SABRAS see Bezalel & the Sabras

SACRED MUSHROOM (Cincinnati, OH) 

"Sacred Mushroom" 1969 (Parallax 4001)  
"Sacred Mushroom" 198  (Parallax, Europe)  [bootleg; yellow vinyl]
"Sacred Mushroom" 1993  (CD Eva b-30, France)
"Sacred Mushroom" 2001 (CD)

I occasionally see this on high priced psych lists, coupled with the usual dealer BS descriptions of "radical, mind numbing psych", etc. You probably won't be shocked to hear that most of the album isn't particularly psychedelic. In spite of the trippy name and great psychedelic cover art, the majority of the album found the band pursuing a fairly pedestrian blues attack. Unfortunately, overlooking a nifty cover of The Kinks' "I'm Not Like Everybody Else" (which stood as the album's highlight), none of the set's white-boys-singing-the-blues efforts were particularly original. Competent and professional, the isolated bits of excitement were largely a result of excellent guitar work. There was also a pre-LP 45, and an original Mexican pressing of the LP on Audio Fidelity. The 2001 CD is a reissue from the band themselves. [SB]
~~~
This one's collectable more for the album cover and band name than for the music within. They're definitely hippies, but this is mostly straight blues, and not a particularly interesting example of it. Cool communal photo on the back cover, though. [AM]

SADDHU BRAND (San Francisco, CA)

"Whole Earth Rhythm" 1970 (Anna Chakraborty's Musical Sewing Machine 101)   

Cosmic communal sitar folk and psych, with female vocals, chanting in English and Hindu, lots of ethnic instruments. An early example of a genre that would become common during the 1970s, not overwhelmingly interesting to my ears and curiously lacking the spiritual charge that can make these albums memorable. With Peter Van Gelder (ex-Great Society) after a long trip to India. The LP was picked up by UNI (73116) and re-released in 1971 with a new and less blatantly druggy cover. The UNI press is a good way to check out the LP cheap.

SAGE (FL) 

"By Sage" 1977 (Illusion CM2004)  
"By Sage" 2004 (CD Radioactive 081, UK)

Typical local mid-1970s Allman Bros/Dead rural groover, with a laidback mood and snakey guitar leads. Hard to find anything that makes it stand out within this rather common style, although the overall consistency of mood and playing makes it a good proxy for the genre. Vocals are OK, with some westcoast harmonies here and there, while the smooth flow of the playing is a bit like Kristyl (esp on "Morning Dove"), except a bit more swampy and not as spellbinding. Recording has an agreeable basement live feel, and it could be argued that these guys have everything in place to make a killer LP, except the songwriting, which relies too much on lines repeated like mantras and a lack of hooks and memorable chord progressions. Instead it becomes a working snapshot of the sound going round among 1000s of local club & bar bands in the American heartland at the time. Slightly stoned but not very psychedelic, except for the front cover acid drawing of a weird old sage with gigantic sheep eyes. [PL]
~~~
This is average Southern-style rock with innocuous love-song lyrics. Some of the guitar playing is pretty cool, and the performances are fine, but until the very last song, the lovely "Morning Dove" (sic), this is unexceptional in every way. The LP sounds like a third-generation recording, the most faded-sounding album you'll ever hear. I know tax scam labels are low-budget, but this must have been mastered from the band's cassette recording of their studio sessions. The first song on side two starts part-way through the actual recording. The vinyl is pretty noisy too, and the album is only 28 and a half minutes long. Cool album cover considering the circumstances. [AM]

"Rock It Out" 1978 (Illusion)  

"Shadows Of The Night" 1978 (lllusion 1050)  

"Freeport" 1978 (Illusion)  

"Rockin'" 1978 (Illusion)  

"Skyscraper" 1978 (Illusion)  

As you can see, something weird was going on with this band and label. In his "release anything I can get my hands on" frenzy, Mike Pinera put out not less than six albums by Sage on his Illusion label, probably as a tax-scam. Too bad he couldn't find some lost recordings of his ex-bandmate April Lawson. These other five Sage LPs have been described as similar in style to "By Sage", although they tend to be seldom seen. "Rock It Out" has a photo of the band.

SAGE (OK) 

"Sage" 197  (McCullar Sound no #)  

Good, laidback 1970s rock with some psychy guitarwork. The band recorded an LP under the name Lyra in 1979, also reputedly of interest.

SAGE & SEER (CO) 

"Sage & Seer" 1969 (Stylist SA-600)  [insert]  

Unusual item for a private press as it's an ambitious and elaborate lyte-psych effort that would have fit well on Epic or ABC. Influences are mainly British with obvious nods to 1967 Donovan and the Beatles. Arrangements bring in chamber music orchestrations and a baroque feel that has made for Left Banke comparisons, although I was more reminded of a second-tier Fredric. Unfortunately the slight weakness of the vocals is enhanced by an upfront and strongly channel-separated mix, something that would have been better handled with the major label treatment originally intended for the guys. Songwriting is good, and the lyrics typically poignant. One track has unsuccessful soul moves like Colorado colleagues Rainy Daze, rest is true to the clever pop genre credo. The experience of hearing a typical $10.000 LA album done as a local release is interesting enough to make this worth checking out, in addition to 3 or 4 memorable tracks. [PL]
~~~
Cool album cover and lots of dealer hype make this one easy to mistake for a lost pop/psych masterpiece. In reality, though, it's a mainstream 60s pop album with lots of strings and horns (where'd these guys ever get such a big recording budget?). It starts and ends well: "Pictures Through A Sunday Afternoon" is a gorgeous baroque pop song that ends in a wash of psychedelic effects, and the closing "Farewell St. John" is a slightly lesser variation on the same musical theme. The rest is kind of a mixed bag, with a few nice soft rock songs and a few that are more forgettable. The album came with a lovely lyric poster. [AM]

SAGITTARIUS (Los Angeles, CA)

"Present Tense" 1968 (Columbia cs-9644)   
"Present Tense" 1985 (Back-Trac)  
"Present Tense" 1997 (CD Sundazed 10053)  [+9 tracks]
"Present Tense" 2004 (CD Sony, Japan)

This is one of the most beloved soft psych albums of the 60s, and it certainly has moments that show Curt Boettcher to have an extraordinary gift for a catchy melody. The album is kind of hit and miss, though, and commits the unpardonable sin of including an edited version of the masterpiece “My World Fell Down.” Unsuspecting 70s collectors who bought the album after hearing the song on the "Nuggets" compilation were understandably disappointed. Certainly this is worth owning, as there are about half a dozen wonderful pop tunes on it, but it feels more like an exploitation album than a coherent whole. [AM]

“The Blue Marble” 1969 (Together 1002)

The second Sagittarius seems like a more coherent attempt at an “album” than the first, with a more consistent melodic feel and some quite surprising use of moog (an instrument still in its infant stages in rock and roll.) It’s completely lightweight, always pretty but rarely a whole lot more than that. You’ll either love or hate the synths, though I can’t imagine even the most jaded hard rock junkie not appreciating the beauty of the voices. The high points aren’t as high as those on "Present Tense", but this is an enjoyable album for those moments when you want to wimp out for a while. [AM]

SAHARAS (MI)

"Saharas" 1966 (United)  [10"]  

Teenbeat rarity with female vocalist Lu. Supposedly a live recording from a Michigan college, in a frat-rock style. This may be the same Saharas that had 45s on United and the well-known Fenton label.

SAILOR ( )

"Sailor" 1976 (700 West)  [1000p; inner]  

Obscure light westcoasty sounds on the same Indiana label as Zerfas, receiving some hype of late. 

 
SAINTE ANTHONY'S FYRE (NJ)

"Sainte Anthony's Fyre" 1970 (Zonk 001)  
"Sainte Anthony's Fyre" 1987 (Breeder 563,  Austria)
"Sainte Anthony's Fyre" 1996 (Void 03)  [poster; 400#d]
"Sainte Anthony's Fyre" 199  (CD, Europe)

Rated by many as one of the ultimate local basement hardrock blowouts. An intense, compressed live feel has the band going through a set of raw originals with a near-punk attack. Also shows obvious urban soul/funk inspiration a la Grand Funk, although this becomes an advantage in this context. A great echoey rehearsal space sound adds to the appeal. According to Jersey folklore the drummer OD'd after his brother had shot himself in the head. The Void reissue is inferior in sound compared to the original, or the earlier bootleg. [PL]
~~~
Intense damaged power trio. Sludge fuzz behemoth in Bent Wind/Blue Cheer zone. No subtlety or restraint in evidence as Greg Ohm delivers powerful vocals and distorted leads from the other side. The side openers "Love over you" and "Lone soul road" are all time riff fests. [RM]

ST ELMO'S FIRE (OH)

"Live At The Cleveland Agora" 1980 (Corposant)  [inner sleeve; #d]

Hard progressive guitar keys. Garagy King Crimson sound and Tolkien influence. Not an expensive LP.

