MACARTHUR (Saginaw, MI)

"MacArthur" 197  (R.P.C. 58932)  [200p; inserts]  
"The Black Forest" 198  (R.P.C., Germany)  [bootleg]  [300p] 

Adventurous sweeping synth prog with guitar bursts featuring Ben MacArthur, very spacy with long tracks and echoed vocals. The LP was issued in a plain cover with 'MacArthur' sticker pasted on, and was only sold at shows. The small press size has been confirmed by the band. The reissue is re-titled.

"MacArthur II" 1982 (Bay Music)  [1000p; lyric sheet]  

This progressive album (with material from 1977-82) is adventurous but ultimately too derivative and uninspired to win out. It opens with an instrumental that resembles the first song on the Third Estate album, then moves to space rock and classically based rock. It commences with an acoustic guitar/piano/synth instrumental that marks them as obsessive ELP wannabes. This is technically well-played, though the synth use is surprisingly unimaginative for a band who use the instrument so heavily. The production is smarmingly AOR; the lead guitar and drums are really annoying in a purely 80s way. As is often the case with do-it-all indie prog artists like this (the much superior Atlantis Philharmonic comes to mind), the singing completely lacks personality. Most of the rhythm guitars here are acoustic; there's a definite attempt to create textures through a variety of instruments, but it's undermined by the way Ben Macarthur thinks speedy playing (on both guitar and keyboards) is both impressive *and* compelling listening. It's the first, but not the second. Without ideas, technical prowess is worthless. [AM]

DOUG MACARTHUR (Canada)

"Letters From The Coast" 197  (no label)
"Letters From The Coast" 1976  (Rut)  [2nd press]

Fragile folkpsych with sitar on one track. It seems the guy had another LP as well.

MACHINGBYRD ( )

"The Road to Forbidden Ecstasy" 1980 (Arro Mountian Records 10001)   

Folk and folkrock with psych moves, acoustic and electric guitars, some synth embellishments.

MACKS CREEK BAND (MO)

"Macks Creek Band" 1980 (MCB)   

Midwestern 1970s-style rock with a Southern feel.

MAD DOG (Los Angeles, CA)

"Mad Dog" 1969 (no label)  [no sleeve; test press]  
"C1 C2" 2000 (Shadoks 031, Germany)
"Dawn Of The Seventh Sun" 2003 (RD 12, Switzerland)  [insert]

Here's another fine mess from the private press zone. After releasing the "Chocolate Moose" LP members of the Zoo moved on to the Mad Dog project, which was recorded at a Hollywood Studio in 1969. A few test pressings were made, but nothing else came from this. Thirty years later one of the test pressings turns up, with no details available, and is reissued as "C1 C2" as this matrix # was the only info contained on the record. A few years on, RD decides to reissue the Mad Dog test press, and in the process discovers that this is identical to what had come out as "C1 C2" on Shadoks. The main difference is that the RD release is legit and master tape-sourced and has the original sides reversed. To add to the confusion, the band was also known as Joyful Noise at one point. The actual music is good late 60s Bay Area-style guitar psych/rock, like a Fillmore support band. Three of the songs were used in the low-budget biker flick "The Black Angels". [PL]
~~~
see -> Zoo

MAD DOG (Bay City, MI)

"617" 1977 (Fish Head fh-7701)  

This is a weird minimalist hard rock album. The cover is a b/w drawing of an outer space scene with a bunch of headless naked female bodies, and the record is just as stark and mysterious. Though the cover says the songs were recorded between 1974 and 1976 the music has an early punk rock feel with thick distortion on the rhythm guitars and no apparent instrumental overdubs. The drumming is frantic but the songs are of medium speed. This is a curiosity because it's completely bleak, it sounds like nothing else and appears to have no specific influences, with one unfortunate exception. The ghost of Michigan's past rears its ugly head with the annoying throaty vocal style, a dead ringer for the Frost's Don Hartman, who made his presence known on the horrible live side of Rock And Roll Music. In any case, if it wasn't for all of the singer's growling, this would be pretty interesting stuff. As it is, it's supremely annoying. [AM]

MAD FABLES (NJ/NY)

"Get Off!" 1977 (Magic 520440)  [blank back cover]  

Eastcoast loose stoner outlaw jams in Grateful Dead style, housed in weird cartoon cover. Most of the album was recorded in Bloomfield, NJ in a three day session.

MADHOUSE ( )

"Serve 'Em" 1972 (Today tlp-1010)  

Here's a cool soul/funk LP for people who are tired of their P-Funk albums. There's a strong Sly Stone influence here, but also a bit of Funkadelic-style lead guitar, a very heavy political message, and, on one song, rhythms that sound like Tago Mago/Ege Bamyasi-era Can. This isn't as heavy or "rock" as, say, Purple Image, but it will appeal to psych fans, especially on the two long jams, both of which are quite dark (one is about an overdose, the other about the apocalypse) and have a lot of free form instrumentation. Spacious arrangements highlight some excellent bass playing. A very good album, a sleeper in the genre. Today was a subsidiary of New York label Perception. The cartoon cover shows President Nixon serving the group tea. [AM]

MADRIGAL (New York City, NY)

"Madrigal" 197  (Spyder 136)   

If anything here in the Archives fits the term "underground," it's this. Supposedly only about 50 copies were made and when one of the band members was found he was rude and refused to talk about his album or disclose the whereabouts of his bandmate. The record itself is a basement-sounding recording by two guys with no help from anyone else, and only a tiny bit of overdubbing. One guy plays guitar, one plays theremin, both sing, one of them runs a drum machine. The vocals are heavily reverbed. About half of the songs are random improvisations (including a 12-minute mess called "Stoned Freakout") with unhinged screaming, feedback-laden guitar and other various noises. The other half are pop songs, basically done with just voice, guitar and drum machine. Some of these songs are quite good, and as awful as fake drums can be, something about this primitive machine only adds to the lonely DIY feeling here, making these guys sort of a cross between Suicide, Moolah and Index. The vocals are very good. "Ballad," which is so quiet that you can barely hear the singing, is especially eerie. The closing instrumental is really lame, like the instrumentals on the North County Rock Association album. Obviously, much of this album is boring and/or annoying, but some of it is pretty memorable too. More importantly, it's one of those albums that sounds absolutely like nothing else, which always means that someone out there will fall in love with it. Considering the rarity and $1000 price tag, hopefully it will be reissued so that one person won't go broke trying to find it. [AM]

MAD RIVER (Yellow Springs, OH / Berkeley, CA)

"Mad River" 1968 (Capitol st-2985)  [rainbow label]  
"Mad River" 198  (Capitol)  [bootleg]
"Mad River" 198  (Capitol 038-85-882, Germany)  [altered sleeve]
"Mad River" 1985 (Edsel ed-140, UK)  [inner sleeve]
"Mad River" 199  (CD Edsel 651, UK)
"Mad River / Paradise Bar & Grill" 2001 (CD Collector's Choice 1722)  [2-on-1]

"Paradise Bar and Grill" 1969 (Capitol st-185)  [green label]  
"Paradise Bar and Grill" 198  (Capitol)  [bootleg]
"Paradise Bar and Grill" 1986 (Edsel ed-188, UK)
"Mad River / Paradise Bar & Grill" 2001 (CD Collector's Choice 1722)  [2-on-1]

The debut is fine westcoast guitar psych, while "Paradise Bar and Grill" moves more into an acoustic rural hippie direction. The debut LP recordings were accidentally sped up during the original mastering phase, which means that most releases including the 1968 original actually play at inaccurate speed. The recent 2-on-1 CD reissue corrects this, but many people still prefer the "speed" version. They previously recorded a wonderful EP (1967, Wee) with the standout "Wind Chimes". The EP was bootlegged in the 1980s and comped on the CD "The Berkeley Eps..." (Big Beat, UK 1995). [RM]
~~~
Extraordinary band whose greatness has yet to be fully recognized. Unlike many I prefer the debut LP and its enticing mix of unique vocals, complex moods and angular sounds, as pure psychedelia as anything ever made in the Bay Area. "Paradise" is enjoyable and just as unusual but to me it seems somewhat disjointed in its mix of rural folkrock, bombastic psychrock, spoken poetry, and more. Of course, the 1967 EP may be even better than their LPs. The band formed at Antioch College in Ohio and recorded some demo tapes before leaving for the west coast; these are partly excellent and have not yet been released. [PL]

MAG-AMPLITUDE (OK)

"Mag-Amplitude" 1983 (no label MA-1983-01)  

Strange and primitive LP that has been described as "the Higney of Heavy Rock".

MAGI (IN)   see article/interview

"Win Or Lose" 1976 (no label 6102)  [1000p]   
"Win Or Lose" 1987 (Breeder 560, Austria) 
"Win Or Lose" 199  (CD Flash 51, Italy)
"Win Or Lose" 2005 (CD Radioactive, UK)

Tough hardrock from popular "Michiana" region band with good songs, an admirably tight rhythm section and pretty good vocals. Despite what you may read, there is nothing psychedelic about this; a typical mid-70s Midwestern sound with Aerosmith and Kiss influences. A few guitar jams, one ballad, else more of a concise urban sound with hints of AOR and glamrock, but don't let that scare you. In the right place and time these guys could have been major. One song is about running out of weed. Recorded at Uncle Dirty's in Michigan. Expensive but still slightly underrated LP, to which the unfortunate front cover photo may have contributed. There was also a non-LP 45 track in the same style, and some good unreleased material exists. The band moved to LA in 1978 in an attempt to make it big, but soon fell apart. Bass player Tom Stevens later turned up in 1980s legends the Long Ryders. [PL]

MAGIC ( )

"Magic" 1966 (no label 147606)

No relation to the "Enclosed" band, this is teenbeat with organ.

MAGIC (MI)

"Enclosed" 1969 (Armadillo 8031)  
"Enclosed" 1986 (Hype 02, UK)
"Enclosed" 199  (CD Flash 44, Italy)  [digipak]
"Enclosed" 199  (Gear Fab gf-204)
"Enclosed" 1998 (CD Gear Fab gf-116)  [+8 tracks]

"Enclosed" is mainstreamish hippierock sounds with a westcoast groove and soul/funk moves, reminiscent of a mellow Hendrix and the later-day Bay Area bands -- when it's good, it's on level with Kak, but personally I find the blue-eyed soul Sons Of Champlin-type material tough to swallow. The 12-minute Kak/QMS guitarjammer "Play" has plenty of admirers and rightly so, but overall I'm not as impressed with this LP as others seem to be. Check it out and decide for yourself. Recorded in Florida, where the band was joined by a member of popular band the Birdwatchers. CD has plenty of bonus tracks for all you soulrock fans out there. Their second LP on Rare Earth is generally considered much inferior. [PL]
~~~
This seems to be a love-it-or-hate-it album, with one side of soulful rock songs and one that’s simply an extended guitar solo with bits and pieces of songs appearing at odd moments. Side one is OK, but the long solo is what makes this album essential. The way it’s structured into what isn’t exactly a song gives it a certain kind of intrigue and depth, and the playing is diverse and fascinating... certainly one of the best long guitar solos anywhere. The CD adds a bunch of more mainstream bonus tracks that aren’t very good, marring the listening experience to those who only know it by that reissue. [AM]

MAGIC BUBBLE (Canada)

"Magic Bubble" 1970 (Columbia 90038)  

This album's exceptionally diverse, including stabs at pop, hard rock, blues moves and even what sounds like an attempt at a calypso rhythm. That diversity is simultaneously a strength and a weakness. Rita Rondell has an okay, if less than overwhelming, voice. While she has a bluesy voice that occasionally recalls Maggie Bell, exemplified by tracks such as "I'm Alive" and the ballad "If I Should Ever Love Again" she's largely relegated to handling the group's more pop oriented material. Her best performance happens to be her toughest vocal - "Cry Cry". That leaves brother Frank to handle the more rock-oriented tracks such as "Whiskey Fire", "Changes" and "Circles (Lonely Wind)". Occasionally sounding like a more rock inclined David Clayton Thomas, his performances provide the set's highlights, including one bizarre bluesy cover of George Gershwin's "Summertime". Elsewhere, there's only one real duet between the siblings; the funny "Me & Mr. Hohner". Nice product, though you might think once or twice before shelling out the big bucks for an original copy. The album didn't see an American release.  [SB]
~~~
This is yet another co-ed West-coast styled group with organ, some fuzz guitar and a bluesy feel. And yet again the half of the songs with the male singer are pretty awful. His gruff voice might have worked in some other context, but is horribly out of place here. The songs with the female singer are poppier and catchier, less hard-edged, somewhat soulful, and this really sounds like two different groups. There are two very strong songs, “I’m Alive” and “Cry Cry,” both of which could have been hits. The album ends with yet another version of “Summertime,” which is another minus. Not a very satisfying listen straight through, but it has its moments. The organ player and the rhythm section are pretty solid. At their best Magic Bubble rock convincingly without being the least bit heavy. At their worst they’re forgettable and annoying. Lots of lyrics about drugs (and some paraphernalia on the album cover). Between that and the guy’s style of singing, they seem to be trying really hard to be hip. [AM]

MAGIC FERN (Seattle, WA)

"Magic Fern" 1980 (Picadilly 3386)  

University of Washington band with circa 1966-67 tracks. Pop rock with some psych shadings. Like most Picadilly albums, this was released posthumously without the band's knowledge.

MAGIK (Canada)

"Magik" 1981 (Rayne)   

Progressive hardrock in a primitive cover.

MAGIK DAYZE (OH)

"Magik Dayze" 1978 (no label)  [lyrics]

Hard guitar prog with moog, mellotron and Rush and Mahogany Rush influences. The cover has a paste-on front and handwritten credits on the back. Keyboard wiz Charles Thaxton went on to various projects.

MAGILL & YOUNG ( )

"Take 1" 1969 (Two:Dot)  

Little-known title on the same custom label as Arthur, Hendrickson Road House and the Mystic Zephyrs IV. Basically it's lost in time 60s folkboom sounds with female vocals all through, rudimentary folkrock setting with two guitars and organ. The Baez-inspired lady doth oversingeth quite a bit, which makes for a strange vibe here and there, but may annoy if you're not in the mood. Her theatrics work best on a spooky cover of "Black is the color" with a sparse, Japanese-style arrangement and a Sally Eaton:ish psych feel creeping upon you. There's also a a couple Dylan songs and a heartfelt version of "Wayfaring stranger". Despite the band name the few original songs were written by one Karen Gross. For female folk completists mostly. Cool, primitive "period cover" to both front and back. [PL]

TOM MAHAIRAS (NY)

"Seekers Of The Truth" 1972 (Janco 7256)  [insert]  

Christian fringe-folk/incredibly strange artefact featuring amateur organ/guitar folkrock on one side, and priceless spoken word drug-head salvation stories on the other. Amazing front cover and funny liner notes. A must within the genre. [PL]
~~~
One side of beautiful haunting christian psychedelic folk from former drug user turned preacher. Mahairas' voice and guitar is backed by chamber orchestration similar to that used on the Arthur Lee Harper album. The second side of the LP is spoken word featuring Tom and his wife giving testimony on how they turned from drugs to religion; plenty of talk about drug use and someone who "went insane" on LSD. Might have some appeal to the fans of incredibly strange music. [MA]
~~~
see full presentation

MAITREYA KALI (Los Angeles, CA)

"Apache / Inca" 1972 (no label)  [2LPs; gatefold; inserts; paraphernalia]  
"Apache / Inca" 1999 (Little Indians 2, Germany)  [2LPs; 450p; 3 inserts]  
"Apache / Inca" 1999 (CD Normal/Shadoks 005, Germany)  [2 CDs]

A very small number were made as a double LP before the LPs were issued separately (reviewed below). This package also contained a booklet, poster, feather, josh stick, and inserts. The German reissue imitates the release, except for the more exotic paraphernalia. Background: in 1966-67 Craig Smith made a bundle of cash writing songs for the Monkees, Andy Williams and Glenn Campbell, which is what financed his vast travels and subsequent transformation into Maitreya Kali. The unissued Penny Arkade recordings including several tracks also found on the Maitreya LPs and were released by Sundazed in 2004. Check out the entry for Craig's old partner Chris Ducey for an unrelated story that is just as strange.

