The College Crowd Digs Me

"Song Of A Gypsy" - Damon  (1968 - Rei 2023)   Original copies of Damon's... "Song Of A Gypsy" are a haystack needle to find and will set your credit card aflame if you ever do.  This psych square got a favorable write-up in The Acid Archives but I recommend you temper expectations a bit before taking the plunge.  Don't get me wrong.  I've had " Song Of A Gypsy"  spinning on my table beaucoup, but it took a couple of laps before I completely fell in.  If the first listen doesn't grab you right off...let the needle have its day.  There's more than meets the eye. Damon (David Del Conte) , from Rochester, New York, has an unusual lysergic modus operandi that just feels…different.  His vocals are almost stoner-crooner with tasty acid fuzz guitar from  Charlie Carey  to push things forward.  The square has the hint of an Arabian mood map.  A little jasmine incense, a bubbling lava lamp to catch the shadows and then drop into ...

"Kapt. Kopter And The (Fabulous) Twirly Birds" - Randy California (1972) "Kapt. Kopter..." is a really good album to snag from the used bins should you come across it.  I don't see this one around as much as I used to, but it usually buzzes around the $10 mark when I do.  And that's a steal.  It rocks hard and has some stone psych spankage to please fans.  The square doesn't sound like Hendrix, but it certainly has that kind of vibe.  Noel Redding is on this.  Ed Cassidy , too.  There are rumors Mitch Mitchell dropped in for a spot of tea, as well, but I couldn't find anything definitive.  But how cool would that have been?   The kicker is Randy was only 22 years old with four Spirit albums already under his belt when he recorded "Kapt. Kopter..."   Let that sink in a minute.  Randy had made 4 classic albums before I had the chance to pour my second bowl of cereal.  Amazing!  And this one is a fun spin to drop....

"Wow" - Moby Grape (1968 )      "Wow" was Moby Grape's second album and though I didn't find it as strong as their debut, it's pretty good.  The good stuff is really good. The mellower hippie stuff is nicely psych-dusted and trippy in places.  There is a killer funked-up hard rocker and a couple of West Coast vibe-ish tracks that are very cool.  And, as you would expect, the vocals and playing are top-notch.  Unfortunately, there are also a couple of wankers on the square that pulled me right out of my dream.   The worst offender is the interruption by Skip Spence informing the listener to get up and change the turntable speed to 78 in order to listen to the next song...an old-style number the band mixed at a different speed.  Skip makes another silly appearance on a much better song but with an unnecessary duck voice.  This probably all sounded like a good idea on paper and reefer, but the two songs go over like snails on salt....

"Fear Of The Dawn" - Jack White (2022) Drop the needle on this square and hear the downpour of guitar bees swarming out of the speakers like an industrial rush.  And some mad bass determined to get in its two cents.  Trippy synth fills in the gaps along with plenty of Jack White's trademark shenanigans.  Speed ups, slowdowns, electronic flips, and twists. A splatter of psych.  Unexpected louies and ducks and swerves and dodges.  Just a blender of blues rock and funk run amok. "Fear Of The Dawn" ...White's 4th solo album is surprising and strange like a freakazoid communion.  But is it any good?  There are some days when my brain feels like the whole world is trying to take a monster crap in my driveway near the mailbox.…but after cranking this monster montage, I feel almost baptized.  Clean, refreshed, and ready to grab some West Virginia pepperoni rolls.  But that's just me.  Enter At Your Own Risk. "Fear Of The Dawn" - Jack Whi...

"Cherry People" - Cherry People (1968) From Washington, D.C., Cherry People  travel mostly in the garagey sunshine-pop lane stopping for an occasional dip in the light psych pond.  On their self-titled square, the musicianship is good and the upper-register vocals give many of the songs a heady vibe.  The occasional arrangements of horns and strings are tastefully utilized and not overdone.  The two psych tracks are light and similar to what The Monkees would sometimes offer up on their later albums.  The album was not exactly what I was hoping for.  The cover suggests much more psych than it actually delivers, but it's pretty good for what it is. "Cherry People" - Cherry People (back) "Cherry People" - Cherry People (inside gatefold) Favorites include: "I'm the One Who Loves You" "Mr. Hyde" "And Suddenly" The album gatefold cover is textured with embossed letters and faces, and the packaging looks nicely put togeth...