ROD ST JAMES ( )

"Has Anybody Seen A Superstar" 1972 (Paula lps-2218)   

Nice one. Trippy organ, wailing fuzz, and wah-wah over a funky psych backing with 'laid-back cool' phased hippie vocals. Donovan meets Marcus (McDonald)! [RM]
~~~
Interesting combination of funky guitar rock and some folk. The cover is mysterious and it’s impossible to tell from his singing if he’s white or black. There’s some hot guitar here and some pretty catchy songs. It’s a darn good mainstream 70s rock album, though I suppose some would say he’s trying too hard on the few folky songs on side two. There’s nothing “psychedelic” about this album, and other than the lead guitar, it’s not hard rock either, so the hype is sometimes misleading. Nonetheless it’s a very good album and is quite scarce, and I recommend it. [AM]

SAINT JOHN GREEN (Los Angeles, CA)

"Saint John Green" 1968 (Flick-Disc fls 45001)

Trashy sci-fi bubblegum fuzz punk with Kim Fowley involvement, cheesy organ fun. Goofball concept about the end of the world. [RM] 
~~~ 
It's pretty cool to think that stuff this bizarre was getting released and distributed in the late 60s. Goofy comedy bits and fake Satanism mix with garagy pop to make for a fun album. There are a couple of excellent songs here too, and not a boring moment to be found. A nice companion piece for Kim Fowley's "Outrageous". [AM]

ST LOUIS HOUNDS (St Louis, MO)

"St Louis Hounds" 1977 (Hounds 101)  

Rock with big band sound and violin. This is actually the third Pavlov's Dog LP, which had been rejected by Columbia.

ST PIUS X SEMINARY CHOIR (CA)

"Each One Heard In His Own Way" 1968 (Century 30441)  

Here’s one choir you definitely won’t want to miss. Notice that they’re directed by the Rev. Nicholas T. Freund, the same guy responsible for The Search Party’s "Montgomery Chapel", one of Christian music’s absolute top psych rarities. Although this male/female choir doesn’t really sound like The Search Party, they sure don’t recall any choir I’ve ever heard before. The rock, folk, psych and electronic influences heard here once again confirm that Freund was very much a part of the experimental late ‘60s. The choir itself comes across big and loud, and at more than one point it even sounds like they’re yelling at the top of their lungs. The instruments are loud, too: the electric bass, the organ, the acoustic guitars, the electric guitar, and especially the drums and percussion. "Meditation – Acts 2:1-12 – Pentecost Sunday" opens the album on a highly avant garde note, with liturgical readings, chanting and dissonant singing backed by a variety of harsh heavy grating electronic sounds. Covers of Ray Repp’s "I Am The Resurrection" and "Come Children Hear Me" follow, sounding like straightforward ‘60s Catholic folk as typically heard on the World Library or FEL labels. Bluesy harmonica joins with some cool electric guitar riffing on Sister Germaine’s "Who Is This Man". Next is an intense psychedelic version of "Get Together" with big drums, swirls of spacey organ and tripped-out Sgt. Pepper flutes, and a short modal/raga electric guitar solo. Side two is entirely taken up with a rocking performance of John Ylvisaker’s "Mass For The Secular City" (from Praise The Lord In Many Voices Part I), highlighted by psychy organ and electric guitar interaction. Very primitive looking yellow cover with red dove/fire design, along with newspaper clippings about the group on the back. [KS]

ST RAPHAEL FOLK GROUP ( )

"Sabbath Prayer" 196  (no label)  

Late 1960s typical Christian folk and folkrock with male/female vocals, in a nice color sleeve. Described as unexciting by some.

SAINTROCK (NY)

"Conceptual Orchestra" 1978 (CER)  
"Conceptual Orchestra" 2005 (CD)

Westcoast/rural-flavored religious folkrock with flute and fuzz from duo, highly rated by some. There is a second LP from 1984, "Second Coming", and further recordings from recent times.

SAINT STEVEN (MA)

"Saint Steven" 1969 (Probe CPLP 4506)  [gatefold; red label rim]  
"Saint Steven" 1969 (Probe)  [bootleg; gatefold]
"Saint Steven" 199  (CD TRC, Europe)
"Saint Steven" 199  (CD BOD 102, Germany)

Ambitious and eclectic Boss-Town sound that's received some hype recently though I can't say I'm blown away by it. Fuzzed hippierock mixed with folkie bits and interesting lyrics but nowhere as freaky and arresting as the top psych LPs from the time and place, in my opinion. May appeal more to fans of early UK/Euro artrock and prog. Earlier recordings as the Frontpage Review have been made available (CD "Mystic Soldiers", Big Beat). Cataldo was later in the Nervous Eaters. The LP title is sometimes listed as "Over The Hills". A Canadian original pressing exists without gatefold; the album was also released in Peru for some reason. See also comment for One St Stephen. [PL]
~~~
After Morgen, this is the key collectable on the label. Opinions are divided on it, but I think it's a good one. There's a mild theme to it, with background noise on several songs (political commentary, animal noises), and two distinct album sides: "Over The Hills" and "Bastich." I'm not really sure what it's about, but it has an appealing strange energy. The music is a mix of melodic pop/psych and heavy psych. The songs vary in quality but all have nice fuzz guitar and a few, notably "Bastich 1" and "Voyage To Cleveland," are quite memorable. Not a masterpiece, but an interesting album. Oddly enough, "Bastich 1" was covered by Whalefeathers. How in the world did they ever discover this song? [AM]

SALEM MASS (ID)

"Witchburning" 1971 (Salem Mass slp-101)   
"Witchburning" 199  (Salem Mass, Europe)  [bootleg]
"Witchburning" 1998 (CD Gear Fab gf-117)
"Witchburning" 1999 (Akarma 092, Italy)

Cheap-sounding hard rock with lots of moog. For the first song, which is quite long, it's pretty cool, but overall this isn't anything special and doesn't cover any new ground after that one song. It's nowhere near as dark as the band and album title would imply, though the synth does get pretty creepy now and then. [AM]

SANDS OF TIME ( )

"Sands Of Time" 197  (Sands Of Time 2000)  

Not to be confused with any other Sands Of Time, this is unexceptional hippie folk with male/female vocals. The cover shows the main couple in a field.

SANDSTONE (PA) 

"Can You Mend A Silver Thread?" 1971 (SA 2911)  

Little-known local folkpsych trip with a total UK sound, reminiscent of the Shide & Acorn album in particular. Male/female vocal harmonies, acoustic guitar tapestries, flute, piano and occasional violin all create a dreamy, wistful mood typical of the style. While not terribly original it is skillfully done and hits all the right spots, and is likely to delight genre fans in a big way. I might have opted for even more of the female vocals but it's a minor objection. Some trad moves here and there for an "authentic" feel, but really a trip off the lysergic Camelot magic first invoked by Donovan back in 1967. [PL]

V.A "SAN FRANCISCO POP FESTIVAL" (CA) 

"San Francisco Pop Festival" 1968 (Colstar 5001)  [poster]  

Obscure comp done to cash in on the San Francisco craze of '67-68. The marvy packaging (including a poster) is probably of more interest than the sounds, which apart from three or four OK garage/psych numbers is wholly superflous. S.F experts suggest that several of the groups listed actually represent various one-off studio amalgamations involving the highly active ex-New Zealander Ray Columbus. The track attributed to the Haight-Ashbury Blues Band was actually pre-Horses/Kingfish group New Delhi River Band. "Friendly indians" by Charolette Wood is the high point to me. [PL]
 

SANSONE & McDONALD ( )

"Country Life & My Wife" 1976 (Acredited)  

Local folkrock obscurity with a 60s throwback sound.

SANTA FE ( )

"The Good Earth" 1972 (RTV 301)  [wlp exists]  

This is a collectable because of the label, but it's not something many collectors will want to listen to more than once or twice. It's non-psychedelic rural rock, with a few good-timey rock songs and some horns. They try awfully hard but really don't develop an identity. Despite the variety of arrangements it's pretty bland.  The band's earlier, self-titled LP on Ampex is highly rated by some. [AM]

DAVID SANTO (NY)

"Silver Currents" 1968 (Phoenix phs-101)  
"Silver Currents" 1969 (Sire ses-97004)  [altered cover]

Obscure Village folk-hippie guy with tremendous 45 "Rising Of Scorpio", included on this LP in an alternate mix. Rest of the album is disappointing third-tier Donovan sounds with offkey vocals. File under "avoid" next to Marcus on Kinetic. [PL]
~~~
Santo’s best known for “Rising Of Scorpio,” a cool tune that appeared on many psychedelic compilations, despite musically being pretty straight folk rock. The rest of his album is pretty similar, though no other song is quite as memorable. Santo has a warm, guy-next-door voice that’s more likeable than good. His songwriting is good but not great and the album is a fun but minor entry into the 60s singer/songwriter sweepstakes. This LP came out twice, once on a small label with a colorful cover photo with Santo’s face in a bunch of clouds, and a second time on Sire with a black and white photo of Santo in a cold-weather parka. Both versions are scarce, though the original generally goes for twice as much as the second issue. [AM]