"Apache" 1972 (Akashic 2777)
"Apache" 1989 (Akashic)  [bootleg; book; >300#d]

This was apparently released before "Inca" but the recordings have a later sound. Continuing his trek down Latin America, this is more lowkey and introvert, as if the drugs caught up with him. The strange poetry and scribblings on the Yahowa-style sleeve confirm such suspicions. The album has a couple of marvy acid folkpsych tracks such as "Color Fantasy" but doesn't really live up to the hype I've seen on it. Beach Boy Mike Love unexpectedly pops up singing on a Monkees track (actually he's just humming along from the mixing board) that Maitreya wrote when he was still known as Craig Smith. Originals can be identified via printing on the spine and "masterdub" etched in the dead wax. Several other differences exist but these should suffice. The bootleg pressing is believed to be larger than the 300 stated.[PL]

"Inca" 1972 (United Kingdom of America cf-2964)  
"Inca" 199  (United Kingdom of America)  [bootleg]

Nominally Maitreya's 2nd album, but the material on it is definitely from an earlier era than "Apache". To me superior to the more wellknown "Apache" with a fabulous folkrocky 1966-67 WCPAEB-sound for the most part, especially on side 1. There's also some pretty enjoyable mellow hippiefolk stuff, strange spoken bits and interviews with latino chicks making fun of this sensitive seeker-type guy. Worth checking out for both 1960s and 1970s heads. [PL]

MAIYEROS see Instincts

MAJIC SHIP (Long Island, NY)

"Majic Ship" 1970 (Bel Ami 711)  [circa 1000p]  
"Majic Ship" 1985 (Heyoka 203, UK)
"Majic Ship" 199  (no label, Italy)
"Majic Ship" 1993 (Afterglow 009, UK)
"Majic Ship" 2000 (CD Gear Fab gf-107)  [bonus tracks]
"Majic Ship" 2000 (Gear Fab/Akarma 084, Italy)  [2LPs; bonus tracks; booklet]

Extended "Down by the river"/"For what it's worth" medley highlights this famous Long Island LP, the rest is so-so Eastcoast post-psych FM rock sounds reminiscent of Bubble Puppy or an earlier version of Odyssey. Some good guitar and nothing overly offensive about it, but hard to understand all the fuss over this album. The Italian reissue is actually a bootleg of the UK bootleg, while the Gear Fab CD contains spoken interview bits between some tracks and a messed-up running order. [PL]

MAJOR ARCANA (Milwaukee, WI)

"Major Arcana" 1976 (A Major Label 1000)  [poster; lyric insert]  

The opening "Western wind" is a terrific folkpsych classic while the rest of the LP suffers a bit from the aggregated weight of all the different genres squeezed in. The vocals are strong but sometimes overstated in that typical 1970s troubador style, while the flute ornaments are a bit, uh, effeminate. Neat synth arrangements provide the same lounge multiinstrumentalist vibe as on Bermuda Triangle; this also has the odd rock musical/art school stage project feel that's on a lot of these mid-70s hippie LPs. Closing acidhead arrangement of "Greensleeves" sounds like the Kaplan Bros could step in any minute. Great psychy cover art. [PL]
~~~
This is a more complex album than Jim Spencer’s solo work, with a lot of moods for what is essentially a hippie folk album. It starts with a truly gorgeous song, and has several highlights, including the voodoo inspired (and sexually nasty) “Pappa Doc” and the breezy “Back In The Spirit.” Not a wholly satisfying album, and it has way too much flute, but still an intriguing listen with some ace songs. One of the best album covers you’ll ever see, too. [AM]

MALACHI (CA)

"Malachi" 1966 (Verve v6-5024)  [gatefold; blue label]

Eastern and American-Indian influenced proto-psych/ethnic folk. Recorded at Columbus Recording in San Francisco in August 1966. Steve Cunningham would later joined Red Krayola. Although neither rare nor that highly rated, the LP is early enough to be historically interesting, and also features an early occurrence of the word "psychedelic" in the liner notes.

MALT SHOPPE GANG (MA) 

"Maltshoppe Gang" 197  (Fleetwood fclp-5100)  [red label]

Early 1970s group doing retro 50s rock and doo wop like a local Sha Na Na. Good, primitive guitar sound for crossover garage appeal.

MAMMOTH ( )

"Mammoth" 1981 (RNA)  

DeLand, Florida label. Southern rock like Lynyrd Skynyrd.

MANDRAKE MEMORIAL (Philadelphia, PA)

"Mandrake Memorial" 1968 (Poppy py-40002)  [mono promo; stereo cover with mono sticker]  
"Mandrake Memorial" 1968 (Poppy pys-40002)  [stereo]  
"Mandrake Memorial" 1996 (CD Collectables col-0691)
"Mandrake Memorial" 199  (Poppy, UK)  [bootleg]
"Mandrake Memorial" 2005 (Poppy/Scorpio)

The first Mandrake Memorial album is one of those records where the sound of one instrument so dominates (like the jug with the 13th Floor Elevators or the autoharp on Michaelangelo's "One Voice Many") that your assessment of the album is based almost completely on how you feel about that one sound. Here the instrument is an electric harpsichord, which gives the songs an almost synthetic feel. I like it, but I can't speak for anyone else. What I can say with conviction is that the songs on this album are outstanding, and the guitar playing and singing is very appealing throughout. The album is full of sly hooks and dreamy melodies. It's simpler than the two albums that would follow, but is unquestionably a highly accomplished work from a very talented band who should be better known today. [AM]

"Medium" 1969 (Poppy pys-40003)  [gatefold]  
"Medium" 1996 (CD Collectables col-0693)

"Puzzle" 1970 (Poppy pys-40006)  ['wheel' insert]  
"Puzzle" 1995 (CD MM, Europe)  [bootleg]
"Puzzle" 1996 (CD Collectables col-0693)  [+bonus track]

Great, great psych band and local Philly heroes, underrated elsewhere to this day. The first LP is drawn from their club live set and goes in a garage/teen-psych direction, not bad at all but the harpsichord makes for a somewhat awkward mix with the overall sound in my opinion. Nevertheless, it went on to sell a respectable 40 000 copies. "Medium" shows them developing their studio psych ambitions with carefully crafted introspective keyboard/guitar mind trips while still retaining a song-oriented structure. "Puzzle" is a masterpiece, one of the truly great concept acid psych LPs on a major label, drawing from modernist classical like Stravinsky and Bartok, yet retaining a psychy headtrip feel throughout. Side 1 in particular is devastating and the LP as a whole a major personal fave. The band also had a non-LP 45 around the time of "Puzzle". An unreleased acoustic album from the same timeframe exists on acetate, but nothing has been released so far. [PL]

MANIACS see "Soundtracks 1966"

MANN MADE (Montreal, Canada)

"Mann Made" 1972 (Good Noise)  

UK-sounding progressive rock with folk moves, some horns and synths.

TERRY MANNING (Memphis, TN)

"Home Sweet Home" 1970 (Enterprise ENS-1008)  

Manning may have done this album as kind of a lark. He's not a songwriter, and there's nothing serious about this record. Maybe that's why this is so good, the kind of record that I can't imagine any rock fan not enjoying. He begins with the unthinkable, a truly minblowing cover of "Savoy Truffle," a ten minute tour de force of creative arrangements that is as good a Beatles' cover as anyone has ever done. The fun doesn't end with just that one song. There are trashy rock originals, more wild cover versions, outrageous drum breaks, hilarious female backing vocals, irresistible fuzz guitar riffs, feedback and absurd lyrics. Side two is a notch lesser than side one, but this is an enjoyable romp not quite like any other. Manning shows equal parts reverence and disdain for a whole host of rock and roll traditions. Perhaps it's mostly a novelty, but psych fans will like it, roots rock fans will like it, punks will like it, garage fans will like it, and warped soul fetishists will like it. Beatles fans might even like it. Now let's all get down and do the trashy dog! [AM]

see full-length review

CHARLES MANSON (CA)

"Lie" 1970 (Awareness 2144)  [poster; 2000p]  
"Lie" 1970 (ESP 2003)  
"Lie" 1987 (Awareness 1)
"Lie" 199  (CD Grey Matter 05)  [+bonus tracks]
"Lie" 199  (Fierce 001, UK)

It seems Charlie is bigger than ever these days and the fringe underground is all too happy to keep his shot at the charts in print. "Lie" would be a big item even if it was by an unknown guy, with Man-Son's great 50s beatnik outlaw voice and campfire folkpsych like "Mechanical man", "Sick city", "Ego" etc. The latter's my fave with a scary intensity and the girls' seductive Spahn Ranch harmonies. A staple of any reasonably twisted record collection. There was also an odd gatefold Spanish release on the Movieplay label from 1971, "12 Canciones". The poster represents about half the value. The ESP version is a legit 2nd press for Eastcoast distribution. The somewhat noisy 1987 repro has 'Awareness' on the front cover in print letters, not handwritten. In recent years there's been a handful of subsequent releases of material recorded in prison, including "The way of the wolf" and "The white album". The "Unplugged" CD features outtakes from the original "Lie" sessions and is worth checking out. [PL]
~~~
see -> Manson Family

MANSON FAMILY (CA)

"Sings The Songs Of Charles Manson" 1991 (no label)  [white vinyl]  
"Sings The Songs Of Charles Manson" 1991 (no label, Europe)  [bootleg]
"The Family Jams" 1998 (CD Transparency)  [2CDs]

Circa 1970 tapes of the Family singing the Master's songs in a communal desert campfire folkpsych setting with mixed male/female vocals - the innocent songs and evil lyrics make for great and spooky listening, superior to Charlie's own LP in many's opinion. Recommended, superior to most similar LPs not made my hippie murder cults. The Transparency double CD contains all material on the LP plus additional material from the same sessions. [PL]

MANTIS (Montreal, Canada)

"Mantis" 1973 (Sweet Plum 952)  

Prog and melodic rock from Quebec with liberal use of guitar and keyboards, mixed male and female vocals.

MANTRA (Toronto, Canada)

"Mantra" 1970 (MMC 301)  

Folk/folkrock featuring steel guitar and autoharp, with a mellow vibe and some instrumental tracks, highly rated by some.

MARANATHA (NJ)

"Soon" 1971 (no label no #)  

X-ian hippie rock with equal mix of hard guitar and moody acoustic numbers. Several unrelated x-ian groups recorded LPs under this name. [RM]
~~~
Although they're from the opposite end of the country, New Jersey's Maranatha has that same longhaired homegrown west-coast guitar psych sound as Spokane's Wilson McKinley. In fact, I might go so far as to say that Soon is on equal footing with the classic "Spirit of Elijah" - it's that good. Guitarist Charlie Rizzo would later emerge with the more Southern-edged Emmaus Road Band, but here the style seems much more garage angled and hippie jamming. ... An insanely rare private press and easily one of the top US Christian monsters. [KS]
~~~
see -> Emmaus Road Band

MARAUDERS (PA)

"Check In" 1964 (PRC 64-303)  [blank back cover]  

"Maraudin' 65" 1965 (no label)  

"Maraudin' 65" is a rare teenbeat LP with a mix of pre-Invasion instros and covers of Animals, Gerry & the Pacemakers typical of the era. Crude paste-on cover displays their hip VW Beetle convertible. The even obscurer first LP has been described as "hot guitar instro surf" and has covers of Ventures, Pyramids, Surfaris etc, plus one original.

MARBLE PHROGG (Tulsa, OK)

"Marble Phrogg" 1968 (Derrick 8868)  
"Marble Phrogg" 199  (CD Derrick, Europe)

Covers only LP from local club band with Iron Butterfly, Cream, Hendrix, Steppenwolf, and even a belated Byrds number. More interesting than the typical late 60s fuzz cover bands, as they put a lot of effort in delivering and adapting the material, while retaining a cool teen vibe. The reissue is worth examining for those interested in the era, with obvious similarities to the Smack LP.

MARCUS (NY/CA)

"Marcus" 1970 (Kinetic 3027)
"Marcus" 1993 (CD Collectables col-0571)  [+2 tracks]

As everyone knows, this is Deep legend Rusty Evans broadcasting from burnout island. Described by a noted record dealer as "one of the blandest records ever made" the 1970 LP still has a share of fans, though I'm not one of them. Wimpy sub-Donovan astrology hippie folkpsych, may appeal to Cat Stevens fans. "Million Grains Of Sand" in an orchestrated version is the best track. Kinetic was an Epic subsidiary. Rusty made an LP with the All Night Singers c1963 (Reprise R6117), and a Christian folk solo LP in the late 1970s. There is a collection of demos/outtakes from this album on CD from Collectables (Col-0690). [PL]

MARCUS (KY/IN)

"From The House Of Trax" 1979 (House Of Trax nr-10788)  [500p; 'disco' cover with small blue paste-on]  
"From The House Of Trax" 199  (House Of Trax)  [bootleg; boardprinted]
"From The House Of Trax" 1995 (Fantasia, UK)  [500p]
"From The House Of Trax" 199  (CD House Of Trax)  [bootleg]
"From The House Of Trax" 2003 (World In Sound rfr-014, Germany)  [+2 tracks; +bonus CD-ROM; 500p]
"From The House Of Trax" 2003 (CD World In Sound wis-010, Germany)  [+2 tracks; +bonus CD-ROM]

A somewhat legendary late 1970s psych private from a guy still living in the cosmic acid seeker mindset, even as the sound is (for the time) modern, with an FM-rock/AOR feel that may put some off. Similar to DR Hooker as a "big ego" project with no resources spared; the songs, the performances and the production are flawless. Hearing this on acid is like walking around inside a psychedelic cathedral, with multilayered keyboards, dreamy female harmonies, and a panoramic 24-channel soundscape. The strongly psych-flavored A-side is awesome in my ears, although the Cecil B DeMille production has its number of detractors. I don't care - this is a longtime personal fave. The original press was 500 copies, but only about half of them came with the blue paste-ons with Marcus image and titles that cover the center hole front and back. In later years remaining copies from Marcus' original stash appeared on the market in the plain white disco sleeves only, without any blue paste-ons. Copies have also appeared with what are believed to be more recently manufactured paste-ons, although they're more or less identical to the 1979 ones. The early 1990s bootleg enlarged the paste-on images so that they fill the entire boardprinted 12" sleeve space. Despite being legal reissues, the WIS releases are vinyl-sourced and somewhat inferior in sound to the original. The CD-ROM features a video of a 1979 acoustic live performance by Marcus from local TV. Only one song from the LP is performed, and the material is less psychedelic and more singer/songwriter. Marcus made a comeback LP in the 1990s titled "The return". [PL]
~~~
This is the ultimate example of an album that divides psych fans. Some of you will hate it, though it's not one of those albums whose legend comes from misleading dealer hype, as there are people who absolutely love it too. Like the best latter day psych albums (Trimble, Zerfas, Anonymous, etc.) it sounds completely of its time. Unlike those albums it doesn't seem to have any connection to 60s music, though, and if anything sounds a few years ahead of its time. The reverbed and way up-front vocals, the ultra-prominent cymbals (the rest of the drums are buried in the mix so far they might as well not even be there), the cheesy synthesizers and new age-sounding female backing vocals are hallmarks of the 80s sound. Mixed with spacy sound effects and this album's most prominent feature, heavy phasing, it sounds like psychedelicized AOR (or, on the non-heavy songs, new age soft rock) sung by a mystic and recorded in an echo chamber. The sound is absolutely going to be a hard sell for most of you, and in my opinion the songs are only marginally more appealing. Some of it doesn't even sound like "rock" to me, and while about half of the songs are quite catchy, there's not a lot of musical depth here. I find this one more interesting for the way the confusing release and "re-release" were hyped by dealers than I do for the actual music within. This is a real oddball, to be sure, and doesn't sound like anything else. I recommend that you don't pay too much mind to either its fans or its detractors and check it out for yourself. [AM]

ROBERT MARCUS (Corpus Christi, TX)

"Robert Marcus" 1974 (Ankh 1001)   

Soft rock with keyboards, orchestration, some fuzz and wah-wah, housed in a funny cover.

MARIANI (Austin, TX)

"Perpetuum Mobile" 1970 (Sonobeat HEC 411/412)  [plain stamped cover; insert with typewritten info; 100p]  
"Perpetuum Mobile" 198  (Hablabel, Italy)  [150#d]
"Perpetuum Mobile" 199  (CD Germany)  [+1 track]
"Perpetuum Mobile" 1994 (Fanny 300894, Belgium)  [500p]
"Perpetuum Mobile" 200  (Akarma, Italy)  
"Perpetuum Mobile" 200  (CD Akarma, Italy)

There are some really big rarities whose greatness escapes me and I'm afraid Mariani is one of those. Eric Johnson is probably a technically brilliant guitarist but after you've been through ten minutes of Hendrix/Alvin Lee imitations you sorta wish he'd do something else, like write decent songs rather than just excuses for guitar solos. A few promising hints of psych, especially on a track like "Rebirth day" and a powerful in-yer-face soundscape, but all over I find this LP disappointing. For Eddie van Halen fans, Texas completists and collectors of 4-figure legends. The group had a non-LP 45 with psychedelic drum solos. [PL]
~~~
Heavy blues psych band with sixteen year-old Eric Johnson on stun guitar, Vince Mariani handling drums, Jimmy Bullock on bass. Lead vocals are handled by several singers including Bill Wilson, Darrel Peal, and Jay Podolnick. The playing gets anthemic at times but the lyrics are regrettable. The recording session was done outside in a wooded area. The German CD is made from a rough copy of the LP and is very noisy. The bonus track is a much later Eric Johnson version of "Little Wing". All reissues have new sleeve designs as the original was plain cover. [RM]
~~~
Eric Johnson the wunderkind is on display here, but the band was named after the drummer, and ultimately is as boring as, say, a Ginger Baker solo album. Johnson was talented but not especially original as a teenager, and there isn’t a solo here that wouldn’t have been better if it was half as long (the drum solo, of course, would have been better if it didn’t exist at all). Even with the Johnson connection, it’s a mystery to me why this is such a sought-after album. I can think of hundreds of better late 60s/early 70s hard rock albums. [AM]
~~~
see -> American Peddlers; Electromagnets; Bill Wilson

