The College Crowd Digs Me

"Conception" - Frantic (1970 )      How can you not love the psychotic yellow-pink artwork that screams, "THEY'RE COMING TO GET YOU, BARBARA!"   Awesome.  Without ever listening to it, I knew the Frantic album "Conception" was a square I wanted to own just for the jacket alone.  Fortunately, the music inside is good.  It doesn't reach that intensely mad level the artwork implies, but it does satisfy the palate.  The songs are mostly heavy blues-rock, garagey in nature, with a churn of biker-psych blended into the butter.  Frantic doesn't move the needle too far from the decade they're leaving behind, but it's not boring.        "Conception" contains quite a few covers, but they are performed in the band's own style, with a couple of songs kissing outstanding.  The originals are fine, as well, but don't really push things forward.  I like it.  The album is good for what it is, if not strong en...

"Neil's Heavy Concept Album" - Neil (1984 )      I picked up this album because I remember the guy on the cover from watching episodes of the TV sitcom,  "The Young Ones."   It was a BBC thing that offered up that quirky British jocularity that I enjoy.  Neil ( Nigel Planer ) played the slump-shouldered hippie in the show, living his peaceful, sad "it is what it is" life, sharing a flat with three other roomies in the 80s.  It was an entertaining giggle, for sure.      Both the front and back cover hint at a Satanic Majesties and Sgt Pepper psychedelic experience.  And that's exactly what it delivers.  There is some spoken nattering in between some of the songs and comedic moments, as one might expect, but the songs contained within are excellent.  Mostly faithful psychedelic covers of Pink Floyd , Caravan , Tomorrow , Donovan , Traffic, along with originals that echo early Sabbath and late Beatles .  All of the...

"On The Frontier" - Shoot (1973)      I don't know what I expected when I dropped the needle on this blind-buy puppy, but it was a wonderful surprise.   "On The Frontier" has   moments of psychedelic dustings and light coatings of prog pushing things around.  West Coast harmonies and splashes of Mellotron and sitar join the party.  In the ballpark of Pink Floyd and Atlanta Rhythm Section knocking boots.  But only a little bit and then, not really.  Hard to nail down, but it all sounds good.  The songs have an amalgam of melodious ideas that, for 1973, should have made a dent.  The square could have been a mic drop.         Instead,  Shoot  and their only album,  "On The Frontier,"  simply died on the vine.  Recorded at Apple Studio, the band was formed by Jim McCarty , who was an original member of both The Yardbirds and Renaissance .  He had members of Manfred Mann , Sof...

"IV" - Mahogany Rush (1976 )      I dig me some Frank Marino .  Always have.  And Mahogany Rush "IV" is another album that hits the sweet spot.  The square is front to back.  It opens with a psych blues-rocker…and closes with a bit of spacey prog dust goodness.  In between are blistering funk rockers.  Great riffage.  Solid vocals.  All original jams.  This Canadian trio is a firestarter.  Sometimes, ya just need to break away and go hammer nails in planks.  Mahogany Rush is what fuels this fool.  Whaddayagonnado?  Mahogany Rush "IV" is a banger. "IV" - Mahogany Rush (back) Favorites include: "I'm Going Away" "Dragonfly" "The Answer"      I already had a used copy, but the vinyl was a bit rough.  This one that I rescued on the cheap has a clean white label promo pressed at the Columbia plant in Terre Haute and sounds fantastic.  Unfortunately, the front cover has one of those ugl...

"In Frustration I Hear Singing" - Mephistopheles (1969)       Mephistopheles was a blind buy.  I'd seen it shown in the vinyl community, but I couldn't remember what cred it had or what was said about it.  I based my purchase solely on the trippy front cover and the fish-eye photo on the back.  I'm a sucker for the fish-eye.  It had a $13 price tag, it looked clean, and I didn't know when I would ever see another in the wild.  So I went ahead and pulled the trigger.       "In Frustration I Hear Singing" was Mephistopheles' only album, and after spinning it a couple of times, I knew I didn't love it.  However, I did enjoy a few of the songs.  Side one was definitely the better play for me.  Mainly because the album just can't seem to find the sweet spot.  First, the band has multiple lead singers, none really taking it to the house.  Second, the tempos and attitudes are all over the map.  Third, altho...

"Escape From Domination" - Moon Martin (1979 )      "Escape From Domination" can be found in most record shop bargain bins for a buck or two, definitely less than a fiver, and it's a great one to pick up.  The music is early new wave billy-pop with coatings of light synth sprinkled about.  As for Moon Martin and his band, they click and bank right down to the minute.        The lyrics bounce with a rockin' gait, and one almost doesn't notice that many of the songs have a darker quotient.  It's a fun spin from needle drop to label with more hooks than a Saturday morning bait shop.  It's a neglected power-pop gem that offers more than a little bang for your buck.  Not talked about much, but whenever it's time for me to do a little purging…I don't get rid of it. "Escape From Domination" - Moon Martin (back) "Escape From Domination" - Moon Martin (lyric sleeve front and back) Favorites include: "I've Got a Re...