SAPPHIRE THINKERS ( )

"From Within" 1969 (Hobbit 503)  [wlp exists]  
"From Within" 199  (Hobbit) 
"From Within" 2000 (CD Summer Of Love 2000-2)

Surprisingly good CA-sounding melodic/harmony psych trip, instantly likable and strong enough to hold your attention for repeat plays. Elements from disparate sources are brought in -- Curt Boettcher sunshine pop, Bay Area teen top 40 psych like Neighb'rhood Childr'n, Sunset Strip organ/fuzz/flute a la Strawberry Alarmclock -- yet the end result is consistent and convincing, with plenty of strength in the songwriting and arrangements, and no major weaknesses. A few tracks point towards the relaxed early 1970s psych sound of Kak and Bob Smith. Impressive, not unlike a junior Music Emporium. Ex-Merry Prankster Sandy "Dismount" Lehmann-Haupt was involved and may have contributed to the non-fake vibe of this LP. [PL]
~~~
All the elements are here: cool organ, solid male and female vocals, catchy melodies, plenty of fuzz guitar, but somehow this album never really worked for me. I'm not sure if it's overlys formulaic, or if the songwriting is a little bland, or I find the flute annoying, or what, but I keep trying to discover what others see in this record with no luck. The album definitely lacks the kind of wildness found in, say, Neighb'rhood Childr'n, or the kind of songwriting excellence and diversity that makes Creation of Sunlight and the Strawberry Alarm Clock rise above their similar saccharine tendencies. [AM]

JOHN W SARGENT ( )

"John W Sargent" 196  (no label)  [no cover]  

Druggy lounge rock with guitar, organ, flute. Some of the vocals are unintelligible which may well be for the best. The label reads 'demonstration copy'. [RM]

JOHN SASE see Aessence

SATAN & THE DECIPLES (LA)

"Underground" 1969 (Goldband grlp 7750)  

Mock-satanic swamprock with classic "theme" song that features unconvincing devilish laughter and a swank Sam The Sham occult party groove that needs to be heard. Made by stupid people for stupid people! [PL]
~~~
This album is a riot. That doesn't mean it's good; it's not. It is, however, one of the most absurd and misguided attempts at exploitation you'll ever hear. The long opening "Satan's First Theme" is ridiculous beyond belief. The singer laughs and growls in a goofy way that wouldn't scare a two-year old, and the lyrics are equally tame. I mean, if you're trying to be Satan, wouldn't you be evil, or scary, or offensive? He doesn't go much further than suggesting he should have sued the writers of the bible for libel. This goes on for about eight minutes, as he sing-speaks and while the backup singers call him "the bugger man." Unforgettable! Another long (7 minute) song ends the album, with the same singer/narrator teaching us about "The Book Of Alpha." It's more of the same and less entertaining only because it's the second time he's pulled the same schtick. The lousy garage pop songs and country ballads that come between these two "masterpieces" are mundane by comparison, even though they're pretty goofy too. Most of you will think this is a colossal waste of time, but some of you will treasure it for life. [AM]

"THE SATANIC MASS" (San Francisco, CA)

"Recorded Live At The Church Of Satan" 1968 (Murgensturm MM 6660)   

Satanic service with sinister organ and preaching. Conducted by church leader Anton Szandor Lavey. One side features a recording of his "Satanic Mass" recorded live, the other features LaVey's reading from "The Satanic Bible" over selected classical music. Reissued on CD several times by labels such as Amarillo, Mephisto, and Rare Recordings.

SATANS (Andover, MA)

"Raisin' Hell" 1962 (no label 3262)  

Instrumentals from the East-Coast prep rock scene, the renowned Phillips Academy (Rising Storm, etc) to be precise. Very crude sleeve artwork.

RICK SAUCEDO (IL) 

"Heaven Was Blue" 1978 (Reality 55)  
"Heaven Was Blue" 2003 (Orange Double Dome)  [300p]

Elvis impersonator moonlighting as a psych genius in a nice blue haunted house sleeve. This is melodic 1970s psych like Michael Angelo and Bobb Trimble with a great sidelong epic and two rootsy r'n'r numbers that stick out like a sore thumb. The good stuff is killer though, rich guitar textures supporting dreamy vocals carrying wellwritten songs through plenty of changes yet always with an eye on the ball; likely to appeal to any and all psych fans out there. All reissue copies came with loose, unglued cover slicks. [PL]
~~~
This is the kind of album that makes collecting so much fun. Who in a million years would have guessed that this Elvis impersonator also was a tortured soul who real voice would be so pretty in a pop sense? The two regular length popsike songs on side one are as good as music gets, every bit as emotionally deep and chill-inducing as Michael Angelo or Bobb Trimble, packed with melody, hooks and dreamy guitars. The sidelong suite is almost as good, but suffers from sloppy rhythms. It sounds as if the drums were overdubbed, and several times the drummer struggles to keep up. The two good time rock & roll songs that close side one are nothing particularly exciting even for fans of the style, and couldn’t be more out of place. Still three quarters of a very special album is something to treasure, and everyone reading this needs to hear it. [AM]
~~~
see full-length review

SAVAGE RESURRECTION (CA) 

"Savage Resurrection" 1968 (Mercury mg-21156)  [wlp; mono]  
"Savage Resurrection" 1968 (Mercury mg-21156)  [red label; mono]  
"Savage Resurrection" 1968 (Mercury sr-61156)  [red label; stereo]  
"Savage Resurrection" 1988 (Mercury)  [bootleg]