MARIANUS (Andover, MA)

"Visions From Out of the Blue" 1981 (Jupiter)  [lyric insert]  

This is hyped as a prog album (and occasionally as an AOR album), but defining it by that genre doesn't tell the whole story about this oddity. It takes cues from pretty much every rock style of the preceding 25 years, even glam and new wave (those two are especially apparent on the irresistible opening track.) There's a bit of mellotron on the album, a spacy instrumental, a bunch of catchy choruses, bizarre backing vocals and a singer who is the missing link between Steve Harley and Geddy Lee. The guitar riffs on the early verses of "Man From Another Planet" really hit the spot. The songwriting throughout is creative and intelligent. This is weird and distinctive! I'm not sure who the audience is for this one, but it's pretty great. [AM]

DEREK SCOTT MARKEL (Canada)

"Derek Scott Markel" 197  (no label RH 074601)   

Rural folkrock and singer/songwriter with full setting, piano, even accordion, the Band moves and some psychy guitar. Highly rated by some.

MARK IV (Canada)

"Vol 1" 1965 (Rusticana CKL 1225)  

Obscure teen-beat LP in neat sportscar cover.

MARKLEY (Los Angeles, CA)

"Markley: A Group" 1969 (Forward st-f-1007)  

I may be in the minority here, but I enjoy this as much as any of the "proper" WCPAEB albums, as it's full of left turns, crazy arrangments, freaky lyrics, and catchy tunes. As with the first Reprise album, it sounds like a killer garage pop album filtered through the mind of a whacked out genius. Absolutely a must-hear for popsike fans. [AM]

GARY MARKS (NY)

"Gathering" 1974 (ULT 74008)  [booklet]  

Little-known Tim Buckleyish singer/songwriter with jazz moves, rated highly by some. The LP was originally sold via mail-order.

MARLBOROS & JOKERS SIX ( )

"Real Live Girl" 1966 (Justice 126)   
"Real Live Girl" 199  (CD Collectables 0610)

Unusual LP with black vocal group and white club band joining forces to try and get a beach party going. Apparently the two bands toured together, the Jokers Six supporting the Marlboros who are an early 60s-style vocal 4-piece. The Marlboros don't sing bad and some tracks may appeal to local doo-wop collectors, although the recording is muddy and tinny. The title track is a fairly good original and there's another original on board, the rest is mostly r'n'b/soul standards. While the vocal strength of the Marlboros gives the album an edge over pretty much all other Justices I find little exceptional about it. There's an OK surf-style instro and an energetic "Good loving" on side 2 but apart from that the Jokers Six sound like any generic club band; competent but dull. Embarrassed, one of the Jokers Six guys comes right out in the liner notes and admits that the Marlboros are the "up and coming stars of this album". [PL]

MARR'DEL (OH)

"Mystery Of Love" 1979 (MSP 3001)  [1000p]

Accurately described as "sparse cosmic female real people" by the guy who invented this type of descriptions. Her voice is somewhat arch and lofty, but the refined, serious mood is effective. Acoustic guitar and autoharp, some songs, some spoken poetry with musical backing and occasional sounds of nature such as rain and thunder.

MARSADEES (SC)

"Marsadees" 1967  (Justice 150)   
"Marsadees" 1996 (CD Collectables)

Probably the rarest LP on the label, this wasn't even known to exist for many years. It's not bad either, clearly among the better in the Justice catalog, with a crude surf and frat approach similar to the non-garage stuff on the Tempos LP. Should appeal to anyone interested in local pre-Brit Invasion sounds, even though it dates from around 1967! Cool cover photo of the very young band. One group original, a sleepy surf instro. [PL]

MARY BUTTERWORTH (South Gate, CA)

"Mary Butterworth" 1969 (Custom Fidelity 2092)  [350p]  
"Mary Butterworth" 1988 (Breeder 562, Austria)
"Mary Butterworth" 1998 (CD OCCS)

Inside one of the greatest private press psych sleeves ever you'll find pretty enjoyable LA area (they were not from Idaho) highschool pothead sounds with Hammond organ upfront and great echoey drums. Mixes bluesy vibe with a westcoasty outdoors feel in the vocals. Mellow and stoned rather than lysergic, despite uninspired lyrics three out of six tracks are excellent - check out the Gathering vol 3 comp for a sample. The album was sold via gigs and to friends and had no formal distribution. The band also had a pre-LP 45 on Custom Fidelity. Surprisingly, one track from the LP is used in the highly acclaimed "Lost In Translation" movie. The CD is remastered and remixed. [PL]
~~~
Bluesy hard rock with long songs and some jazzy flute and sax. The lyrics are trite and uninteresting but the songwriting is decent and the overall sound is appealing: lots of reverb and echo, nice guitar sound, ringing cymbals and eerie organ, vocals that don’t fall into the usual bluesy macho trap. “It’s A Hard Road” is particularly good. There are moments where it seems pedestrian, but also moments that rise above. Not top of the heap, but good enough to recommend to genre fans. The guitar solos are pretty dull, though. [AM]

CARM MASCARENHAS (Winnipeg, Canada)

"Someday Soon" 1975 (Mascanta)  

Folk and folkrock with acoustic and electric backing and powerful vocals.

MASON (VA) 

"Harbour" 1971 (Eleventh Hour 1001)  [paste-on yellow title sticker;  booklet]  
"Harbour" 1971 (Eleventh Hour S-1001)  [printed cover; booklet]  
"Harbour" 199  (Eleventh Hour)  [bootleg]
"Harbour" 199  (Gear Fab gf-137)  [+2 tracks]
"Harbour" 1999 (Akarma, Italy)  [booklet]

Released on the local Eleventh Hour label, the album offered up a surprisingly accomplished set of early-'70s heavy metal. Acrese had a voice that was well suited for the genre; Hampton was a first-rate drummer and as a trio these guys generated considerable intensity. Largely written by Galyon, material such as the driving opener "Let It Burn" (imagine Deep Purple having borrowed Ian Anderson for a flute solo), "Tell Me" and the cool instrumental "Electric Sox and All" were all impressive. Great songs and great performances (geez, Grand Funk sold millions and these guys couldn't get arrested). Elsewhere, "Golden Sails" was a substantial change of pace, opting for a progressive song structure (it may be our favorite song). [SB]
~~~
This is an interesting and diverse hard rock album, well liked enough to have been reissued several times. If you can picture slow, organ-rich heavy prog side by side with blues-rock, acoustic folk-prog, jazzy sax instrumentals, and snappy riff rockers, you’ll have an idea of what you’re in store for here. It’s all done quite well, and there’s an air of professionalism usually absent from this kind of self-made record. My favorite is the brief “Goin’ Home,” which sports an undeniable hook, but there’s enough to like here than half a dozen listeners might pick half a dozen favorites. “Tell Me” has a fuzz guitar tone to die for. The singing is strong, but overly macho and humorless, unfortunately, the album’s one major fault. First issues have paste-on covers. The second issue has a black and white cover drawing and an insert.It was remixed at Alpha Audio but it's unclear whether there is any real difference in sound. Eleventh Hour went on to release albums by Polyphony and Vandy. [AM]
~~~
see -> James Galyon

MASS-TERS ( )

"Today" 1969 (Venus MS 001)  

Very obscure folk quintet looking like they're about 5 years behind the times, and reportedly sounding that way too, except for some appealing female vocal harmonies. Mix of originals and covers.

MATILDA see Don Daly

MILT MATTHEWS, INC ( )

"For The People" 197  (Catalyst cas-1111)  
"For The People" 2003  (Catalyst 1111)  [reissue]

Early 1970s black group. Soul rock with some fuzzy jamming similar to early Parliament but less interesting. Matthews had several other releases.

MAX AND I (Long Island, NY)

"Max And I" 1976 (Western Hemisphere)   

Rural jams with female vocals, featuring Maxine and Ira Stone along with ex-Elephant's Memory members. A Morris Levy tax-loss release.

MAX CREEK (CT) 

"Max Creek" 1977 (Quack Sound 100)  

Supposedly only 100 copies were pressed of this "American Beauty" style rural jam LP. The band has been going for decades and developed a Deadhead-type fan-base. Later LPs include "Rainbow" (Wranger, 1980) and "Drink The Stars" (Wrangers 2LPs, 1982).

MAXIMILLIAN (NY)

"Maximillian" 1969 (ABC 696)  

This is remarkably inept for a major label release. It's certainly wasted, and is full of fuzz guitar as well as some organ, but it's not exactly the funk-psych freakout people wish it were, as it doesn't really go into particularly far out places. Add that to the lack of chops and go-nowhere soloing, and ultimately it's pretty boring. [AM]

ALICIA MAY (Los Angeles, CA)

"Skinnydipping In The Flowers" 1976 (Golden Anchor 7777)  [lyric inner]  

This is a solid singer-songwriter album that should appeal very much to fans of strong female singers and uniquely arranged songs. Though the instrumentation is sparse (only one song has bass and drums), it is extremely varied, with dulcimer, concertina, autoharp, calimba, cello, Irish harp, saz, accordion, flute, clarinet, sax and steel guitar among the instruments. Each song has a distinctive feel. Alicia's voice is crystal clear, and the occasional harmony creates a dreamy effect. The full band "Carry Me Home" is the most instantly appealing song, but different listeners will find different favorites on this diverse and creative album. The first few songs on side one have an ethereal feel, with "Summer Days" reminding me a bit of These Trails. Most of this is pretty serious in tone, but there's some lyrical whimsy and good timey music as well. The album was recorded at A&M studios and has a professional sound that is unusual for a privately released album. Carol Kleyn makes an appearance on one song. [AM]
~~~
The title and front cover may look like yet another rural hippie lady album, but the vinyl grooves carry a somewhat different experience. To begin with, substantial resources went into the making of "Skinnydipping", giving it a finalized, well-rounded sound that could have come out on any major westcoast label at the time. The arrangements are remarkable, in fact I can't think of any comparable album where such a rich palette of instruments is used. Genre-wise I would call this a sophisticated singer-songwriter LP with a certain debt owed to Joni Mitchell (who is mentioned on the sleeve), and an LA Canyon feel... pastoral and urban at the same time. For those hoping for psychedelic sounds, the first two tracks point clearly in such a direction, with a mystical and unorthodox folk feel not unlike These Trails. As the album evolves we move towards a mid-70s s/sw style which is not afraid to experiment. As often with the era there is a Broadway musical touch here and there, and there's also playful stabs at traditional folk, country-rock and even nursery rhymes a la Vasthi Bunyan. At times I'm reminded of Jan & Lorraine, if you imagine where that 60s duo might have ended up in the 1970s. Despite the diversity, "Skinnydipping" holds together well, thanks to Alicia May's flawless vocals, which again are more professional (in a technical sense) than what you usually find on privately released albums. And though it may sound like a paradox, the wide array of instruments and extremely varied arrangements also give coherence to the trip. The album is a must for genre fans, and strong enough that anyone with an ear for pro-level talent and production values needs to check it out. [PL]
~~~
see -> "Guitar Picks"

MAYAN CANALS see Rich La Bonte

MAYPOLE (Baltimore, MD)

"Maypole" 1971 (Colossus cs-1007)  [ylp exists]  
"Maypole" 2005 (CD Radioactive 114, UK)

Heavy psych rock that’s got a lot of ideas, but also has a tinny metallic sound that grates on the ears quickly (and this is a long record). A definite favorite of some fans of hard rock, but it’s one of those albums that sounds much better when you’re only hearing one song on a mixed tape or radio show. Some of the songs are put together in kind of a suite, showing some obvious prog ambitions. [AM]

MAY STREET TOPS (NC)

"May Street Tops" 1974 (Death Valley no #)  [300p]  

Rural hardrock with dual drums, occasionally hyped. Recorded at the same studio (Harry Deal's) as Dryewater. The title is sometimes listed as "Sold Out".

MAZANTI ( )

"Philosopher" 1979 (Mazanti Music)  

Southern hardrock with some folky tracks and Jethro Tull moves.

MAZE (Fairfield, CA)

"Armageddon" 1968 (MTA 5012)  
"Armageddon" 1989 (no label, Europe)  [bootleg]
"Armageddon" 1995 (CD Sundazed sc-6060)  [+6 tracks]
"Armageddon" 2006 (Beat Rocket)  [alternate mono mix]

The Maze seek a sense of drama, with long songs, prominent organ, eerie harmonies, heavy lyrics and a singer who becomes unhinged here and there. If you're in the right mood for it, it's pretty enjoyable, especially since there are some crazed fuzz guitar breaks. One truly terrible semi-novelty song, "Kissy Face", destroys the mood, which makes the rest a little harder to take seriously. The overall effect is similar to the album by The Phantom, though the best songs here, especially "I'm So Sad", are more worthy of semi-serious respect than anything on that album. The short songs take a poppier approach, and they're reasonably good, with the one above-mentioned exception. Pretty cool, though not distinctive enough to really stand out in the genre. The Beat Rocket release has a previously unreleased mono mix with some alternate takes, and is this not a true reissue. [AM]

MCALLEN (MI)

"McAllen" 1971 (Spirit 964S-2002)   [gatefold]

Downer folk/folkrock with Woolies member helping out, acoustic and electric backing. Back cover shows McAllen next to a huge cannabis plant.

BOB MCCARTHY (Cambridge, MA)

"Advice & Company" 1974 (Wandra no #)  

Coffeehouse folk and singer-songwriter with occasional band backing, including second guitar, bongos, violin, dobro, bass and drums.

JAMES MCCARTHY ( )

"Born a Loser" 1971 (Audio House ahs-3771)  [blank back cover; translucent blue vinyl]  

Acoustic flower folk from noted Kansas studio and custom label.

KATHY MCCORD ( )

"Kathy McCord” 1969 (CTI 1001)  
"Kathy McCord” 1999 (CD Vivid, Japan)

Female singer/songwriter album that is highly rated among genre fans.

MCDONALD & SHERBY (MN)

"Catharsis" 1974 (Omniscient 80 1426)  [500p]  
"Catharsis" 1992 (Rockadelic 7.5)  [altered cover; altered song order; 300p]  

Here's an interesting obscurity that mixes two really long moody songs and some shorter hard-rockers. The long songs have definite anthemic quality, and there's some cool guitar, organ and synth soloing: plenty of wah-wah and freaky noises. Most of this is blues-based, most of it riff-oriented. Neither the short or long songs are structured in a particularly complex way. Both are vehicles for jamming. It's a pretty cool record, and more distinctive than the description would suggest, though it would have been nice if a few of the songs had been developed a bit further. Strangely enough, the shorter, faster songs suffer from the repetition more than the long ones do, maybe because the soloing on the epics is more thoughtful. [AM]

MCGRAW BROS (NJ)

"Scotch On The Rocks" 1966 (Tore 1)  

Scottish-American group doing club band frat & Brit invasion covers with honking sax, dressed up as Scotsmen on the sleeve. A couple of band originals also.

LARRY MCHUGH (PA)

"Son Of David" 1978 (BE 845)  

A fine example of the more subdued, reflective mood that emerged on Christian rock LPs towards the end of the 1970s. Post-acid westcoasty melodic studio rock with a highly professional, sophisticated sound create a backdrop for McHugh's relaxed, unassuming vocals. Lyrics are typical Jesus movement concerns and stay close to the known path, leaving the music to do the peregrinations in a quite appealing way. In fact this album has some of the best guitar-picking I've heard on a private from the era, sparse flowing jazzy scales that fit the mood perfectly. The band as a whole radiates a selfconfident late-night groove, occasionally getting into jammy bits that flow just right. Keyboards and moog fx are used in a way similar to the more relaxed tracks on One St Stephen, while the overall nocturnal feel is reminiscent of Christian colleagues Ark and Windwords. McHugh does get dangerously close to the "better safe than sorry" repetition spectre that can haunt this type of work, but emerges a winner on the strength of some terrific dreamy tracks such as "Come to me" and "Waters of life". This is not a local basement trip like Kristyl, but a very pro-sounding affair with mature, jazzy moods. I was rather impressed. [PL]
~~~
Folky Christian singer who can’t really hit all of his notes, but has a pretty solid musical backing. The title track is pretty great, full of phase shifter happy guitar solos (lots of scales), a dreamy chorus, and ends with a great rock guitar solo and some surprising moog. Terrific song! There isn’t anything else here that gets up as much of a rocking head of steam, but most of the album is decent acoustic folk and soft-rock with a rhythm section that stands out despite the quiet nature of the songs. The Christian lyrics are reasonably subdued. A few songs veer towards a jazzier direction, and aren’t quite as appealing. A lot of the electric lead guitar sounds like improvised noodling, and the weak singing grates after a while, but the more carefully constructed songs are quite good. Other than the title track, the oddly structured “Hold Your Love High” is probably the highlight, as it fits frantic bass runs, dreamy “ah ah” singing and a somewhat long instrumental introduction into three surprising minutes. Not solid from start to finish, but a pretty interesting album. [AM]

