TCCDM Pulls One Out..."Saint Steven" - Saint Steven (1969)

"Saint Steven" - Saint Steven (1969)

Saint Steven's self-titled debut is a mixture of hard psych rock and softer folk-psych trippage.  Sound effects, animal noises, and snippets from a political convention all permeate.  It all sounds like it might be a fustercluck, but it somehow works.  The album appears to be a concept of some kind, and it may be.  It doesn't really matter.  The spin is a cool journey of mysteries and psych delights.  The album has plenty of replay value and is unlike anything I can compare it to.  This is not a 5-star square.  This is not Morgen, which shares the same label.  But Saint Steven is not just flipping fries here, either.  The listen is time well-spent.  

There is surprisingly little known about Saint Steven.  We know that Saint Steven is guitarist and singer/songwriter Steve Cataldo who later went on to form one of Boston's first punk/new wave bands...Nervous Eaters.  If more details are up there in the cloud pool, I'll have to leave the high-diving for you.  (On a side note: You can follow the Nervous Eaters on Face.) 

"Saint Steven" (back)

Favorites include..."Bastich I"...an atmospheric gloom that slides into some frantic guitar psych crankage.  The Doors-like float-adelic "Bright Lights" and the psych-pop guitar-driven "Gladacadova" are both tasty.

I had the Saint Steven album on my watchlist for several months before pulling the trigger way back in February.  I was looking for a vg+ copy or better that was kissing $30 or at least rubbing shoulders near that number.  I finally snagged one for $34 shipped on a Make An Offer eBay transaction.  Still a lot of money for my billfold.  I seldom find goodies like this in the wild.  The front cover artwork on this gatefold looks like...hope.  The back cover...despair.  The inside cover is a crossroads.  My interpretation, anyway.  YMMV.  Take one down and pass it around.  A cool psych album to add to the collection.

"Saint Steven" (inside gatefold)

Probe/abc label

Cat #
CPLP-4506 / CPLP-4506S
SIDE A  DEADWAX
CPLP  4506 A  2-LW  ⌐ ᓬ  SS  LH
SIDE B  DEADWAX
CPLP  4506 B  2-LW  ⌐ ᓬ  SS  LH

"Bastich I" - Saint Steven / "Saint Steven" (1969)

TRACKS:
Over The Hills
A1  "Over The Hills" 0:40
A2  "Animal Hall" 2:50
A3  "Gladacadova" 2:12
A4  "Poor Small" 2:41
A5  "Ay-Aye-Poe-Day" 3:25
A6  "Grey Skies" 2:51
A7  "Over the Hills" 1:00
The Bastich
B1  "Bastich I" 3:10
B2  "Voyage To Cleveland" 2:50
B3  "Sun In The Flame" 2:30
B4  "Bright Lights" 1:00
B5  "Louisiana Home" 2:51
B6  "Bastich II" 1:05

PERSONNEL:
Saint Steven (Steve Cataldo) - vocals, guitars, sound effects
ADDITIONAL:
Maybe?

Good stuff.

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