One of the classic heavy psych albums, this is one that every fan of the genre seems to like. What makes the album so cool is that they have not one but two wild guitarists, and the dual lead guitars spew fuzz and feedback brilliantly throughout. As much as I enjoy this album, though, I must say that after about twenty listens I still can't remember more than one or two of the actual songs without hearing them again. If the songwriting had been up to the level of the guitar playing this would have been as good as Morgen. The one common criticism is that it's yet another one of these records with a long blues jam on it, but the guitar playing at least makes the jam more enjoyable than most others in the style. As is sometimes the case, the mono promo has been reported as having the best sound of the pressings. [AM]

SAVAGES (Bermuda) 

"Live 'N Wild" 1967 (Duane 1047)  
"Live 'N Wild" 1984 (Resurrection CX 1330)
"Live 'N Wild" 2002 (CD no label)

To me one of the best local garage LPs, an authentic live recording from a Bermuda rich kid hangout. Lots of Animals/Stones moves but also several great originals like "The world ain't round" and the sublime "Quiet town", three of which have appeared on comps. Tough garage sounds successfully mixed with atmospheric ballads in a stylish manner, my only gripe being the wasted "On Broadway" cover and the "manly" sub-Burdonesque vocals on a few tracks. "No no no" is a studio recording from a post-LP session and was inserted into the album with some fake crowd noise added. Original copies of this LP are hardly ever offered but by all means try to score the old vinyl reissue. The label was from New Jersey, but the band was mainly based in Bermuda. There is also a good non-LP 45 track. The vinyl-sourced CD reissue comes from the band themselves. [PL]

SAVANNAH ( )

"Crank It Up" 1977 (Chrome Thigh)   

Hard guitar jamming dedicated to Tommy Bolin.

SKY SUNLIGHT SAXON (Los Angeles, CA)  see article

"Lovers Cosmic Voyage" 1976 (Emerald Light GF 571231)  [no cover]  

"Heavenly Earth - Live at the Orpheum" 1977 (Sunbow 001)  [2 inserts]

"Masters Of Psychedelia" 1984 (New Rose, French)

Still going strong (?) into his fifth decade of flipped out sounds, the great man's discography could fill a book of its own. We've narrowed it down to things immediately relevant to the Archives. Credited only to Sunlight, "Lovers Cosmic Voyage" is a new agey harp & piano meditation on space travel with dogs, quite surreal for the whole 15 minutes it lasts. "Heavenly Earth" is  credited to Sunlight Rainbow Stars New Seeds and is a droning basement 70s psych trip that would fetch a lot more $$$ if made by unknown guys, the only drawback being the lack of guitar-leads. Although the sleeve bears no such credits, it appears that side 2 of "Masters Of Psychedelia" features Fire Water Air, circa 1975, from the same recording session that yielded the Yahowha-related "Golden Sunrise" LP. [PL]
~~~
see -> Alright Family Band; Yahowha 13

SAXONS (New York City, NY)

"Love Minus Zero/No Limit" 1966 (Mirrosonic AM 1017)  [mono]
"Love Minus Zero/No Limit" 1966 (Mirrosonic AS 1017)  [stereo]

Baroque vocals and harpsichord folkrockers from duo doing three Dylan covers among others.

SCHROEDER & FOREST (Canada)

"Another Brand New Day" 1975 (no label)  

Hippie folk with flute and male/female vocals. May be a demo pressing only.

JIM & CHERIE SCHWALL (Chicago, IL)

"A Wedding Present From" 1971 (no label)   

Early 1970s, laidback mostly acoustic blues jamming. Made as a gift for friends. Jim was in the Siegel-Schwall Band. There was a later private press also, "Spring Vacation" (1978).

JOHN SCOGGINS ( )

"Pressed For Time" 1976 (Tiger Lily 14059)  [promos exist]  

Charming dreamy 1970s pop with an early new wave sensibility mixed with a warm, 1960s-style folkrock sound. Light, upbeat vocals fit the music perfectly, and the playing is fine with lots of ringing guitars. Several songs are superb 3-minute creations in the classic McCartney/McGuinn school, and the LP sticks close to this credo throughout, with only a jokey hillbilly tune wasted. While not a far out psych monster or hardrock blowout, most people who hear this like it, simply on ground of its talent and sunny feel. Too bad it came out on the tax-loss Tiger Lily label; on the appropriate label it could have been a Shoes-type cult classic. [PL]
~~~
Along with Stonewall, this is the cream of the crop on this fascinating label. Pressed For Time is a very solid 70s pop album-hooky, highly melodic songs, jangly guitars, lovely high male vocals and joyous harmonies, and a significant Beach Boys influence. A bit of fuzz guitar, especially on "Somebody's Sad," adds a nice touch of energy. The format is varied by a goofy country tune on side one and a soulful Easybeats cover on side two, but otherwise it's just one memorable, hummable song after another, evoking the best summer feelings. Power pop fans will go insane when they discover this one. Oddly, there exist a number of copies of this album with stickers on the cover, some of which list the actual band members, implying that unlike other Tiger Lily albums at some point there was an effort on someone's part to actually sell the thing. [AM]

SCORPION ( ) 

"Scorpion" 1970 (Tower st-5171)  [striped label]  

Black guys doing raw underground bar funk sounds, sometimes hyped by dealers but hardly the most highly rated LP in the style.

SCOTTI (CO)  

"For Friends" 1973 (Strawberry)   

Folkrock obscurity in nice color cover.

SCREAMING GYPSY BANDITS (Bloomington, IN)

"In The Eye" 1973 (BRBQ)  
"In The Eye" 1996 (OR 014)  [paste-on; insert; 375#d]

Nice flowing rural rock with lots of little exotic world music touches, female vocals. Saddhu Brand meets Hickory Wind! Member Bob Lucas had a solo LP, "The Dancer Inside You" (BRBQ, 1974). [RM]
~~~
This album sports a mix of styles and a communal feel. Not all of it is memorable but there are two or three excellent, resonant songs here. Horns are used to powerful purpose. It’s hard to classify this one.  It’s not folk, not soul, not progressive. A nice find for jaded listeners. One of the highlights would be re-recorded for Caroline Peyton’s "Intuition" album. [AM]

SEARCH PARTY (Sacramento, CA)

"Montgomery Chapel" 1969 (Century 32013)  [600p]  
"Montgomery Chapel" 1994 (Rapturedelic)  [paste-on]
"Montgomery Chapel" 1998 (CD Flash, Italy)
"Montgomery Chapel" 200  (Void 22)  [insert]
"Montgomery Chapel" 2004 (CD Beatball 05, South Korea) 

One of the more notable discoveries of the 1990s, a primitive Christian folkrock LP which isn't great all through but hits some truly unique moods and sounds on about 2/3rds of the tracks. Obviously inspired by the westcoast "psychedelic" sounds of the era, the Search Party take compositions by their spiritual mentor, a Catholic middle-aged priest, and turn them into primitive California garage folkrock and psych with fuzz leads and raw vocals! Most Christian "folkrock" LPs suffer from still having one foot left in Sunday School, but these young seminarians have definitely broken through to the other side. Side 1 ends with an unparalleled 9-minute downer folkrock excursion with heavy soulsearching lyrics that alone makes "Montgomery Chapel" worth checking out, but beware -- it's crude, even the female vocalist has a strange edge. Unrehearsed confessions from a basement Music Emporium. [PL]

SEBASTIAN (Canada) 

"Rays Of The Sun" 1969 (MCA 7001)  

Most of this album is horn- and string-heavy AM pop, though two songs here, both self-produced, are from a completely different world. They are long folky ballads, dreamy and intense with powerful vocals. They're kind of humorless, but they're great anyway, precursors of 70s psych classics like the best songs on the Garrett Lund album. Elsewhere, one song opens with some terrific phasing, though everything else is much more conventional. The mainstream stuff here is quite good if you pay attention, but you'll probably be more likely to wonder what Sebastian could have come up with if he'd had full creative control. The self-produced songs are long and take up a third of the album's running time. [AM]

SEBASTIAN (Canada)

"Head Roach" 1972 (Vintage)  [booklet]
"Head Roach" 2005 (Void 037)  [500p; inner]

A different Sebastian, with an LP of stoned folk and Zappaesque touches, supposedly banned upon release due to drug references.

OSH SEBROW (NJ)

"Angels Are Falling" 1982 (Osty)  [insert]

Interesting early 80s pop album with folky leanings. Sebrow did the whole thing himself, which unfortunately means it has a drum machine. The songs are quite good in a post-Beatles pop mode, and Sebrow has a haunting voice. One song is a tribute to John Lennon, but unfortunately quotes from some McCartney songs that Lennon always hated. Lennon would be spinning in his grave! Otherwise, though, if you can get past the drum machine (which I can not), this is a nice album. Osh was an Eye Surgeon and gave out the "Angels Are Falling" LP to his patients. Due to a quantity find it's not a pricey album at all. He also did a much earlier LP, "I Can See Tomorrow" (Ame, 1974). [AM]

SEEDS ( )

"Hymns For A New Age" 1978 (Whatever WA 101)  

Unrelated Seeds doing hippie folk.

V.A "SEE/HEAR RECORD MAGAZINES" (Canada)

"See/Hear Record Magazine #1" 1968 (See/Hear ST 55852)  [folder with info sheets]  

"See/Hear Record Magazine #2" 1968 (See/Hear ST 56410)  [inserts]  

Avantgarde publications including a 12" record and various inserts/magazines. Mixes avant music with poetry and electronic freakouts typical of the era. Issue #2 has some members from Mock Duck. Bill Bissett is also featured, and got to release his own LP as "See/Hear #3".
~~~
see -> Bill Bissett