McKAY (Indianapolis, IN)

"Into You" 1977 (no label)  [300p; plain back cover]  
"Into You" 1993 (OR 001)  [insert; 300#d + signed]
"Into You... Plus" 1996 (CD OR 007)  [+bonus tracks]

"Into You" takes some time to get into but it's worth the effort - a laidback, nocturnal rural rocker with sounds ranging from country-tinged, almost Eagles-like brooders to uptempo guitar movers with some ace Jerry Garcia-style instros inbetween. Neil Young's "Harvest" and "Tonight's the night" may also spring to mind, but this is a distinctive album that needs to be heard, rather than imagined via semi-accurate comparisons. Some copies have a sticker on the back with personnel info. The CD reissue features 16 unique bonus tracks, all from the same sessions as "Into You" and "Take Two". I was not quite as impressed with "Take Two", although others seem to like it. [PL]
~~~
"Into You" has excellent sound and high quality performances. It could easily have been mistaken for a major label album of the time. It mixes acoustic ballads, upbeat rockers with wah wah, and laid back rural rock. The obvious reference points are 70s Grateful Dead and, to a lesser extent, The Band. That works for better (musicianship) and worse (vocals.) It rarely rocks out, but on the few occasions it does, it is convincing. The songwriting is pretty strong, and occasionally (i.e. the propulsive “This Road”) transcendent. I find the vocals weak (not in the sense that they can’t sing, but moreso that the singer sounds wussy), but otherwise this is one of the best albums of the style. The CD contains an albums’ worth of bonus tracks, many of which sound more like demos and jams that completed songs. If you listen to them separate from the album proper, they’re pretty fun, and there are a few solid songs mixed in too. [AM]

"Into You, Take Two" 1995 (OR 007)  [book; 375#d]

McKay had a whole batch of unreleased recordings from around the time of "Into You", some of which were originally considered for the album. In 1995, the material from the vaults was dug out, remixed and released by OR records. The result is a collection just as slapdash as the bonus tracks on the "Into You" CD, including some jammy instrumentals and some brief effect-laden experiments to go along with a number of complete songs. Obviously this isn’t a consistent listen, but the quality of the songs is strong and even the most incomplete fragments are pretty interesting. The album is also intelligently structured to make the experimental bits and songs fit well together. Fans of the first album are sure to enjoy this, and, since unlike "Into You" this is quite psychedelic, it could attract some new fans as well. Also, it has a great album cover. [AM]
~~~
"Take Two" is the druggier and more interesting of the two fine McKay efforts, taken from mid-70s sessions at which time the group was going by the name, The Loos Band. The "Take Two" material does not overlap with the 1996 CD reissue at all. There is a CD release on OR of 1997 recordings, "Tomorrow's Tomorrow". [RM]
~~~
see -> Ray Pierle

MCLEISH, PETRIE, ROBINSON & FRIENDS (Canada)

"R P M" 1978 (Starfish 7801)  [1000p; blue vinyl]  

Rural rock and folkrock with guitar/keyboard demo recordings gathered over a period of time, with songwriting contributions from all members.

F J MCMAHON (Santa Barbara, CA)    see Q & A here

"Spirit Of The Golden Juice" 1969 (Accent 5049)  
"Spirit Of The Golden Juice" 2000 (Wild Places)

Recently discovered obscurity on the Accent label, otherwise known for a number of great 45s. Late-stage beatnik/coffee house-folk which reminds me of Fred Neil; worldweary, introspective sound with an early Viet Vet vibe. He has a good voice somewhat similar to D R Hooker, and plays nice guitar figures throughout the LP, which has a light folkrock backing. Not bad, though the arrangements would have benefited from some variation. McMahon recorded this coming out of the air force, and "The Golden Juice" refers to a brand of bourbon popular among enlisted men. The album features Accent colleague Jon Uzonyi (Peace Pipe) on bass. [PL]

MEADE RIVER see John Gilbert

MEAT PHREDD (OH)

"Meat Phredd" 1981 (Phreddhead)  

Instrumental avant guitar progressive trio similar to Viola Crayola. Recorded at Columbus' longrunning Musicol studios and housed in an odd cartoon cover.

THE MEDIUM (Montreal, Canada)

"The Medium" 1969 (Gamma 503)  

Usually this band is listed as “Medium,” but the album cover clearly defines them as “the Medium,” which takes on a whole different meaning. This Canadian psych album is pretty interesting, starting with a trippy instrumental full of organ and fuzz guitar, and moving on to dreamy ballads and slightly heavier (but never fast) songs. The guitar playing throughout is somewhere between jazz and angular San Francisco-style noodling. There seems to be little or no attempt at melody, which actually makes the solos pretty distinctive and weird. An organ/guitar battle on “Give Me A Peace” is especially fun. The songs don’t follow traditional verse/chorus structures at all. The singer has a deep voice but isn’t exactly soulful or bluesy. This album is pretty freaky, what may have happened if bands like Aorta and Day Blindness didn’t bother to tidy up their loose ends. The style wears a little thin by the end, as the songwriting on side two doesn’t really offer anything new. Still, this is something most of you will enjoy. It has some similarities to the more satirical and pop-oriented Rabble, also from Montreal. [AM]
~~~
This one has a pretty good reputation, but I was somewhat disappointed with it. It opens strongly with some fairly complex and atmospheric UK artrock excursions with classical influences in the typical Procol Harum/Moody Blues school; skillful keyboard and piercing fuzz themes keep your attention. Unfortunately someone, probably the vocalist, decided that something more was needed, which means that bad sub-Justin Hayward crooner laments pop up where there should have been more instrumentals. The guy's voice isn't half as good as he thinks it is, constantly hitting the wrong notes and straining in true amateur night fashion. The songwriting for these numbers is kind of lame too, with a remarkable lowpoint hit in what sounds like someone's drunken halfspeed karaoke reworking of the Hollies' old "Yes I will". When Mr Wayward keeps quiet or slides into a more balanced approach the music regains its footing, with a playful inventiveness and semi-avantgardism which is reasonably cutting edge for 1969. All over though, an album such as Aggregation on LHI shows how to handle and overcome the traps that pour sugar in the Medium gas tank. Still worth checking out cheaply, and may appeal to fans of early prog, but I wouldn't set my expectations too high. [PL]

V.A "MEET THE LIVELY ONES" (Canada)

"Meet The Lively Ones" 1965 (Capitol DJ 100)  [thin paper cover]  

Obscure promo-only sampler of Canadian beat bands including early Sparrow(s), Wes Dakus Rebels, Big Town Boys, Staccatos, Barry Allen, Diane Leigh, and Robbie Lane & the Disciples.

MARK MELANSON (NY)

"Haunted Hearse" 1970 (Color Esoterics)  [insert]  

Real people/outsider folk with "Irish gravedigger vocals", echo effects and more. Highly rated by some.

MELCHIOR ALIAS (Montreal, Canada)

"Melchior Alias" 1969 (Capitol 70024)  [gatefold; insert]  

Somewhat legendary French-Canadian LP with French vocals, electronic psych and freak-rock.

MELISMA ( )

"Like Trolls" 1978 (no label)  

Seldom seen local folk/prog, housed in nice pencil-drawn cover.

MELOFIN (WV)

"Ivan Tale" 1984 (Sky Spy Studio)  

The 1984 date belies the sound of this interesting and unique record. Influences come from UK folk, UK prog and US folk-rock. The singer sounds very British, like a mixture of Roy Harper, John Lennon and an oboe. A wide range of instruments including mandolin, tasteful synthesizer, and many percussion devices color the sound of the music, which is about half acoustic, half electric. The lack of lead guitar on most songs makes the few solos and guitar hooks more powerful than they might be in another context. A couple of the songs are overlong (everything here has a leisurely pace to it), but for the most part this is lovely and ethereal. I've seen comparisons to the Strawbs and Jethro Tull, and that's not too far off. How much you like it will depend on how you respond to the unusual singer, but this is a pretty neat album with a timeless feel. The back cover photo shows the four least likely looking rock and rollers you'll ever see. [AM]

DAVID & TINA MELTZER (San Francisco, CA)

"Poet Song" 1969 (Vanguard sd-6519)   
"Poet Song" 1999 (Akarma 054, Italy)
"Serpent Power/Poet Song" 1999 (CD Akarma 053/054, Italy)  [2-on-1]

Obscure follow-up to the Serpent Power LP by the main duo, like that band still somewhat underrated. He reads some of his poetry which may turn some off though the poems are brief and enjoyable (he's a published poet with roots in the 1950s beat era), and do not detract from the excellent folkpsych songs that make up the bulk of the LP. Less poppy and more meditative than the earlier album, some tracks are truly great. Worth checking out. A Canadian pressing exists. There was also a children's LP titled "Faces" (Folkways, 1984) with Tina's vocals, guitar, and banjo playing. [PL]

"Green Morning" 199  (RD Records 5, Switzerland)  [500p]

This is the Meltzers' unreleased 2nd LP, recorded in 1970 for Capitol but never released except for an acetate.

MENDELBAUM (Madison, WI)

"Mendelbaum" 2002 (Shadoks 034, Germany, 2LPs)  [450p]
"Mendelbaum" 2003 (CD Shadoks 034, Germany, 2CDs)

Previously unreleased material, one disc studio, one disc live, from obscure Midwest band who moved to the Bay Area and cut some demos and played the ballrooms. Most of this falls into an unexceptional late 60s rock-club sound, like you may expect from a Fillmore support act. Proto-heavy transition sounds with typical guitar/Hammond B3 mix, bluesy vocals, some Santana and Dead moves. The guitar-playing is above average but that's really the only thing of note here. The live stuff is slightly superior in my ears. One of Shadoks' more dubious releases, though some people have reported liking it. There was a local 45 released in WI around 1968. Both guitarist Chris Michie (previously in the Grapes Of Wrath) and drummer Keith Knudsen went on to bigger things. [PL]

MERCURY MAGIC ( )

"Mercury Magic" 1980 (Hughestone 557)  

Flowing hippie & prog-rock with Jaggeresque vocals, moog, sax and flute parts too. Spaced out black and white cover art is a plus. Some copies came with a bonus non-LP 7".

MERKIN (Orem, UT)

"Music From Merkin Manor" 1973 (Windi 1005)   
"Music From Merkin Manor" 1994 (Merkin, UK)  [bootleg; 350p]
"Music From Merkin Manor" 1997 (CD Gear Fab gf-109)  [+3 tracks]
"Music From Merkin Manor" 1997 (Akarma, Italy)

A real enigma, popular with many psych fans despite being easy-breezy sort of 1970s pop-psych rather than the typical heavy guitar blowouts. Some have compared this to the poppier, non-jammy side of early Santana. I have heard it many dozens of times but can't really put my finger on it - there's nothing quite like it. The LP they play at seaside resorts when all the summer visitors have left! "Take some time" is a personal favorite with a simple yet memorable guitar hook, while the sad ballad "Goodbye" has lots of admirers. A marvy negative purple/silver sleeve adds to the appeal. Recorded in LA 1972 but not released until 1973. [PL]
~~~
I recall feeling disappointed when I put this LP on the platter having eagerly purchased the first reissue. I had read descriptions of the two copies auctioned in lists that featured those four words heavy, psych, private and monster. This was not what I’d expected. My initial disappointment gradually gave way to love and wonder. It was certainly three of these overused descriptors and with that thunderous and yet twangy bass it was genuinely heavy. The impression left when the stylus reaches the end is that of very, very happy musicians playing together and having the times of their lives. Like their label mates Creation Of Sunlight this oozes good vibes from every groove. There’s a lounge feel on some tracks like "Ruby" and "Sweet Country". The sound is very professional, but those tunes, boy, they had some great and sometimes brilliant ones up their sleeves. You will be humming them all day. Nothing else really sounds like this LP, it is as if innocent sixties youths had been lifted out of their dream and placed in bed with a well-meaning whore with a heart. It occupies that fruitful transition phase between psychedelic pop and more ‘meaningful’, ‘heavy’ music of the early seventies. Has the reverse negative sleeve to end all reverse negative sleeves. Special as it comes. [RI]

MERRY AIRBRAKES (MA)

"Merry Airbrakes" 1973 (St George International 06)  [100p; insert; blank back cover]  
"Merry Airbrakes" 1999 (Shadoks 002, Germany)  [450p; altered cover]
"Merry Airbrakes" 2000 (CD Shadoks/NOrmal, Germany)

Folk blues cooker with Vietnam concerns. Organ, slide guitar, harmonica. Some copies came without cover, others have handmade embellishments. [RM]

V.A "MERRY CHRISTMAS" (WA)

"Merry Christmas" 1965 (Etiquette 025)  
"Merry Christmas" 1984 (Etiquette)

Local Northwest X-Mas comp from label made famous by the Sonics. Gerry Roslie and the boys supply four unique tracks of which one has appeared on "Back From The Grave". All can also be found as bonus tracks on recent Sonics reissues. In addition there's some charming yuletide stuff from the Wailers and the Galaxies. One of the most expensive originals on Etiquette.

LES MERSEY'S (Montreal, Canada)

"Mersey's" 1967 (DSP 417)  

Well-produced French-Canadian pop/beat with Michael Pagliaro, sung in French. Several Beatles covers. The band also had many 45s.

MESSAGE ( )

"It'll Be Awhile" 1981 (Black Gold)  

The production on this private press hard rocker is crude, which makes the obvious 80s touches (mostly the lead guitar sound) somewhat less slick. They obviously have some prog aspirations, and have some interesting synth breaks and thoughtful instrumentals. The bass player obviously had listened to a lot of Yes albums. The lead guitar playing is often on the level of Id (of "Where Are We Going"), though, fast and spastic without any attention to melody or hooks. Basically their ideas are well beyond their ability or songwriting sense, which is kind of charming but not compelling on multiple listens. One song is a long acoustic guitar solo, and only about half of this album is vocal (and those vocals aren't particularly good). A bit different from your average hard rock album, but like, for example, Ixt Adux, it's not especially successful. The label was based in New Mexico. [AM]

MESSENDGER (GA)

"Messendger" 1982 (Jab 111) 

This one is hyped as one of the best 80s rock albums, and usually described as sounding like a 70s band. That's just dealer hype, as it sounds completely 1980s to me. The songs and playing are pretty good, but the guitar tone is annoyingly of its time and there's nothing here good enough to make it really rise to the top of the heap. [AM]

MESSENGERS & GOOD NEWS (VT)

"Born Again" 1971 (House VV 6285)  [insert]

Split LP of two Christian bands, both enjoyable, Messengers in a British 60s style with some fuzz and standout track "The right way", Good News in a acoustic folk duo direction. The sleeve uses the same Jesus face image as the first Agape LP.

METZ (TX)

"Metz" 1974 (Chrome Star 1001)   

Very obscure Texas 70s bluesy rock with supposedly Johnny Winter guesting. There may be two cover variants for this title, one standard cover with large 'Metz' in script and a plain cover with stamped title.

M.H.S ROCK (NJ)

"On Record" 1981 (RPC 574292)  

Seven tracks by seven different bands from Manasquan High School in New Jersey. Bands include Armadillo, Pegasus, Dead-End, Voyager,  Runaways, Alternate Route, Mersey. Almost the entire LP has an early to mid 70's sound with some heavy psych tracks. Only a handful of copies have turned up and being released on RPC it's probably a micro pressing.

MICAH (NY)

"I'm Only One Man" 1971 (Sterling Award 1001)   

Depressing organ/guitar progrock with sidelong tracks and some interesting passages. The sound is a bit Santana-influenced, but mainly one for local prog hardrock fans. They also had a 45 edited from the LP.

MICHAEL ANGELO (Kansas City, MO)

"Michael Angelo" 1977 (Guinn 1050)  [1000p]  
"Michael Angelo" 1997 (Guinn, Germany)  [bootleg; 450#d]
"Michael Angelo" 2005 (Void 036)  [+1 track]

Fabulous dreamy psych-flavored folkrock and anglo-pop shrouded in the early hippie vibe despite the vintage. Light and melodic in an L.A '67 & Donovan direction, while the lyrics hint at darker dimensions beneath the seductive surface. Possible points of reference are Bobb Trimble and the 2nd side of Marcus-House Of Trax, and don't doubt for a minute this is just as good. Use of piano on some tracks bring in a singer/songwriter sound, while retaining the 60s feel. Very solid and well-written LP that is loved by many, one of the classics of the local/private press field, and one that may also appeal to fans of the Shoes and similar melodic mid-70s pop sounds. Sespite its deluxe profile the German reissue is somewhat inferior in sound. An album of previously unreleased material titled "Sorcerer's Dream" (Void, 1999) may be worth checking out for fans of the Guinn album. [PL]
~~~
Side one of this album is as good as anything, a truly lovely blend of pop, folk-rock and light psychedelia. Like the best music, it's of its time but evokes many great artists from before its time. He has a terrific voice too. Like Anonymous this is just plain great songwriting and performance, and whatever may or may not be psychedelic is secondary. Side two is pretty great too, but repeats a few of the ideas from the first side, and overall this maybe ends up being a notch below Zerfas or Anonymous, which still makes it in the top 10 or so for private press LPs. It's something everyone should hear. A CD reissue would be very welcome. [AM]

