way But I didn't and I wonder why I feel like letting my freak flag fly. " Let the beautiful stinging and heady guitar licks corral any misgivings you might have that Crosby's hippie declaration is anything less than an... "if you don't like our kind, you can kiss our ass."   Because the song has always been about more than strands of long hair.  This was the bands' second album, the first to feature Neil Young.  And this square grabbed the #148 spot on RS's list of the 500 greatest albums.  Nicely packaged album, as well. "29 Palms" - Robert Plant / "Fate of Nations" (1993) "A fool in love A crazy situation Her velvet glove Knocks me down and down and down and down." The song has almost a time machine effect on me.  Makes me want to roll down my windows and trance into th...

"Josefus" - Josefus (1970 - Rei 2016) Tasty acid rock from the little ol' state of Texas.  Not as psych as I'd hoped, but dusted a bit just the same and entertaining nonetheless.  This self-titled "Josefus" square was the band's 2nd album and it's a pretty solid offering.  Yeah, there are a couple of slipups on this square, but it's mostly an entertaining spin.  I liked it.     Josefus' first album... "Dead Man" (1970) on Hookah Records is considered by many to be the band's best one.  Stronger material.  More psych-driven.  And that's not surprising.  Mainstream took over the band that same year and demanded they record another album before the year rang.  And six months later, they released "Josefus."   A few of the songs sound like they might've benefitted by being baked a little while longer, but the music still tastes pretty dang good.  Sadly, it would be the band's last album from this period. ...

(4 For Friday) *  Tossing fried rice has now become an amazing technique of art .  You're gonna wanna see this. *   Paul McCartney - "The Lyrics"  (2021) according to Bloggerhythms . *   Underage kids surviving on the streets of Seattle. Plus two songs by Tom Waits .  A fascinating and sad documentary,  "Streetwise." (1984)   "...these kids were so starving for attention and affection, that by offering both, the filmmakers were able to get whatever they wanted."   ~Roger Ebert. (4 stars)          *   Winter stream freezes and then completely disappears  right before your eyes.  Mother Nature, yo!  "Long Gone Long" - The Rainmakers / "The Rainmakers" (1986) Good stuff. Casey Chambers Follow Me On FACEBOO K

"Pampered Menial" / Pavlov's Dog (1975) (prog rock) Pavlov's Dog was a prog band out of St. Louis, Missouri and their debut album "Pampered Menial" is a prog album, I suppose.  But there's an AOR presence here, as well.  It's tough to label.  Prog is such a slippery matza ball anyway.  It's like ordering eggs for breakfast.  There's a lot of different ways to have them served.  Everyone has their own...specifics.  Me, I generally gravitate toward prog with a more psych-dusted...trippier edge and closer to the late 60s.  Closer to the egg, if you will.  Still, "Pampered Menial" is pretty good for what it is.  It definitely has a unique sound.  I'm gonna have to spin it a few more times to see if this becomes a grower before deciding to pass it forward. The lead singer,  David Surkamp , has an obvious "Geddy Lee" bend, but with a more feminine timbre.  Hate it or love it...it's amazing.  There are gentle piano,...

"Puff" - Puff (1968) It was the last day for me to use my 15% discount and all the really good stuff looked like they had been pulled from the used record bins. Disappointed and in a hurry, I came across Puff's self-titled square for $10.  Band...unknown.  Album...never seen.  I was hoping it might be some early psych and that's exactly what it is.  Pop-psych with a couple of fuzzy psych breaks and a few floaty tracks to mix it up.  A little flute here and there, as well.  All really good and with enough trippy goodness to please the psych pallet.  From front to back, Puff was a surprisingly solid spin.  The songwriting is top-notch, too.  Clever and catchy, with each song bringing something a little more than you first expect. Before Puff ...the band was known as The Rockin' Ramrods , a more garagey, almost proto-punk band out of Boston and, along with other Boston bands like The Remains and The Barbarians, were quite popular.  Here...