SEICHE (Chicago, IL)

"Dose After Dose" 1981 (no label)  [plain cover; 100p]
"Dose After Dose" 1999 (Hexamon 001)  [500p; 2 inserts]

Highly regarded progressive hardrock trio with hard fuzz leads, mystical vocals, burnout vibes.

SENSATION (Milwaukee, WI)

"Sensation" 1976 (no label)   

Mid-70s Beatle throwback sound.

SEOMPI (TX) 

"Summer's Comin' On Heavy" 1998 (Rockadelic 33)
"AWOL" 2000 (CD Gear Fab gf-136)
"Seompi" 2000 (Akarma 089, Italy)  [2 LPs]

A tasty selection of previously unreleased circa 1971 material from an Austin-based band often referred to as the "Black Sabbath of Texas", a rather inaccurate handle as the bulk of the material is progressive hardrock with jazz leanings. It's still heavy and powerful stuff though, especially the awesome "AWOL/Elijah" blowout that closes side 1. Their two famous 45 tracks are included in alternate versions, along with a bunch of originals and a "Voodoo Child" take that's good but can't match Hendrix. Have to admit some of the avantgarde stuff goes over my head, but should be mandatory to Texas and/or hardrock aficionados. Odd packaging on the Rockadelic includes an outer rubber sleeve and plenty of pics.  The Gear Fab and Akarma releases add some 45 tracks and even more unreleased material (on the Akarma only) to the Rockadelic album. An early, previously unknown 45 has recently been found with at least one track not reissued on any of these. [PL]

SEQUOIAH ( )

"Sequoiah" 1975 (700 West)  [2000p]  

Another little known title on the prolific Indiana label, stoned moody rural rock with violin.

SEQUOIAH STREAM (Richmond, IN)

"Sequoiah Stream" 1971 (no label)  [no cover; insert]  

Half listenable live-in-auditorium college comp with a couple strong downer folk tracks and a smoking fuzz workout. The cover was not finished in time so a mimeographed insert contained all the info. [RM]
~~~
Here's some background on this LP and the Earlham College scene courtesy of Todd Cerney: "The name Sequoia Stream was the title of a piano instrumental on the album from the year before or maybe 2 years before that I produced out of a series of live performances. It ended up as the album title. These albums were an extension of the yearly poetry book that the school would produce. In fact the one made in 1971 was one of the reasons I decided to go to the school in the first place... There was a guy named Charlie Bleak who was incredible (sang like Paul Macartney) and wrote amazing songs. He and several students there did an album called Hoi Polloi. Charlie went on to get a record deal but never got on the radio for some reason. I didn't know him and he wasn't a student anymore when I got to Earlham myself...".
~~~
see -> Attention Span; Hoi Polloi

SERPENT POWER (San Francisco, CA) 

"Serpent Power" 1968 (Vanguard 9252)  [mono]  
"Serpent Power" 1968 (Vanguard vsd-79252)  [stereo]  
"Serpent Power" 199  (Vanguard, Italy)
"Serpent Power/Poet Song" 1999 (CD Akarma 053/054, Italy)  [2-on-1]

While all kinds of mediocre rarities are treated to pages of lip-service, this fine little LP still remains underappreciaed. It's a good early SF LP; stripped down folkrock a la the first Airplane with a slightly bohemian vibe and some David Meltzer poetry on the back cover. Not freaky or avantgarde, more like folky Bay Area pop. A couple of excellent tracks with female vocals on side 1, while the 13-minute "Endless tunnel" on sided 2 fails to reveal any metaphysical insights yet is still kinda cool, with noted banjo-master Jean-Paul Pickens guesting. Enjoyable and historically significant LP in a nice cover, and as the original's still fairly cheap, go get one. The LP was released in February 1968. An original Australian pressing exists. [PL]
~~~
This is one of the best co-ed albums in the San Francisco style. The feel of the guitar and organ arrangements is just right, and Tina Meltzer's vocals are strong without being uncontrolled. Generally rock albums by poets can be pretty annoying, but this keeps its pretentions in balance and the songwriting is sharp and clever. The 13-minute closing track is a powerful vision of a personal apocalypse, and foreshadows "Hotel California" by almost ten years. [AM]
~~~
see -> David & Tina Meltzer

SCOTT SESKIND (Boulder, CO)

"Scott Seskind" 1985 (no label 11785)   

Late phase downer/loner folk and singer/songwriter trip, mostly acoustic, some tracks with a small band.

SEVENTH DAWN (MD) 

"Sunrise" 1976 (Fantasy Worlds Unlimited)  [200p]  
"Sunrise" 1994 (Project Aquarius)  [275#d; insert]

Local hippie folkrock and melodic prog few had heard of until the reissue appeared. Some people hate it and it is probably the only hallowed $1000 rarity to feature a Barbra Streisand tribute song. Nevertheless I dig this LP, it has a wonderful naive seriousness that makes me think of high school project records, with three brothers and a sister doing male/female vocals and an even mix of folky ballads and fuzzed prog hippierock. "Free" has a great late 60s Beatles feel and is a personal fave. The album was recorded in the electronic music lab at Virginia Commonwealth University. The small press size has been confirmed by the band. 25 copies of the reissue run came with leftover slicks and inserts from the original pressing. Some unreleased recordings from 1979 exist. [PL]

SEVENTH SEAL (VA)

"Reflections" 1999 (Justice 0)  [insert]

30+ year belated addition to the Justice label catalog, via an album that was recorded but never released by the label back in 1967. Weighing it against the stablemates, this is clearly above average, with a number of band originals and a more genuinely contemporary (as in 1966) moody garage and folkrock feel than the usual Justices. The release is nicely done in a way that looks and feels like a 60s pressing, and anyone with an interest in local teenbeat albums may want to check it out, apart from the obvious completist angle.