MICHAELO (CA)

"Michaelo" 1976 (Tomorrow tvi-140)   

Here's another cool album on a mysterious tax loss label (and by far the best album on Tomorrow). For the most part, it's singer-songwriter stuff with a strong Van Morrison influence, with a nice acoustic/electric mix and some tasty organ. The vocals are excellent and the songs, while simple in structure, hit some nice grooves and are quite hypnotic. What makes the album appeal to psych collectors is "Mystic Rider," which varies the style a bit with some great dreamy echo-laden lead guitar. It's the best song on a solid album. For those of you who can't find (or afford) the album, it was given a major label release on London Records #660, under the artist's real name, Michael O'Gara. It includes "Gunfighter" which is missing from this Tomorrow label release (despite being listed on the cover), but instead omits "Naked Circumstances," so you need both releases to get all tracks. [AM]

LUCINE MICHAELS ( )

"Turning Point" 196  (Koinonia 142626)  [gatefold]  

Heartfelt album dedicated to the assassinated leader of the Koinonia organization. At times the lyrics are almost too sincere to take, but there’s real charm in the optimistic idealism here. I doubt you’d hear anything like it today, especially the song about poor little Leroy, a discriminated-against black boy. Lucine’s vocals are similar to a lot of Xian singers—pretty but without much soul. They don’t work for me, but do seem to fit with her songs. More of an interesting artifact and timepiece than an especially good album. [AM]

MICHAELS & HACK (MD)

"Back To Back" 1978 (Mellow Magic 1)  [insert]  

Trippy hippie duo doing spacy folk floaters with fuzz guitar, echoed vocals, and treated sounds.

MICHELE (Los Angeles, CA)

"Saturn Rings" 1969 (ABC s-684)  
"Saturn Rings" 199  (ABC, Japan)

This hodgepodge of an album ranges from soft rock to heavy acid guitar freakouts. Three songs are taken straight from the first Sagittarius album, apparently the exact same takes but with additional instrumentation and Michele's lovely vocals. Some electric violin here and there is pretty cool, and a few songs have a really nice late-night dreamy vibe. It's not exactly consistent, but this is mostly terrific, to my ears as good as either Sagittarius album or the Millenium album, and much tougher. Some LA heavyweights help out. [AM]

MIDNIGHT (IL)

"Into The Night" 1977 (no label KM 1787)  [1000p]  
"Into The Night" 1996 (no label)  [bootleg]

Local Chicago garage hardrock with a Doorsy '69-70 sound despite the release year. Covers all the bases with lots of rocking stuff, some moody introspectives, boogie moves, a doomy Sabbathish attempt etc. Pretty decent for the genre and a cool mid-60s Vox organ sound all through is a plus. [PL]

MIJ ( )

"Color By The Number" 1969 (ESP 1098)
"Color By The Number" 199  (CD ZYX)

Jim Holberg doing mystic folk weirdness with spooky, echoed vocals that has dubbed him the "Yodeling Astrologer". Less art/avant and more genuinely strange than most ESP releases, worth checking out for fringe fans. Issued in a color by number cover.

MILKWOOD see Under Milkwood

MILKWOOD (CA)

"Another Sunday" 1979 (no label)  

Folk with 12-string, flute and mixed male/female vocals.

MILKWOOD TAPESTRY (NY)

"Milkwood Tapestry" 1969 (Metromedia md-1007)  [gatefold; wlp exists]  

Milkwood Tapestry’s only album is a weird mix of baroque ballads and frantic fuzz-guitar screamers. The combination doesn’t really work very well, especially since the ballads outnumber the noisier songs. The singer is a little too operatic to be appealing in either context, and overall this album is an interesting misfire. Still, a few songs, especially “Beyond The Twelve Mile Zone,” are pretty cool, and some of the arrangements are quite original. Close listens will be marginally rewarding, but also somewhat frustrating. Great song titles. [AM]

MILLARD & DYCE (Baltimore, MD)

"Millard & Dyce" 1973 (Century Kaymar Dyce 7-265)   

Mix of electric and acoustic folk blues, with three guitars and bass. A Century custom, sometimes listed as on Kaymar only.

MILLENNIUM (Los Angeles, CA)

"Begin" 1968 (Columbia cs-9663)  [360 Sound label]  
"Begin" 1990 (CD Columbia)  [+2 tracks]

This is generally considered to be the Boettcher/Usher masterpiece, though like the Sagittarius albums it's pretty spotty. It does have a remarkable timeless production quality to it, and when it's good, as on the amazing "It's You," it's as thrilling as pop can get. Otherwise, though, there's a definite wimpiness to these albums, and the songwriting is inconsistent. My lingering feeling is that if the best songs from all of them were mixed together into one compliation it would be heavenly, good enough to make up for the lack of, um, rock. As it is, this is definitely worthwhile and is recommended, but it's not a five star record. [AM]

MILLENNIUM (TX)

"Millennium" 1973 (Shekinah 1512)  

Christian quartet in a prog-rock direction with lots of keyboard.

"MILLION DOLLAR MONKEY ON MY BACK" ( )

"Million Dollar Monkey On My Back" 1971 (no label)  

Spoken word anti-drug rap with ex-heroin addict, some musical background.

MILL SUPPLY (Montreal, Canada)

"Mill Supply" 1971 (Crescent Street 1860)  

"Satan won’t you help me get in, I’m coming on down". ‘Satan’ opens Side 1 and left my jaw slack with amazement. It sounds like a lounge-crazed, heavier Dead making a pact with The Beast. The Christian lyrics on the track ‘Memories’ make you wonder if they are coming from Above or from Below. Sleeve notes about an interest in Choir singing and the Occult clarify nothing. This is a very solid LP with some exceptional vocals and nice twangy bass lines (a bit like Merkin in places). ‘Bedtime Stories’ is almost as unsettling as ‘Satan’. Side 2 is loungier and poppier, with ‘Voyage to Bhagdad’ and the drugged ‘Spider’ being especially interesting. The LP closes with an amazing, sneering, downer ‘Henry was a Loser’. Well worth tracking down. [RI]

V.A "MILWAUKEE SENTINEL" (Milwaukee, WI)

"Milwaukee Sentinel" 1966 (Century 23214)  

Battle Of The Bands LP with 12 obscure bands and terrible sound quality. Bands include the Radicals, the Patriots, the Ethics, the Woodsmen, etc. Mostly r'n'b and soul covers.

MINETTE (NY)

"Come to me at Tea Time" 1968 (Collectors Choice CCR VOL 1)  

Rare LP of psychedelic cocktail lounge music by female impersonator.

MIKE MINGO (OH) 

"To All My Friends" 1976 (private)  

Strange folkrock/rock with wah-wah and organ by army veteran in a crude paste-on cover.

MINSTREL STRING GUILD (WA)

"The Nightbirds Are Screaming" 1976 (no label)  [insert]  

Folkrock and singer-songwriter from sibling duo with fuzz and some captivating female vocals. There is a second LP from 1977, "Music Swims Back To Me".

MIRTHRANDIR (NJ) 

"For You, The Old Women" 1976 (Mirthrandir 2276)  [insert]  
"For You, The Old Women" 199  (CD Syn-Phonic)

Symphonic progressive with good and heavy chaotic runs. Dual guitar, synth, flute.

LES MISERABLES (Quebec, Canada)

"Les Miserables" 1967 (Jupiter JDY-7011)  
"Les Miserables" 1999 (No Tyme, Italy)  [+bonus tracks]

Highly enjoyable garage & beat from moody French-Canadian punks, with dynamite 3-chord action on the best tracks, such as the two-fisted punch of "Chemises" and "Miserablement votre", both of which could have fit on any garage comp, with snotty vocals, a stripped-down garage sound, and a dynamite Bo Diddley mid-section on the latter. "Vivre avec toi" is another great track in the same fuzzed style, while the excellent "Ecoute-moi" brings in a driving Spencer Davis Group organ club groove. Although essentially a Brit-styled band, they are somewhat less Stones-inspired than Les Differents, with a bit of Yardbirds & Beatles influence reminiscent of upscale Euro-beat bands such as the Mascots or the Motions. Just to screw with this theory, there is a French-language version of "Tell me", and indeed the reissue CD contains a whole bunch of Frenchified versions of current hits like "The letter", "Western union" and (sadly) "When a man loves a woman". Some discrimination is needed when swinging with Les Miserables, but ultimately they were a respectworthy band that need to be checked out by any fan of pre-psychedelic 60s sounds, provided you can handle the French-only vocals. They also had several 45s. [PL]

MISSING LINKS (MA)

"At The 5 O'Clock Lounge" 1965 (Fleetwood 3012)  

Obscure LP from teen-beat top 40 cover band with a tight, rocking sound that suggests many months of playing at local clubs. Covers all through from what I can tell, with the usual mixed bag of r'n'b/soul, frat, crooner ballads and a few glances at the British Invasion. Band had enough selfconfidence to add small but significant personal touches to several numbers. Hippest selections are "Just a little" and "For your love" while "What I'd say" proclaiming that "the Missing Links are in town" packs plenty of charm. They also do the most credible whiteboy version of "Earth angel" around, although this may not wow hip garage fiends who bump into this album looking for "fuzz" and finding none. Comparable to the Justice and early prep-rock LPs and more professional than the genre average. [PL]

MISSION SINGERS ( )

"Everything's Just Fine... Or Is It?" 1967 (Catholic Relief Services)   

Four Catholic priests with electric guitars! The LP was issued to raise money for the Catholic Relief Overseas Aid Fund Appeal. Notable for the atypical closing track “Reconciliation”, a garage psych beast. There is a second LP with folkrock and probing discussion of the lyrics, "Disco-Teach" (Celebrities, 1969). [RM]

MISSISSIPPI (NY/CA)

"Velvet Sandpaper" 1973 (Taurus 169)  
"Velvet Sandpaper" 199  (Taurus, Austria)  [bootleg; altered cover]
"Velvet Sandpaper / White Light" 1998 (CD Two Of Us 001, Germany)  [2-on-1]

Obscure LP from ex-White Light vocalist with unusual worldweary "older guys" sound and titles such as "Mistrust-Separation-Divorce". Hard to describe accurately, but traces of late-period Doors and Tim Buckley can be found on things like the excellent "Blue Love". Comparable to the experience of sharing a drink with a stranger down on his luck at a desolate nightclub, then seeing him actually get up on stage and sing a few songs about his misfortunes as the closing hour approaches. Also a harder fuzz edge with creeping menace on a couple of tracks such as the terrific "Light", and some hints of the barrock groove aspirations of White Light, but these are exceptions to the overall scotch-laden introspection Mr Mississippi projects. Pro-sounding band and vocals that hit just the right spot. This strikes me as a lot better than the White Light LP, and it's strange that it hasn't become more well-known. Originally from New York, Gary "Mississippi" Abrams recorded this album in California 1973 with two completely separate sets of musicians. In 1980 he released another LP titled "Breaking Out". He worked with the Perron Brothers (White Light) for several years under various band names. There are also 3 non-LP 45s. [PL]
~~~
Here we have two great albums in one. Side one, with one band, is a terrific singer songwriter album with mainstream tendencies and great songwriting (the Chris Isaak-like "Blue Love" and the funky "Heat Chills" are particularly good). Side two, with another band, rocks harder, has some freaky moments and is equally as well-written. Abrahms is a vocal chameleon, sounding like Johnny Cash one moment, Jim Morrison another, and also alternately sounding 50 and 20. There's a pretty wide range of styles here, but it coheres. It has top shelf production for a private press, and both bands are hot. Highly recommended. [AM]
~~~
see -> White Light

MISSOURI DIRT ( )

"It's For You" 1977 (Ilmo)   

This album looks like it’s going to be really sleazy, as it’s obviously the work of drunken rural dudes who are more in love with their shotguns and whiskey than their girlfriends, but unfortunately it’s rather bland and not very well played bar rock. It lacks the kind of heavy guitar that would have given the sleazy lyrics some bite. I wouldn’t say it to their face, but this music is disappointingly wimpy. Illinois label. [AM]

MISTREATER (OH)

"Hell's Fire" 1981 (no label CPI 1280)  

Hardrock/metal. The band also had a 45 on the wellknown 700 West label.

MISTRESS (CA)

"New Ground" 2005 (RD Records 17, Switzerland)  [insert]

Post-Country Weather band with a shortlived career, captured here with unreleased 1973 material of 70s post-psychedelic Bay Area rock. There was also a 1996 release from Taxim ("Free Flyte", Germany)

MIZZOURI FOXX (MO/CA)

"Mizzouri Foxx" 197  (no label)  

"Trapped Live" 1979 (Brother Studio)   

Hard guitar/organ bar-rock with a Deep Purple sound from band who moved to SoCal from small-town Missouri. The second LP is recorded live and was released on the same label as Chakra.

MOBIUS STRIP ( )

"Mobius Strip" 1982 (Nervous) 

Basement AOR/ hardrock with high pitched vocals.