SEVENTH SONS ( )

"4:00 AM at Frank's" 1968 (ESP 1078)   
"Raga" 199  (CD ESP 1078) 
"4:00 AM at Frank's" 1999 (Get Back GET 1038, Italy)

Garagy trance raga jams with Buzzy Linhart on guitar and vocals. Basement Eastern stuff with percussion and flute, has been compared to Handgjort.

SEVENTH TEMPLE (Canada)

"Under The Burning Sun" 1978 (no label 7T)  
"Under The Burning Sun" 2004 (CD Radioactive, UK)

This LP was heavily hyped and priced when discovered a few years back, although the excitement cooled off once people found out that rather than some lost acid concept killer, it was 18 minutes of Canadian late 70s basement prog, nothing more, nothing less. The short playtime suggests it may have been intended as a demo LP; in any event it's a symphonic-oriented trip with mid-tempo tracks, lots of mellotron and moog and the typical arch-pompous UK prog mood. You can still spot traces of decent melodies in there, and the amusement value of a Canuck teenager trying to sound like Jon Anderson shouldn't be understated. The opening title number is the best of the three tracks, with feedback leads and an occasional sci-fi cheese drama feel not unlike Eyes-New Gods. May appeal to fans of Autumn People, although more theatrical and less warm. Crude cover which along with the band name and album title makes this item look a lot cooler than it actually is. [PL]
~~~
see -> Drama

BECKY SEVERSON (St Cloud, MN)

"A Special Path" 197  (no label)   

Christian teenage femme acoustic folk with short songs, inspired by the book of Jeremiah. One track appears on the "Ladies Of The Canyon" compilation.

SEX (Montreal, Canada)

"Sex" 1970 (Transcanada 775)  
"Sex" 199  (no label)  [bootleg]

"The End Of My Life" 1971 (Transcanada 785)  
"The End Of My Life" 199  (no label)  [bootleg]
"The End Of My Life / Lectric Music Revolution" 1997 (CD Hipschaft)  [2-on-1]

Unexceptional post-psych prog hardrock LPs from obscure French-Canadian band. Some jazzy moves on the second LP.

V.A "S F O MUSIC BOX SET" (San Francisco, CA) 

"S F O Music Box Set" 1967 (no label CRS-1162)  [4LPs; box-set; insert]  

Quite rare 4 LP box set of SF area songwriter demos connected to the Trident operation, released around X-mas 1967. Contains rare tracks by Blackburn & Snow, Mystery Trend, Sons Of Champlin, Randy Steirling, Ron Davies, John Stewart, and others. Only the songwriters are credited, not the performers, which makes figuring the actual credits out somewhat difficult, but folkrockers We Five play a number of tunes. Mostly folky stuff; Ron Davies' contributions are interesting in a 1965 Paul McCartney direction and remain completely unreleased from what I can tell. John Stewart is the ex-Kingston Trio guy and gets 3 full sides worth of uneven material. The Mystery Trend material (5 tracks) sounds better in this raw, non-cleaned up mix than on their Big Beat CD. For the Blackburn & Snow tracks (10 in total) the difference is less pronounced, but many 1960s fans are again likely to prefer the more living and less channel-isolated stereo mix of the box-set vs the Big Beat CD. [PL]

SHADE TREE (KS)

"Shade Tree" 1979 (Buffarilla)  

Mediocre Southern/rural rock with a couple of good tracks.

SHADRACK CHAMELEON (IA)   see interview

"Shadrack Chameleon" 1973 (IGL 4051-5)  
"Shadrack Chameleon" 1987 (no label, Europe)  [250p]
"Shadrack Chameleon" 2000 (CD Gear Fab 110)  [+bonus tracks]
"Shadrack Chameleon" 2000 (Gear Fab 202)  [+bonus tracks]

Wellknown Midwest rural rocker with a wideopen honest sound I find hard to resist. Long tracks with organ/guitar and warm basement vocals, sounds like Neil Young circa '69-70 or a less nihilistic Rayne. A true relic of the era with deep college dorm lyrics not easily penetrated, and strong songwriting from the very young band. Personal fave that sounds better with each passing year. Nice minimalist sleeve job a la St Anthonys Fyre. The CD has their good pre-LP 45 as bonus. [PL]
~~~
This album has an amateurish, laid-back feel that is very appealing, especially on the two or three songs with really strong melodies. Some of the lyrics are heavily counter-culture, but the band never comes off as having an attitude or a chip on their shoulder. It’s pretty intelligent, or at least pretty genuine. The feel of the sparse arrangements is one of great warmth. It’s the kind of album that at first sounds like it has nothing to it, but after a few listens really starts to sneak up on you. Fans of low-budget 90s pop might like it too. [AM]

SHAGGS (South Bend, IN) 

"Wink" 1967 (MMC 6311)   
"Wink" 1984 (Resurrection CX 1295) 
"Wink" 2004 (CD Radioactive 079, UK)

Local prep-rock LP on a folkrock/Beatles '65 bender; ambitious multipart vocal harmonies and fake 12-string jangle make for a charming experience, though it's not "fuzz garage" by any means. These Notre Dame boys had enough cojones to tackle two Beatles tunes with reasonable success, but the highpoint of the LP is an atmospheric "If I were a carpenter". One group original (I think), other covers include Stones, Who, Beau Brummels, Byrds, Them, and a bizarre "Hey Joe". Disappointing sleeve well below the genre average. The album was financed by a local business college student who thought he was going to make big $$$ but ended up selling copies door-to-door! In addition to the LP, the band recorded an acetate 45 of two non-LP tracks which received some local airplay. Chuck Perrin (see entry) appears on this acetate, but was not in the band when the "Wink" LP was made. The 1980s Resurrection reissue is mastered at an annoyingly low volume (as all Resurrection LPs seem to be) and displays cover wear on the front cover repro. [PL]

SHAGGS (Fremont, NH) 

"Philosophy Of The World" 1971 (Third World 3001)   
"Philosophy Of The World" 1980 (Rounder 3032)
"Philosophy Of The World" 199  (Red Rooster)

Magically incompetent teen sister garage band who play and sing like ten year olds. Unreal plodding drums, out of tune guitars, and amazing off-key vocals. Jawdropper slice of life lyrics loaded with girl diary philosophies, Foot Foots, and parents who are always there. They were coerced into recording this by their father and their discomfort is clearly evident. This record is known to end parties in record time. The second LP "The Shaggs' Own Thing" (Rounder 3056, 1990s) is more monstrosities from the vault. Promo copies of "Philosophy" include an 8x10 photo, 2 wallet photos, and a business card. [RM]
~~~
This is one of the most misunderstood albums of all time. It's one of the very, very few "real people" albums that appeals to people who don't appreciate those records in a condescending, or amused, way. Musicians tend to like it, which is also unusual for a record of this type. What makes these three sisters different from every other "inept" band is that they redfine the meaning of that word. This is not just another album by people who just learned to play their instruments last week. It's more like they taught themselves to play without having any instruction, and without having any knowledge of music theory. Once they figured out a way to play, which is unlike any "accepted" method, they worked on it and perfected it. Evidence of this is that a number of bands who wanted to cover Shaggs songs couldn't figure out how to play them. From the sounds of it, they even made up their own way of tuning the guitars, and rather than playing chords, they played patterns that follow along with the vocals. It's unique and impossible to duplicate. It also is one of the greatest ever expressions of pure love of music, and the joy and warmth of this album is irresistible. [AM]

DEL SHANNON (MI)

"The Further Adventures Of Charles Westover" 1968 (Liberty lst-7539)  

There aren't a whole lot of 50s or early 60s stars who gracefully made their way through the 60s, but this well-loved album is proof that it was possible. This isn't really a "psychedelic" record (way more strings than sound effects), but rather a case where a great talent (man, what a voice!) realized that the 60s brought about a great step forward in the use of recording techniques and arrangements. Shannon warmly embraced the possibilities. At the same time, he wrote a fantastic batch of pop songs, and the mix of the great songs, the stunning voice and the ambitious sound makes for a truly wonderful record. Also released in England with a completely different cover. The rest of Shannon's vast output fall outside the scope of the Archives. [AM]

SHANNONDOAH (WA)

"Ideas & Rhymes" 1977 (Blue Heron)  

Private press-looking LP from country rock/folk quartet with some female vocals and an a capella cover of "Come up the years". The Minstrel String Guild duo help out on one track.

SHANTI DAS (OR)

"Servant Of Peace" 1973 (no label)  [insert]  

Communal hippie folk with male/female Harmony vocals and chanting, Eastern instruments.

SHARKEY (San José, CA)

"Signposts" 1975 (no label)  

Obscure post-Syndicate Of Sound LP, breezy westcoast rock with some guitar jamming. Issued with a songtitles sticker on the shrink.

SHATTERS (Austin, MN)

"Shatters" 1966 (Welhaven 63)  

Sleeve-less demo LP (or acetate) from garage band with a few 45s. The LP is mainly frat and r'n'b covers.

SHAW, ALLEN & SHAW (MN)

"This Side That Side" 197  (Sound 80 s80s-40-1425)

Trio with acoustic guitar, electric bass, and drums. Mostly mellow acoustic folk covers with psychy shadings.

SHEKINAH (MI)

"Shekina" 1982  (Eden 104)  [insert]    

This is a mystical Christian folk album with beautiful vocals and an ethereal feel. Most of the songs aren't really structured, but just kind of flow. It's very mellow, but there are drums and nice, drifting electric guitar on some of the songs. The canon vocals on "Blessed Be" and "Jesus Eyes" are hypnotic and the use of bells, chimes, woodwinds and mandolins give this album a distinctive sound. The memorable melodies make this more accessible than similarly complex X-ian albums like The Christ Tree. Not for "rock" fans, but a lovely, special record. [AM]

SHEKINA GLORY (Ilford, IA)

"Have You Considered" 1976 (IGL 6045N1)   

Very impressive custom obscurity from male/female outfit scoring high with their mix of dreamy mysterious folk/psych and west-coast rural rock. Some really breathtaking moments here. One listen to songs like "If I Don’t Let People Know", "Jesus", "Ask" and "Good Samaritan" and you’ll see these folks definitely knew how to weave in mood and texture alongside the heavier elements. One minute there’s a gentle eerie atmospheric melody with spacey flute accompaniment; next thing you know they’ve built up to a climax of blaring hard rock guitar. Some of the in-between moods reminded me of songs like The Way’s "Have you ever Heard" from the Maranatha Four LP. Closes with some joyous upbeat fuzz jamming a la Earthen Vessel on "Glory Glory". [KS]

SHILOH (TX)

"Shiloh" 1971 (Amos aas-7015)  

Early countryrock with steel and harmony vocals in Flying Burrito Bros style with Don Henley on vocals and guitar, pre-Eagles.

SHILOH MORNING ( )

"Shiloh Morning" 1974 (TRC 51053)   

Midwest male and female vocal harmony folk rock and pop with acoustic and electric guitar, bass, percussion, some mellotron. Includes versions of "Nights in White Satin" and "White Bird" among others.

SHIVA'S HEADBAND (Austin, TX)

"Take Me To The Mountains" 1970 (Capitol st-538)  [green label]
"Take Me To The Mountains" 2005 (Capitol/Scorpio) 

This was one of the earliest countryrock LPs but never made the splash it should have, yet remains an enjoyable experience with a nicely balanced country-hippie mix and Spencer's terrific violin. Both tracks from their outstanding debut 45 are re-cut here in slightly less drugged versions. Anyone who likes Sub Zero Band ought to recognize Shiva's as the original masters of the style. An original Canadian pressing exists. [PL]

"Coming To A Head" 1971  (Armadillo no #)  [1000p; paste-on; handmade labels]  
"Coming To A Head" 1981  (Armadillo no #)  [200p; printed labels]  
"Coming To A Head" 2003 (Akarma 250, Italy)  [+1 track]
"Coming To A Head" 2003 (CD Akarma 250, Italy)  [+1 track]

Contrary to what you may read elsewhere, this was not their debut album but a privately released sequel after Capitol dropped them. Basically the same style as the debut, a little less druggy and a bit more western swing. The 1981 pressing is reportedly a better pressing than the first. Later LPs include "Psychedelic Yesterday" (Ape, 1981) and "In The Primo Of Life" (Moontower, 1984) as well as a number of cassette and CDs in more recent years. Spencer Perskin is alive and well and gigging locally.

SHIVER (CA) 

"Shiver" 2000 (Rockadelic 39)  [600p]
"Shiver" 2001 (CD Shadoks 023, Germany)

As far as packaging goes one of my fave Rockadelics, superb color gatefold with cool liner notes detailing the adventures of this "tough as nails" early 1970s power trio. Music consists of long and mostly instrumental STP jams that are ferocious but not without subtlety, taking a cue from early Blue Cheer but stretching out into 100 MPH Hawkwind/Ash Ra Temple/Terry Brooks spacerock excursions. Not terribly varied and songwriting doesn't account for much, but should be of interest to fans of hard early 70s guitar trips. The band had roots in Texas but played the Bay Area biker circuit. [PL]

SHOES (Zion, IL)

"One In Versailles" 1975 (Black Vinyl Records)  [2 inserts]  
"As Is" 1996 (CD)  [2CDs; bonus tracks; autographed]

The first Shoes album was released by the band in a limited number, some of which were ruined in a flood. Supposedly only between 200 and 300 survived. The homemade album is one of the rarest and most sought-after power pop collectables, since the band would eventually become one of the most well-loved bands in the genre. As you might expect, this early offering by the band is quite crude. All of the elements of their sound are there, including sharp harmonies, quick-witted songs of love and seduction, and fuzz guitars (though these would get much louder and more frequent on their later albums.) They're clearly finding themselves as songwriters and as a band with an identity. Much of the album has a nice understated charm, and a few of the ballads are very good ("Do I Get So Shy," in particular, is irresistible.) What's yet to develop is their knack for the killer hook, and their ability to construct songs tightly and concisely. A few songs drag, and I have to think that a few years later Shoes would have shortened them, sped them up, piled on layers of guitar, and improved them dramatically. "Un Dans Versailles", thus, while a very enjoyable and melodic record, is a few notches below the band's best work (which is on the next three officially released albums.) The album's title refers to the fact that band member Gary Klebe was away in Versailles while the rest of the band recorded without him. In the 90s, Shoes put together a limited edition 2-CD set that included one CD of unreleased songs from throughout the band's career and a second CD comprising "Un Dans Versailles" and their unreleased second album "Bazooka". "Bazooka" is rather weak, unfortunately. [AM]

"Black Vinyl Shoes" 1977 (Black Vinyl)   
"Black Vinyl Shoes" 1977 (PVC)

The second Shoes album was a much larger private press than the first, and in fact was so successful that it soon was re-released on the larger PVC label. Shoes are one of the most well-loved and influential of all power pop bands, and it all starts here. It wasn't their first album, but it was the first to be heard my more than a handful of people. While the next few major label albums would be just as good, this holds a special place among their fans, as the self-production, despite elaborate attention to harmonies and guitar overdubs, gives it a fresh do-it-yourself feel that they'd never again duplicate. The guitars are fuzzy, fuzzy, fuzzy and full of hooks, and while the lyrics are about love and romance, they have a certain kind of maturity and intelligence often missing from the genre. I don't expect most visitors to this site to love Shoes, but I'd think many garage-rock fans would get a kick out of the masses of fuzz guitars. [AM]

SHORT CROSS (Richmond, VA)

"Arising" 1972 (Grizzly 16013)  [gatefold]  
"Arising" 1988 (Breeder, Austria)  [no gatefold]
"Arising" 1998 (CD Gear Fab 119)  [+3 tracks]
"Arising" 2000 (Akarma 079, Italy)  [2LPs; gatefold; +3 tracks]

Ballsy, pro-sounding early 1970s rural barrock/hard rock in an Allman Bros direction with great organ/guitar interplay, OK vocals and a versatile keyboardist. Not for garage or psych fans but should appeal to those into the local early 70s style; "Till we reach the sun" is a particularly good track. Band had a pre-LP 45 as follows: "On My Own"/"Marching Off To War" (Colpar, 1970). The A-side is an alternate version of the LP track, B-side is non-LP. [PL]

SIDETRACK (New York City, NY)

"Baby" 1968 (no label SMIS-1)  [no cover; 100p]  
"Baby" 2005 (CD Radioactive, UK)

Demo press for a planned Elektra release that never happened. Baroque-pop/folkrock with lots of harpsichord and energetic vocals. Some copies came in plain covers with LP labels glued to the front containing the relevant info.

SIDEWALK (New York City, NY)

"Sidewalk" 1975 (C.D.)  

Cosmic jazz lounge duo, some wailing guitar parts.

SILENT CHEER (Northfield, MA)

"Learning Insipid Seal" 1969 (no label 202115)  [blank back; insert]  

Late 60s garage rock covers with horns and some fuzz leads, from Mount Hermon school alumni. Mostly band originals. The same scene also produced the Knights band and the Led Balloon Jug Band LP.
~~~
see -> Together