MOCK DUCK (Vancouver, BC)

"Test Record" 1969 (no label, acetate)  
"Test Record" 2001 (Gear Fab 154, 2LPs)  [+bonus tracks]
"Test Record" 2001 (CD Gear Fab 154)  [+bonus tracks]
"Test Record" 2001 (Gear Fab/Comet 4072, Italy)  [+bonus tracks]

One of several interesting bands from Vancouver's remarkable late 1960s freak scene. Unfortunately the 45 "Do-Re-Mi" is about the only really good thing they did, the acetate material is disappointing jazzrock and blues excursions, as is the other live stuff added for the reissue. Rarity and legend factor may dictate certain releases, but a double LP was hardly called for.

MOD & THE ROCKERS (MD)

"Now" 1967 (Justice 153)  
"Now" 1994 (CD Collectables 0618)

With a name like that you'd expect at least some recognition of "the new sound from England", and indeed these guys are really hip by Southeast standards, covering the Zombies and the Beau Brummels in addition to an unusual and great arrangement on "Gloria" that's based on Them rather than the Shadows Of Knight. The LP opens with a '66-sounding garage fuzz winner and the band has a tight club sound with organ and a strained soul-punk vocalist. The recording is better than most Justices and this could have been a winner, except that they manage to spoil the party with several lame ballads from a bygone era. Too bad. [PL]

MODALITY STEW (Vancouver, WA) 

"Modality Stew" 1978 (UMP)  [booklet; 1000p]  

Predominantly instrumental acoustic raga folk with an improvisational bent and quirky humor in the song titles. Versatile playing and rich instrumentation with sitars, bells, tablas, flute and more creates an appealing soundscape although it does seem a little late for this type of music. Vocals on first and last track makes you wish they'd sung more, still a cool item and mandatory for genre fans; clearly superior to something like Peter Stark. Features ex-Spikedrivers member Sid Brown. [PL]
~~~
Mostly intrumental, eastern-themed folk album that meanders quite a bit but has its moments. Ends with a really fantastic acid folk song. The singing is appealing; too bad there isn't more of it. This album is somewhat of frustrating because it's so off-hand, and some of it is pretty boring, but the good parts are better than most anything you'll hear in the style. [AM]
~~~
see -> Peace, Bread, and Land Band; Spikedrivers

MODERN SOUNDS ( )

"Famous Songs of Hank Williams" 1969 (Alshire S-5136)  

This is probably the most ridiculous of all of the 60s exploito albums, and that's saying a lot. The album cover tells the whole story: "Famous Songs of Hank Williams; a return trip with Modern Sounds; with exciting vocals; in modern rock-acid sound." These words surround a photo of a hippie girl feeding red and blue sugar cubes to a horse. The liner notes appear to have been written by a marketing agent who's never actually heard rock and roll. The songs, which are very well played, transform Williams' compositions to organ-heavy rock-soul, kind of like what the Detroit Wheels would sound like if they replaced Mitch Ryder with a country singer and added a fuzz-happy guitar player. The fuzz on "Your Bucket's Got A Hole In It" and "Long Gone Lonesome Blues" is truly wonderful, and a few songs have effective raveups. Side two is better than side one, so stick with this and you're in for a heap of fun. The back cover notes say "the whole idea of this album is to bring Hank's great music to the modern young generation," but it's more intriguing to imagine this album bringing red and blue sugar cubes to the geriatric country music generation. See the Animated Egg entry for more LPs from this scene. [AM]

DAN MODLIN & DAVE SCOTT (IN)

"The Train Don't Stop Here Anymore" 1976 (700 West 760715)  [500p]  

Interesting LP on the same label as Zerfas; ambitious, pro-sounding Americana/singer-songwriter in a westcoast style comparable to Dillard & Clark or Brewer & Shipley. Not psychedelic in any way, but not quite countryrock either. Music has rich guitar and banjo tapestries, solid rhythm section, some stray keyboard flourishes and fine arrangements. Nevertheless this must rank as a bit of an aquired taste as the whole album is based on a romantic notion of a bygone hobo/drifter lifestyle which seems a bit clichéd to me. The band was serious enough about this concept to have a real life old-timer reminisce briefly in spoken word about the "good ol' days" in a thick Okie accent that's hard to decipher. At one point he sounds just like the bizarre spoken bit at the end of the Kaplan Bros' "Nightbird", and this is not a good thing. The band's vocals are good but suffer slightly from similar boxcar/bourbon posturing, and while the harmonies work they're not up to the level of the big LA bands in the style. I like this LP but am somewhat annoyed by the presentation. [PL]
~~~
This highly regarded rural rock album really is one of the best in the genre. It's not country rock, but rather laid back 70s rock with strong vocals and a very mild nod in the country direction. The usual 700 West high-quality production makes it sound as professional as an Eagles album. Though it's a concept album about hobos and drifters, these guys sound way too practiced and educated to know anything about the subject, and two spoken bits by a real hobo are incoherent and distracting. Other than those bits, though, you could listen to the whole album without noticing the theme, as most of the lyrics are smart enough to allow for multiple interpretations. This album is melodically sharp and instrumentally sound. It's very, very good. However, when people say it's "better than Zerfas," that's because they don't particularly like Zerfas, not because it actually *is* better. [AM]

MOFOYA (HI)

"Send A Message" 1979 (no label)  

Obscurity from Hawaii with melodic progressive rock, some hard guitar, flutes and female vocals.

MOGAN DAVID & HIS WINOS (Boston, MA)

"Savage Young Winos" 1973 (Kosher 001)  [inserts]  

This band was led by Harold Bronson, who would go on to run Rhino Records. The album was released in 1973, upon the band's demise, and is a mishmash of whatever material they could pull together. The packaging is really cool and funny and worth the price of the LP. It's chock full of notes and inserts, all of which are a kick. The music on the LP is erratic, since they had to dig the depths for enough material to fill 40 minutes. The first four songs are from their last singles, and are by far the best songs on the album, terrific garage pop with funny lyrics and a proto-punk feel. Side one is filled out by four earlier recordings (one dating back to 1969) that are extremely low-fidelity and sloppily performed novelties. One is called "Nose Job," and two others are obviously inspired by the Bonzo Dog Band. Fun, but not as exciting as the songs that came before. Side two is mostly a live performance of energetic but unimaginative cover versions of well-known songs. The final song is a home recording (even cheaper sounding than the live recording) of a comic blues song, which is OK but overlong. Obviously, only some of this is worth hearing, but the single sides and the liner notes make it a cool artifact. By the way, there's a little bonus at the end of side two, so don't lift the needle before it's over. [AM]

MOHS (NM)

"The Unexamined Life is Not Worth Living" 1979 (no label)  

Little-known college project-type album that has some of the usual counterculture brainstorms of the genre but is dominated by excellent local hippiefolk sounds with obvious psych overtones. Male/female vocals are very good, as is the songwriting and the arrangements which include flute and violin. Mix of westcoasty folk and vintage Brit moves a la Shide & Acorn, plus a hispanic element that may derive from the New Mex locale. Two weaker tracks, rest is highly appealing. A worthwhile addition to the late 1970s folkpsych roster alongside Modality Stew, Yellow Autumn, etc. [PL]

MOLES (FL)

"Moles" 1971 (Bandwagon DRP-1566)  [color portraits cover]  
"The Early Moles" 1973 (Sacrana NRS 5400)  [altered cover]  

Guitar/Hammond-B3 bluesy and psychy rock with several good tracks and originals all through, some horns. The retitled second version is rare in its own right, although the press size has been reported as everywhere between 500 and 2000 copies.

MOLKIE COLE (Cleveland, OH) 

"Demo" 1975 (Owl)  [plain cover]  

Demo LP with 4 tracks of progressive rock and AOR with an eclectic mid-70s bag of tricks, guitar, some synth. The band played for many years and opened for national acts, and also had a selftitled LP on Janus in 1977. Only one copy known to exist of this demo.

MOLOCH (Memphis, TN)

"Moloch" 1969 (Enterprise ens-1002)   
"Moloch" 200  (CD Lizard Records LR 0712-2)  

Hard bluesrock with a lot of fuzz guitar and the original version of the much-covered “Goin Down”. Pretty good stuff for the most part, though there are a few duds thrown in. The most effective songs are the shorter, more effects-laden ones. Don Nix was involved in this one. There was also a local post-LP 45 in the same style. [AM]

SCOTT MOMENTHY (Chicago, IL)

"Way Past Time" 1977 (Pepperhead)  [lyrics]  

Melancholy acoustic guitar loner folk with real people depth. Simple yet striking horror cover design.

V.A "MONEY MUSIC" (Minneapolis, MN)

"Money Music" 1967 (August 100)  

This legendary local Minneapolis area comp is where many 1980s garage compilers (especially of the "Changes" LP) got their stuff rather than the 45s. In retrospect it is totally unreal with a line-up including C.A Quintet, Bedlam Four, Electras, T.C Atlantic and other legendary garage & acid punks from the area. Among the less familiar stuff is some quickie garbage but also a good "Hey Joe" by the Stillroven. There you go - an original 60s sampler that blows most 1980s-90s comps away. Very rare. [PL]

MONSTERS (Montreal, Canada)

"Beat 'n' Hits" 1965 (Royal 3507)  

Seldom seen LP in the typical Quebec mid-60s Merseybeat style, with French vocals. "Le Theme Du Cimetiere" is as spooky as they got.

CHRISTOPHER MONTGOMERY (CT) 

"Connecticut Elegy" 1971 (Burning Deck)  [booklet]  

Little-known but interesting loner/fringe urban folk trip full of quirky snapshots from the bleak early 1970s. Lyrics are offbeat with plenty of surprising Dylanesque twists but generally deal with garbage, city desolation, unhealthy relationships and religious apocalypse all radiating from the guy's bedroom. Stripped down demo sound with just steelstringed guitar and a quite passable voice. Comparable to Perry Leopold's "Cold in Philly" track but not quite as heavy, yet clearly better than something like Geoffrey. Recurring sense of irony and overall artistic vision makes you sympathize with the guy's total obscurity. Sample lyric: "I saw eternity the other night/And I tell you, it scared me shitless". 50+ minutes of Connecticut agoraphobia. [PL]
~~~
This certainly is a weird one. Montgomery is openly gay, and his lyrics are introspective and disturbed. Musically, though, it's utterly endless, just the same chord strummed the same way for 50 minutes, over which he sings in a monotone. It's like early Jandek if the guitar were in tune. If you connect with his world view, you may get something from it (I'm sure having the booklet to read along with it helps), but I find it numbingly dull. [AM]

MONTREAL (Montreal, Canada)

"Montreal" 1970 (Stormy Forest sfs-6002)   

Most of this album is straight ahead vocal folk/jazz, quite good (the woman has a beautiful, if unemotional, voice, and the band is outstanding), but unlikely to appeal to psych or folk-rock fans. The long closing song, though, is an absolute acid folk masterpiece, with a haunting melody, gorgeous vocal, backwards sound effects and a dreamy vibe that is completely out of this world. It doesn't exactly "fit in" with the rest, but it's a stunning song. The rest of the album is very good for what it is as well. Richie Havens produced and plays sitar and koto, while Buzz Linhart sits in on vibes. A Canadian pressing also exists. [AM]

MOODS (Luling, TX)

"Live at Turner Hall" 1969 (ACR Kno Bel 1002)  

Full color cover obscurity with late teenbeat club sounds. Basement soul covers with a couple country tunes and frat throwbacks. Has a short fuzz break on "Hey Joe".

MOOLAH (New York City, NY)

"Woe Ye Demons Possessed" 1974 (Annuit Coeptus)   

I can't for the life of me explain why I like this album so much, but I do. It's made up of long instrumentals with no melodies, no structure, disarmingly out of rhythm drums, and no guitars or bass. It sounds like it could have been made up entirely on the spot with no rehearsal by people who don't know how to play their instruments. But it also sounds like it every note could have been planned carefully with an unknown purpose in mind. All of the songs have white noise backgrounds, and waves of synthesizer and piano creep in like a bad dream. Echo effects create a sinister, creepy atmosphere. Ultimately, it's fascinating and compulsive. Maybe it puts a hex on the listener. Often compared to Krautrock, but it's really a thing of its own. "Mirror's" (sic) is unrelentingly intense. [AM]

TRAVIS MOON BAND ( )

"Big Train Rollin'" 1982 (Jammin' jlp-5001)

Southern sound heavy guitar and organ jamming, some slide moves in the wake of the Allman Bros, some harder moves.

MOONLIGHTERS (Nashua, NH)

"An Evening With" 1964 (Century 29132)   

Alvin High School lounge prep rock instrumentals with trumpet from the Century vanity label.
 

MOONLYTE (Philadelphia, PA)

"Better Late Than Never" 197  (Astro 217)   

Early 70s Latino band doing half an album's worth of killer mysterioso groove late night funk/soul/rock, while the other half is latino material sung in Spanish. Very obscure album. [PL]

MOON PIE DANCE BAND ( )

"Enchanted Mesa" 1978 (Goldust lps-174)   

Rural rock with flowing guitar housed in a striking color fantasy cover. Possibly from New Mexico. The cover actually says "Daince" rather than "Dance".

MOONSTONE (Canada)

"Moonstone" 1973 (Kotai 3003)  

Dreamy folk album from up north, sounds as cold as its place of origin. The female vocals are operatic and annoying, but when everyone sings together this has moments that can be quite compelling. Some of the songs are lovely and unique. I find it to be a mixed bag, with side two considerably better than side one. If you can stand the singing style you might like it more than that. [AM]

MOONSTONE (PA)

"Moonstone" 1977 (Baldwin CS 8200)  

Hardrock/AOR with keyboard and some prog moves, has been compared to early Kansas.

JEFF MOORE & FRIENDS (Canada)

"The Youngest Son" 1974 (no label 07-42031)  
"The Youngest Son" 2003 (Orange Doubledome)  [300p]

High school project. Acoustic and dreamy folkrock, mixed vocals.

LES MOORE (New Orleans, LA)

"Yesterday" 197  (Natural 2154)  

Loner folk local recorded in his home direct to two track. just a guy his guitar and dark thoughts. some Leopoldian moments and a scary jump into the abyss long version of "A Day in the Life". [RM]

R STEVIE MOORE (Nashville, TN)

"Phonography" 1976 (Vital 0001)  [b & w collage cover; blank back; 3 inserts; 100p]  
"Phonography" 1978 (HP 30734)  [2nd press; b & w portrait cover]  
"Phonography" 1998 (CD Flamingo)  [+bonus tracks]

"Delicate Tension" 1978 (HP 30735)
"Delicate Tension" 2004 (CD Cordelia 036, UK)

R Stevie Moore is the all-time king of do-it-yourself recordings, as for thirty years he produced home made cassettes and sold them to his cult audience. He produced literally hundreds of 60 minute albums. Obviously anyone who never throws away a single idea is unlikely to have particularly consistent albums, but his occasional LP releases are best-ofs from his tapes. The two LPs that will be most of interest to Archive readers are "Phonography" and "Delicate Tension", his earliest LPs on his own label. Moore's music is basically guitar pop with quirky lyrics, even quirkier arrangements, and all sorts of weirdness (i.e. spoken sections, sound effects) thrown in between. He's comparable to oddball bands like, for example, Oho, except that he has much more of a knack for a pop hook than any post-Zappa or semi-prog weirdos. It's conceivable that he could have had mainstream success if the breaks went his way, but he also tended to sabotage such possibilities (i.e. his catchiest pop song is called "I Wanna Hit You"). He's a long-time favorite of Trouser Press editor Ira Robbins. "Phonography" is a great introduction to his music, with a number of strong songs, all sorts of weird interludes, and a killer guitar-heavy cover of the Andy Griffith Theme. "Delicate Tension" is even better, a wild mix of pop, prog, short experimental rock and even punk. It's chock full of bizarre songs with clever lyrics. Moore has a bunch of later releases that compile music from the late 70s, and also a few 80s and 90s albums of varying quality. A mid-80s album entitled "Teenage Spectacular" is also very good. If you like these early albums, there's a world of R. Stevie to discover via his tape club. A 12" 4-track EP was also released from "Phonography" in 1978. [AM]

MOOSETRACKS (Canada)

"Moosetracks" 1972 (Barge)  [200p]  

Introspective downer folk with psych moves and an echoey basement production. Mostly acoustic, one track has some wah-wah outbursts. All originals except one. Primitive packaging with stamped plain front cover and paste-on back.

MOREY STORE BAND (MI) 

"Cry For The Dreamer" 1979 (Sound Machine 49007)  

Bluesy barband hardrock with ripping guitar and organ.

MORGEN (New York City, NY)

"Morgen" 1969 (Probe 4507)  [gatefold; foldout insert]  
"Morgen" 199  (Probe, France)  [bootleg]
"Morgen" 199  (CD Eva, France)
"Morgen" 2003 (Radioactive 008, UK)
"Morgen" 2003 (CD Radioactive 008, UK)

We've been referring to this LP a lot here in the Archives and it is a definite yardstick for the late 60s guitar psych style. Despite its major label origins the sound is remarkably raw and garagey, with no compromises anywhere. Some rate it as the best major label LP all over and it sure blows a lot of mega-rarities away, as well as ALL the LA heavy psych competition from the same era, with an intense and genuinely psychedelic mood. Punky vocals, great and highly original material (especially on side 1), acid guitars that won't quit - I can't see anyone into psych not digging this. Incidentallly, none of the reissues are from mastertapes. [PL]
~~~
It's easy to explain why this is *the* best heavy psych album: It's a hard rock album that comes from a garage tradition with no blues or heavy metal influence at all. This results in two vocal styles, both of which are superior to anything else you'll hear on a 1968 hard rock record. The first, as heard on the aptly named "Welcome To The Void," is a punky, youthful snarl that suits upbeat hard rock better than any macho swagger. The second, as heard on the also aptly named "Of Dreams," is a breathy whisper that is sexual and eerie. Steve Morgen is one horny guy, and it's hard to tell whether he's more interested in hallucinating or getting laid, but both obsessions really create a kind of urgency here that is powerful and exciting. Even the obvious Who rip at the end of side one and the long jazzy guitar solo at the end of side two work in this context. And, of course, the songwriting and fuzz guitar are absolutely top of the heap. [AM]

MORLY GREY (Youngstown, OH)

"The Only Truth" 1972 (Starshine 69000)  [1000p; poster]  
"The Only Truth" 1986 (Starshine)  [counterfeit; poster]
"The Only Truth" 199  (CD Twilight Tone, Germany)
"The Only Truth" 199  (CD Flash 52, UK)

I've always liked this LP for its successful mix of folkrocky westcoast and heavy guitar that few groups manage to pull off. Might be too proggy for those who want 1960s garage/psych sounds but to me it's definitely worthwhile, with strong songwriting, in your face hardrock action, and atmospheric moves on the sidelong title track. One of the classic privates from Ohio, with no weaknesses. The vinyl bootleg includes the original poster and is exact enough to look like a ripoff bid, but not many were fooled; easiest tell is that the original has a wraparound front cover slick with a tan background that extends onto the back cover, while the bootleg wraparound slick's tan background color ends at the seams and turns into white on the back cover. The boot also has some crackles on side 2 from the copy that was counterfeited. There were two 45s released from the LP, and also a rare pre-LP 45, "Sleepy Softness". The band also put out a 45 of previously unreleased tracks around 1990, with an art sleeve. [PL]
~~~
Essential heavy psych rock with wonderful mix of heavy wailing and delicate wandering guitar leads. Fine vocals and drumming as well. highlighted by the anthemic title track, a 17 minute anti-war epic with watery sustain. The drummer Paul Cassidy was fired after the initial recordings. The group kept side one and re-recorded the title track with new drummer, Bob Lanave. [RM] 
~~~
Strong hard rock album with some very subtle moments and excellent production for a privately pressed album. At times they sound like they could have been an effective folk-rock band if they'd chosen that route. Interesting and creative throughout. The 17-minute song is surprisingly effective, and this album has hooks galore. One of the best of its kind, that rare hard rock album that mixes subtle and heavy without ever sounding uncomfortable. [AM]

MORNING DEW (Topeka, KS)

"Morning Dew" 1970 (Roulette 42049)  [wlp exists]  
"Morning Dew" 1989 (Roulette)  [bootleg]
"Morning Dew" 2002 (Akarma 195, Italy) 
"Morning Dew" 2002 (CD Akarma 195, Italy)
"At Last" 2004 (Roulette/Scorpio)

Midwest legends who cut a handful of great garage 45s before this swansong hippierock LP, which unfortunately was issued way too late to make any impact. Rated highly by many, it's a solid trip through Airplane/Cream /Butterfly dimensions mixing early heavy moves with strong folkrock/psych material. Lack of macho vocals is a plus, and opening "Crusader's smile" is a classic. Reminds me of the Mainstream label sound, though this is more consistent. A good LP all over, but perhaps not enough of a mindblower to warrant the big price tag. True originals have "Bell Sound" stamped in the trail-off. An original German pressing exists. There is also a sampler LP of their great 45s and unreleased tracks titled "Cut The Chatter" (Caped Crusader, 1988), and a couple of CD releases from Collectables with the album, 45s and unreleased. Caveat: despite utilizing the original album cover art, and listing the album tracks on the sleeve, the Scorpio vinyl LP contains completely different music; unreleased material plus three alternate takes of LP tracks! All this material had earlier been released by Collectables on CD. [PL]
~~~
Good but overrated album that sounds fantastic on first listen but comes down to earth once you get used to it. Mostly it's pretty mainstream, with solid vocals and performances and a few really great songs on side one. All of it is decent, but it lacks the kind of depth or originality that would give it classic status. [AM]

MORNING GLORY (CA)

"Two Suns Worth" 1969 (Fontana srf-67573)  [promo exists]  

Typical westcoast Airplane/Mamas & Papas sound with male/female vocals and full-on hippie-psych vibes. A bit inconsistent, with 2-3 excellent tracks including the classic trance psych floater "Jelly Gas Flame" which must be heard, and a few duds. Not great, but better than some albums five times as expensive. Producer credit is "John Cale"! [PL]
~~~
This is a slight bit wilder than most of the Airplane-wannabe albums, with some truly ripping fuzz guitar. As with a lot of these albums it's pretty hit and miss, but the best moments on it are more genuinely psychedelic and experimental than on albums like Yankee Dollar, Ivory, Spirits & Worm, and so on. [AM]

MORNINGLORY ( )

"Growing" 1972 (Toya tstlp-2001)

Harmony-rich rural rock with some mild blues tendencies. Pleasant and well done but not especially exciting or memorable. Recommended to fans of the genre, but unlikely to have much appeal to others. [AM]

MORNING SKY (NH)

"Sea of Dreams" 1976 (SP 1110)   

Spacy progressive with eclectic instrumentation and female vocals. [RM]

MORNING STAR (MN)

"Message From the Throne" 197  ('Sound 80' s80-1071-4144s)  

Magnificent dreamy rural acoustic rock/psych gem from Minnesota trio. Even though there are no drums, or even electric guitar for that matter, these guys have a cutting-edge pastoral hippie/garage mood that’s like an unplugged version of Wilson McKinley or Maranatha (Soon). This album is an acoustic guitar lover’s dream, with long tracks that feature sharp 6-string leads backed by bass and hardy 12-string action. Mellotron adds a spacious Moody Blues/King Crimson-ish atmosphere to cuts like ‘The First Day’, ‘His Will’ and ‘The Ship Of Life’. Also some great slide guitar and peppy harmonica stirring things up in a bluesy country folk-rock way on ‘Steppin’ In & Steppin’ Out’ and ‘The Conversation’. The 12-string guitar gets a nice phased effect on the psychy opener ‘You’re So Free’, also with slide guitar. ‘Shine On (With Jesus)’, ‘Joy In G Major’, every song a winner! Vocal harmony sounds real similar to Wilson McKinley, with straight-ahead Jesus-lovin’ lyrics to match. Totally homemade black-on-silver cover drawing of scroll in the sky floating above a cross on a hill, with the Biblical reference Revelation 22:16 written at the bottom. Back cover has a drawing of a van with “Jesus Lives” on the back, heading down The Straight and Narrow Pathway. Very rare custom record, mastered at Minnesota’s Sound 80 studio. [KS]

MORSE CODE TRANSMISSION (Quebec, Canada)

"Morse Code Transmission" 1972 (RCA 4575)  

"II" 1972 (RCA 6092)  [2LPs]  

The first album by this French-Canadian band (who would eventually change their name to “Morse Code”) mixes mainstream orchestrated pop with soulful hard rock. There’s great fuzz guitar on “It’s Never Easy To Do,” but for the most part the hard rock songs are unimaginative and the vocals annoyingly macho. The pop songs are short, but pretty complex, and actually are more successful than the rockers. I even like the one that starts out as a country-styled hoe-down and then becomes sugary AM pop. Interesting. The lyrics on this album are in English. The rarer second album is a 2LP set which moves in a progressive rock direction and may appeal to genre fans. [AM]

MOSAIC (KS)

"Sea Caravan" 1972 (TAL Enterprises d-12977)  

Dark instrumental piano and acoustic guitar folk with classical shadings. Minor chords and moody strumming latenite sound. [RM]

J MOSER & THE HOTS (AZ)

"For Life" 1975 (Moco Records FIT 003)  

This unusual private press item comes from a distinct area of American 70s rock that strangely is not all that well documented. It has soulful but white vocals (somewhat similar to Willy Deville or Willie Alexander), mildly funky rock arrangements with as many pianos as rhythm guitars, and ragged harmonies. You expect a sax solo to appear at any moment, though these guys actually use some surprising moog instead. There were tons of bands who played this kind of bar-band rock, but somehow it's a genre that isn't as well chronicled on record as prog, hard rock, or folk; private press albums with this sound are rare indeed. Lyrics range from horny pickup attempts to near-suicidal ruminations on the meaning of life. There are some surprising production tricks throughout, and the long title track gets way out there, with sound effects, space age electronics, freaky backing vocals, phased drums and unrestrained lead guitar. That terrific song is probably what attracted collectors to this record, but the rest of the album, while more conventional, is nearly as good. Every song is performed as if Moser's life depended on it. This is a pleasant surprise, and a record that sounds like nothing else here in the Acid Archives. The back cover photo of Moser looking like a lounge singer gives a clue that the soulful vocal style developed from the many cover versions they played on the hopeful way up. I have a soft spot for bands like this. With a few breaks they could have taken the long road to stardom like, say, Bob Seger or REO Speedwagon. [AM]

MOSES (Lethbridge, Canada)

"End Of The Line" 1978 (Paradise Records)   

Moses were a four piece band from Alberta who recorded enough material for a long album (13 songs) between 1974 and 1977, and this release was the only one by the group and contained those songs. Being somewhat wary of mid 70s private press outings I can say I wasn't too sure about this one, It was described as heavy psych and there was only a very small press, but what really is on offer here is a sometimes below average and sometimes decent brew of westcoast guitar rock with both a left field and a commercial edge exemplified in tracks like the opener "Ballerina Dance" and the best track "Wastin' My Time" which features an outrageous long guitar solo. There are 3 to 4 or 5 at most really killer tracks here out of 13, the rest being lukewarm, but you've got to give these guys credit for trying. I didn't like this one enough to keep it after about 8 listens, and you are unlikely to ever find a copy of it. If you do, don't expect the usual boneheaded trash associated with private press rock LPs from this time, but don't expect a lost gem either. [Ben Blake Mitchner]

MOTHER TUCKERS YELLOW DUCK (Vancouver, Canada)

"Homegrown Stuff" 1969 (Capitol ST 6304)  
"Homegrown Stuff" 2000 (CD)

"Starting A New Day" (1970) (Capitol ST 6352)  

The debut LP is excellent rural folkrock/psychrock that's still reasonably easy to score. Closest point of reference is probably Moby Grape and Kak, though this is less rocking and more mellow/stoned. Two duds, otherwise solid all through with a peak in two guitar-psych killers on side 2 that will blow your head clean off. Second LP is reported as being similar but not quite as good. They also had a great non LP 45. Some video material of the band performing five songs live on Canadian TV is in circulation and well worth tracking down. [PL]
~~~
Canadian answer to Wizards Of Kansas and other hard rocking almost-rural late 60s/early 70s bands. Side two on the debut opens with “One Ring Jane” an absolute classic of out of control fuzz guitar and heavy rock riffing, and not surprisingly nothing else on the album is anywhere near as good. None of it rocks nearly as hard either, so it takes a while to put it all in context. When you do, you’ll probably think that the spoken poem falls flat, but the rest of it is reasonably good. Not great, but not bad. [AM]

MOUNTAIN BUS (Chicago, IL)

"Sundance" 1971 (Good 101)  
"Sundance" 198  (Good)  [bootleg]
"Sundance" 1998 (CD Gear Fab gf-115)  [+5 tracks]
"Sundance" 1999 (Akarma, Italy)  [2LPs; +bonus tracks]

One of the most well-liked albums in the post-Dead rural rock bag. Jammy and loose but well-played. The vocals are in the Dead style but a little more palatable to these ears. Long cover of “I Know You Rider” is probably the highlight, but all of this is quite good. [AM]
~~~
see -> Sky Farmer

MOUZAKIS (Wilmington, DE)

"Magic Tube" 1971 (British Main 90069)  

I have no idea where their name came from, but I suppose it wouldn't be easy to find an ideal moniker for this bargain basement mix of funk, soul, hard rock, 50's-style rock, jazzy prog and Christian rock. They're pretty ambitious, and the music has a contagious energy even though it isn't good. I can't figure out what the songs are actually about, but you have to appreciate a title like "Long Haired Bombardier." This album includes a spastic live recording of "Rock Around The Clock". Throughout, the cheesy-sounding organ is mixed way too loud, and the recording quality is awful. Most of the solos are really bad. The singer is better, but barely. Somehow this album isn't boring, but I wouldn't exactly recommend it. Demo copies were issued with a four page promo insert. [AM]

MOVING SIDEWALKS (Houston, TX)

"Flash" 1969 (Tantara 6919)  [unipak]  
"Flash" 1980 (Tantara, Europe)  [counterfeit; 300p]  
"99th Floor" 1982 (Eva 12002, France)  [LP +bonus 45 tracks; altered cover]
"Flash" 1993 (CD Afterglow 002, UK)
"Flash" 1994 (CD TRC, Germany)
"Flash" 199  (CD)  [+bonus tracks]
"Flash" 2000 (Akarma 117/2, Italy)  [3-sided LP; +5 bonus tracks]
"Flash" 2000 (CD Akarma 117, Italy)  [+bonus tracks]

If in the mood for guitar-driven late 60s blues-rock with psych moves, this is one of the best LPs in the style. For a debut album it's quite accomplished, showing a band with no weaknesses and a lot of heart in their music. The Hendrix factor becomes too heavy on tracks like "Pluto, Sept 31st", but after hearing endless generic "heavy psych" albums from the LA area it's a delight to encounter an album in the same style that sounds emotionally genuine, whether it'd be bourbon-soaked laments or acid-fried studio experiments. Though not a masterpiece, this LP has aged well. Their non-LP 45s are excellent. The 1980 counterfeit is close, but the graphics are blurry and lack the machine stamped 'MR' (enclosed in a circle) in the trail-off. True originals also have title stamped on spine inside the gatefold. [PL]
~~~
Well-known rarity outside of collector circles because of the ZZ top connection and because of the non-LP single on an early "Pebbles" comp. The album moves beyond the garage rock of that single to Hendrix-inspired heavy psych with lots of wild guitar. The last two songs are a complete freakout that surely baffled ZZ Top fans who dug this one up in the 70s and 80s. Most of this is very good, though it's marred the by one of those long blues jams typical of the genre. [AM]

MR FLOOD'S PARTY (NY)

"Mr Flood's Party" 1969 (Cotillion sd-9003)  [wlp exists]
"Mr Flood's Party" 2005 (CD Synton, Austria)

This is a tough one to describe, somewhere between dreamy downer psych and clever popsike. It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s a more interesting and evocative album than many that sell for quite a bit more money. Hard to find in strong condition, for some reason. The band later released an LP as Corbett & Hirsh, while another member went on to the Frogs. [AM]

MU (Los Angeles, CA / Maui, HI)

"Mu" 1971 (RTV 300)  [lyric insert; wlp exists]  
"Mu" 1974 (CAS 100) [1000p]  
"Lemurian Music" 1974 (United Artists uag-29709, UK)  [altered cover]  
"Mu" 1988 (Reckless 4, UK)
"Mu" 199  (CD, UK)
"Mu" 1997 (CD Sundazed sc-11037)  [2CD box set; +bonus tracks]

The band and LP that propelled Merrell Fankhauser to international stardom, at least on the rare psych LP collector circuit. Rated highly for decades, and less hippie:ish than his later Mu work. This mix of bluesy urban LA exhaust fume vibes and tribal desert mystique is as archetypal an early 1970s SoCal trip as you can find. Strong songwriting, pro-sounding recording all around, given a clearcut identity from the excellent slide guitar, harmony vocals, and occasional sax. Too bad not more bands followed this musical path. "Eternal Thirst" with spooky percussion and chanting goes deep into the ancient regions of your cranium. From a mainstream/classic rock perspective, this is Merrell's most significant work, although even better things were to follow for us hallucinogenic pursuers. The retitled British 1974 version also came out in Brazil. [PL]

"The Last Album" 1981 (Appaloosa 017, Italy) 
"Children of the Rainbow" 1985 (Blue Form 1)  [#d]
"End of an Era" 1988 (Reckless 7, UK) 
"The Band From the Lost Continent" 1995 (Xotic Mind xmcd-1, Sweden)  [2CDs]

Although not released until the 1980s, the 1974 Maui recordings may be even better than the debut LP. This is music as pure as you're ever going to hear, a seemingly effortless flow of tremendous melodic psych and folkrock most bands can only dream of attaining. This and the "Mu" LP are cornerstones in any decent psych collection. Hawaiian vegetarian UFO hallucinations! It should be mentioned that while this is seen mostly as a Merrell vehicle, many of Mu's best tracks were written or co-written by ex-Beefheart Jeff Cotton. All releases above feature essentially the same material, the Xotic Mind CD being the most complete collection. [PL]
~~~
see -> Merrell Fankhauser

MARC MUNDY ( )

"Marc Mundy" 1971 (Tomarc)  
"Marc Mundy" 2006 (CD Companion)

Mundy expected this album to make him famous. His songwriting actually is rather mainstream singer-songwriter fare, but his sensibility is pretty weird, and most importantly, he sings in an unidentifiable accent (Asian? Eastern European? Gypsy?) that makes this a true love or hate proposition. There's no in between here, as the voice overwhelms everything: the songs, the lyrics, the arrangements, even the backing vocals. The whole thing has a very exotic feel, and his guitar playing is vaguely Eastern. There is some orchestration and much of this is barely "rock," but it's hardly like any adult contemporary you've ever heard. There are some transcendent moments here, like the falsetto on "Give Up Your Pride." Truly unique. [AM]

ALAN MUNSON (Santa Barbara, CA)

"First Light" 1979 (Parallax)  

West coast 1970s laidback folkrock with mix of acoustic and electric tracks. Munson was earlier with Cooley-Munson, and also released the cassette-only "Good Morning World" (1975, Parallax Records).
~~~
"There are eleven original songs on the "First Light" album. The album doesn't easily fit into a music category box, since the songs range from Psych rock, to some fairly "laid back" folk-rock, and even a song with a country rock feel. Instruments played on the record include electric and acoustic guitars, electric bass guitar and drums. Lead solos are all played on electric guitar; there's a "clean" sound on the acoustic based songs and guitar effects were used on the Psych rock songs. Strong lead vocals and background harmony vocals. Lyrics are clear and meaningful." (Description supplied by Alan Munson)

 
P J MURPHY QUINTET (Madison, WI)

"P J Murphy Quintet" 1964 (Leaf 6475)  

University of Wisconsin, weak frat rock from preppy-looking guys & a female member. This has been hyped as a rarity, so proceed with caution. Two cover variations exist.

MUSHROOM (New York City, NY)

"Freedom You're A Woman" 1978 (Vulcan v-911)  

Brooklyn hardrock recorded at The Record Plant, in nice toadstool cover.

MUSIC (MI)

"The Book Of Music" 1972 (no label)  [300p]  
"The Book Of Music" 2004 (Rockadelic 49)  [300p]

Although straightforward in style it required several plays for me to get a feel for this. "My side of the mountain" is the track people will talk about 10 years from now, and a good example of the typical 70s teenage hardrock Rockadelic sound. The "lighter" side was the one I had to ponder, but it came out on top as well; the right vibe, good songwriting with some nice hooks, and arrangements and playing are fine throughout the LP. The original PR line of it sounding like "Led Zeppelin and Neil Young" I think sums it pretty well; oddly some of it sounds like a British band trying to sound like an American band. Possible local US references might be Top Drawer, Dryewater, Magi and other 70s exponents of US/UK melodic hardrock influences. I wouldn't rate this as high as Wailing Wall, which was quite unique and weird in a way I admire, but Music was obviously worth reissuing and I'm guessing it will have a wider appeal than W.W. among the general populace. The LP was originally sold at the band's high school. [PL]
~~~
Side one of this album is solid CSN-inspired harmony folk/folk-rock, very early 70s in sound, though the crude production gives it a dark feel that mainstream music of this type lacks. Side two is a whole different story, opening with one of the best folk-into-heavy-rock anthems you're likely to hear. "My Side Of The Mountain" is a monster, and it alone makes this album essential. The rest is pretty strong too. A nice, surprising find. [AM]

MUSICA ORBIS (PA)

"To The Listeners" 1977 (Longdivity)  [gatefold]  

This group of Swarthmore College graduates (they formed while still students, but recorded afterwards) is rather unique and somewhat ahead of their time. They’re not really a “rock” band, though most of the songs take rock forms. They seem like a bunch of music majors who were cool enough to go beyond their jazz and classical roots, and were also too smart to play mainstream pop or rock. This type of background could lead to some really pretentious stuff, but not in the case of Musica Orbis, who are more interested in thoughtful experimentation than in showing off their chops. Kitty Brazleton (who is still active in the NYC music scene and has been leader of some interesting experimental jazz/rock/chamber music bands in the 90s and 00s) is the voice of the band, and what a voice she is: reaching insanely high notes here, and achieving an impressive calm there. The chorus to “It’s Hard To Say,” where she really belts it out, is stunning. Side one of the album is much more experimental than side two, and includes a jazzy instrumental as well as some progressive-style rock. The instrumentation is diverse and unusual throughout, and while this side is all over the map, it’s pretty fascinating. If side one is a slightly qualified success, side two, which comprises five relatively short and accessible songs, is an unqualified success. It’s impressive how no matter what kind of experimentation they’ve got up their sleeve, the melodies are memorable and the songs sound like they could have been radio hits. The lyrics are pretty great too. “Home” is a feminist tale of self-reliance that predates the Waitresses’ “No Guilt” by five years. While they don’t go out of their way to remind you, you’ll continually notice how smart this band is. If only all progressive music could be this heartfelt and passionate. Highly recommended, even though the pressings are awfully noisy straight out of the shrinkwrap. [AM]

MUSICAL THEATRE ( )

"A Revolutionary Revelation" 1969 (Metromedia)  [wlp exists]  

Exploito concept with a narrator asking in a God-like voice how to make the world a better place. The "answers" are these studio pop psych ditties with all sorts of gratuitous sound effects.

MUSIC EMPORIUM (Los Angeles, CA)

"Music Emporium" 1969 (Sentinel 69001)  [die-cut gatefold; 300p]  
"Music Emporium" 1983 (Psycho 11, UK)  [altered sleeve]
"Music Emporium" 199  (Afterglow, UK)
"Music Emporium" 199  (CD Afterglow, UK)
"Music Emporium" 1997 (CD Flash, Europe)
"Music Emporium" 2001 (Action Records 304)
"Music Emporium" 2001 (Sundazed)  [+bonus tracks]
"Music Emporium" 2001 (CD Sundazed)  [+bonus tracks]

This should be a wellknown item by now in view of the legendary status attributed to it over the years. Classy, seductive LA studiopsych with Bay Area influences, terrific use of organ, some powerful guitar leads, and beautiful male/female harmonies, like a better produced Serpent Power or a better composed Growing Concern. The band (who sported a female drummer) was influenced by Iron Butterfly but unlike most of their contemporaries turned this influence into something useful and occasionally truly haunting, be it dreamy floaters like "Velvet Sunsets" or the powerful acid drone of "Day of wrath". There are other LPs I rate higher but all over one of the true classics among rare westcoast 60s psych LPs. The album used to be extremely rare, until a fortunate soul came across more than 100 unplayed copies in a warehouse in the 1990s. As most people know, the Psycho reissue suffers from a major mastering screw-up and has one channel missing. The Afterglow boots have good sound. The Sundazed remastering job is OK but loses a bit of the original's presence, in my opinion. Only the Action bootleg and legit Sundazed reissue retain the original die-cut gimmick sleeve[. PL]

MUSIC MACHINE (Los Angeles, CA)

"Turn On" 1966 (Original Sound 5015)  [mono] 
"Turn On" 1966 (Original Sound 8875)  [stereo]  
"Turn On" 1966 (CD Repertoire, Germany)

"Bonniwell's Music Machine" 1967 (Warner Brothers w-1732)  [mono; wlp]  
"Bonniwell's Music Machine" 1967 (Warner Brothers w-1732)  [mono; gold label]  
"Bonniwell's Music Machine" 1967 (Warner Brothers ws-1732)  [stereo; gold label]  
"Beyond The Garage" (CD Sundazed sc-11030)  [+bonus tracks]

Well-known cult band that needn't be explained here. Often referred to as "garage" although they were perhaps more of a cutting edge LA band like the Doors and Love, with music so unusual and ambitious that it sometimes sounds more like late 1970s post-punk than "60s". The first LP is a mixed bag and can be avoided if you get the 45s instead; the second LP is a more consistent affair allowing you a peek inside the unusual creativity of Sean Bonniwell. Still, I'm not a great fan of the band whose music often strikes me as overly intellectual and elaborate, but when they get it right the intensity is truly remarkable. Apart from the early 45s I think the tormented "I've loved you" on the second LP and the rare non-LP 45 "You'll love me again" are musts. The wlp mono contains a unique rough mix of "Eagle Never Hunts The Fly" not available anywhere else; probably included by mistake instead of "Double Yellow Line", which is listed but not included. The old Rhino "Best Of" sampler has some rare tracks, but these are unfortunately mastered slightly off-speed. There is a more recent Sundazed sampler titled "Ignition" which has much of the same rarities. [PL]
~~~
see -> T S Bonniwell

MUSTARD SEED (CA)

"Mustard Seed" 1971 (Spectrum lps-3501)  [plain cover with sticker]  

Here’s a weird one. I’ve listened to this one multiple times and I’m still not sure what to make of it. I think I like it. Not quite sure how to describe it either. There are some simple acoustic ballads, melodic rock with low-key psychy organ, pop horns on a couple tunes, an unusual psychedelic moody piece with wah-wah electric, trumpet, and reverbed vocals. ‘Free People’ has a nice Doors-ish organ solo (sort of a poor man’s ‘Light My Fire’) and a brief token drum solo that all hip albums from this period were required to have. Has flashes of brilliance and edge that hearken to the “biggies” that sell in the 3-digit figures, but overall it’s not quite up there with the rest. Well produced. [KS]

MUTHA GOOSE (IN)

"Mutha Goose I" 1975 (Alpha Omega 26401)  

Heavy underground rock with surging leads, organ, and a progressive edge. "Freak Hitch-hiker" is a strong track.

MYSTERIANS (Winslow, AZ)

"Mysterians" 1967 (Indian Arts of America p-3005)  

American-Hopi Indian group doing frat, soul and beat covers with guitar band setting plus sax, some female vocals. "A Thousand Stars", "Money", "Wooly Bully", a couple of possible originals. No relation to the "96 tears" guys, of course.

MYSTERIOUS MINDS ( )

"Mind Over Matter" 1975 (no label)  
"Mind Over Matter" 2002 (Mystic)  [300p]

Great weirdo 1970s groove rock by Korea War veterans with unique vibe and using a custom-built pipe instrument, the "Brass Orchestra Cabinet", for added strangenss. Only a handful of copies known, good one for the fringe fans.

MYSTERY MEAT (Carlinville, IL)

"Profiles" 1968 (Director 7303)  
"Profiles" 2003 (Shadoks 041, Germany)
"Profiles" 2003 (CD Normal, Germany)

Extremely rare garage/folkrock LP whose existence was long doubted, until a few copies were unearthed some years back. The band came out of Blackburn College in Carlinville and existed mainly to record this LP. Great originals all through reminiscent of the Bachs and UK group Complex, chock full of organ-led teen atmosphere, tremendous melancholy vocals, and tunes that grow with each play. My current faves include the Dovers-like "Put me down" and "Girl named Sue", but it's really a wide selection of great sounds, enhanced further by the basement ambience. One of the best garage-era albums you can find, to me better than All Of Thus, Summer Sounds, etc. Primitive sleeve design shows a piece of "mystery meat". According to the band, the pressing was very small, maybe 25-100 copies. Due to the lo-fi nature of the original, substantial sound processing has been applied for the German reissues, with mixed results. [PL]

V.A "MYSTERY REVEALED" ( )

"Mystery Revealed" 1972 (Creative Sound 666/777)

Christian rock compilation with tracks by Mike Johnson, Harvest Flight and Paul Clark, the reported highlight being a number by unknown Jay Larremore.

MYSTERY TREND see S F O Music Box

MYSTIC SIVA (Detroit, MI)

"Mystic Siva" 1971 (VO Recording 19713)  [gatefold]  
"Mystic Siva" 198  (no label, Austria)  [altered cover; 385p]
"Mystic Siva" 198  (Hablabel, Italy)  [altered cover]
"Mystic Siva" 199  (CD Mystic)
"Mystic Siva" 199  (CD Anthology, Italy)
"Mystic Siva" 199  (World In Sound rfr-002, Germany)  [gatefold]
"Mystic Siva" 199  (CD World In Sound wis-1002, Germany)

The way I see it, this legend has four strong basement guitar-psychers, while the rest is either lame slow cuts or potential winners screwed up in the mixing (these guys admit being so stoned in the studio they brought the wrong channel up for the solos). "Supernatural Mind" and "In a room" are worldclass stoner killers, but I really have a hard time sitting through some of the weaker stuff. As this has many and loud advocates I've probably stuck my head out too far.  Some unreleased live recordings from before the LP were released in 2003 as "Under the Influence" (World in Sound 017, CD & LP), and has garnered some fans. [PL]
~~~
The mixing mistake (which, bafflingly, is never mentioned in reviews of the album) makes several songs on this album very distracting and annoying. The solo lead guitar is either so loud that it completely drowns out everything else or is so quiet that you can barely hear it. These solos, which are plentiful, aren't all that great, either, rambling endlessly with no apparent purpose. Otherwise, this is stoned teen hard rock with many of the hallmarks of the era: wah wahs, a few funky moves, prominent organ, and youthful but bland vocals. I find the slower songs, which have 12-string guitars and dreary drone-like paces, more interesting than the rockers. Even there, though, the weak vocals detract and keep the songs from being total keepers. Occasionally the singer aims for a Jagger-like snotty tone that recalls 60s garage bands, and while he doesn't do it especially well, it's an improvement over the attempts at "melodic" singing. "Spinning A Spell" is my pick hit. Even its ear-busting solo is a step up from the rest on the album. A few other songs rise above, but there are a bunch of duds as well. It does have a mildly outrageous and spooky feel to it, and I think it would appeal more to 60s garage fans than to 70s hard rock fans. Still, there are plenty of albums as good or better, and it's hard to see why it is rated so high in collector circles. [AM]

MYSTIC ZEPHYRS 4 (Ventura, CA)

"Maybe" 1974 (Two:Dot HRH-6873)  

Incompetent teenage family band with sincere pop songs and an extremely dated "have a nice day" 1970s feel a la the Brady Bunch/Partridge Family. The vibe is understated and nervous, as opposed to the in-yer-face crudeness of the Shaggs. Some of the tracks are truly memorable, and this is a recently discovered biggie on the Fringe/Incredibly Strange circuit. The drummer is only 12 and she sucks! An obvious cult item, on the same label as Arthur and Hendrickson Road House. The band were: Lynne (age 18) - guitar, vocal, flute, songwriter; Keith (age 16) - bass, vocals; Gayle (age 14) - organ, vocals; Joyce (age 12) - drums, vocals. There were also two 45s with non-LP tracks released on Two:Dot.

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