SILENT PARTNER (Athens, GA) 

"Hung By A Thread" 1975 (Lucky Boy 32779)  [insert]  
"Hung By A Thread" 1988 (Lucky Boy, Europe)  [bootleg]

I'd be shocked to discover than the guys in REM didn't grow up idolizing this band. This is the original blueprint for the much-heralded 80s Athens scene. It's not a psych or prog (long instrumental notwithstanding) album as dealers hype it, but an ahead-of-its-time guitar pop album with outstanding playing, clever songwriting, and a touch of mystery. The title track is a killer-two overlapping melodies of equal beauty and an elaborate acoustic/electric/synth arrangement that gives way to a transcendent guitar solo. Nothing else on the album can match this amazing first song, but there's plenty to like, from the flange-heavy guitar on "Just Sail Around" to the surprising and weird metal-inspired bits in "From The Diary of H.R.H. 1975." Smart songwriting, thoughtful arrangements and excellent singing abound. They had so many great melodies that three songs actually double them up (one sung over, behind, or between the other.) A 10-minute mildly jazzy instrumental at the end manages not to ruin everything. This is a great album. Along with Arrogance's "Prolepsis", it's the 70s pinnacle of the new Southern Rock (i.e: made by guys you would actually let your daughter date) that would explode almost a decade later. [AM]

SILENT STRANGERS (CT)

"It's All Over Now" 1965 (no label BRS 390)  

Obscure local teen-beat LP in cool cover. Prep school album from Washington, CT with 12 songs, 5 of which are instrumentals. Despite some unexciting covers, this is a fairly rocking disc that stands up with the best of the genre, not unlike the Weekenders or an improved Davey & the Badmen.

JUDEE SILL (CA)

"Judee Sill" 1971 (Asylum sd-5050)  [unipak; wlp mono exists]  
"Judee Sill" 2004 (Four MWB 120)
"Judee Sill" 2005 (CD Water 158)

Sill’s story is fascinating and sad. She was a heroin addict, even a part-time prostitute, her career fell apart just as it was getting interesting, and she disappeared so completely that for years after her death nobody could even figure out exactly when she died. You’d never know she was such a wild one from the music or the album cover photos, but close listens show this to be something much more intense and deep than your average singer-songwriter album. “Jesus Was A Crossmaker” is as good as any 70s song in the genre, and should have been a huge hit. Nothing else on the album reaches those same heights, but it’s very good stuff. Sill has gotten a lot of publicity lately, as the 90s and 00s really were a renaissance for troubled and dead 70s singers. Too bad nobody noticed her when she needed the attention. [AM]

"Heart Food" 1973 (Asylum sd-5063)  [booklet]  
"Heart Food" 2004 (Four MWB 121)  [booklet]
"Heart Food" 2005 (CD Water 159)

Sill’s second album is more ambitious than the first, with complex string arrangements and a major gospel influence. The struggle between her strong religious beliefs and her “pagan” lifestyle are apparent here and it’s pretty fascinating. Musically this isn’t as consistent as the debut and it occasionally feels like the ambitious ideas took precedence over the songwriting, but this is still a really interesting record. Both Sill albums were also released in England. [AM]

SILMARIL (Milwaukee, WI)

"Given Time... Or The Several Roads" 1973 (Ettinmoore)  

This is an American band, but they sure sound British, from the melodies to the lonesome feel of the songs to the male and female vocal styles to the upbeat song about pub life. It’s a pretty impressive recreation of across-the-pond folk. It’s a long album, and at times I wish it had some rock elements to it, but there are pleasures to be found throughout, and a few songs are downright creepy. [AM]

SILOAM (St Louis, MO)

"Siloam" 197  (Timbrel 47-248)

Siloam is to American folkrock what groups like Presence, Aslan and Sanctus are to the British scene. Melodic textures of 12-string guitar, piano, percussion and male/female harmonies combine with compassionate songwriting and skilled musicianship to create a wonderful work of fragile beauty and homegrown charm. Gently strummed mid-tempo numbers like "Mystery", the minor-key "We Beseech You" and the breezy "For This Reason" all are sheer perfection for the genre. Tracks like "The Shepherd" and "Day Of The Lord" even have a dreamy psych edge to them. Others reveal a delicate VU "Femme Fatale" kind of quality. Very nice acoustic lead guitar work throughout. A seven person outfit from Dayspring Community in St. Louis. Not an expensive LP. [KS]

SILVER (Milwaukee, WI)

"Children Of The Lord" 1975 (Grammi Fonics)  [plain stamped cover]  

This is one of the albums released in the "advance reviewer copy - confidential" album covers. It's the one in the series most likely to appeal to collectors, and it has a somewhat hard rocking organ and guitar sound, some Christian lyrics and a spacy, sparse feel to it. The production sound is pretty cheap, with seemingly no attention paid to which instruments or vocals should be louder than the others. It sounds suspiciously like demos. Still, pretty cool. [AM]

SILVER APPLES (New York City, NY)

"Silver Apples" 1968 (Kapp KL-1562)  [mono wlp exists]  
"Silver Apples" 1968 (Kapp KS-3562)  [poster]  

Silver Apples will always hold a special place in the world of electronica, because there never was anything else remotely like them (except maybe Suicide.) The electronics weren’t from synths, but from the Simeon, their self-made instrument that made all sorts of wild noises. It was very limited in tonal scope, which means the songwriting is as sparse as the arrangements, and most of the variety here comes from the drumming and vocal rhythms, not from chord progressions. It’s the kind of thing that really isn’t likely to hold up for 40 minutes, so it’s quite impressive that this album is so enjoyable. It’s still fresher and more powerful than the years of synth music that followed. Some promos came with additional promo material; there are no mono sleeves. Numerous reissues exist and will be omitted here. [AM]

"Contact" 1969 (Kapp KS-3584)
"Silver Apples / Contact" 199  (CD TRC)  [2-on-1]
"Silver Apples / Contact" 199  (CD MCA 11680)  [2-on-1]

The second Silver Apples album sports longer songs and darker themes. It tends to be liked better by critics and fans, though I would suggest that if you like one you should like the other equally as much. "You And I" is probably their best song, the kind of thing that shows electronics to be every bit as sinister as the most distorted guitar. Along with United States of America and Fifty Foot Hose, this is essential listening for anyone who wishes to know how creative electronic music could be before a "traditional" use of synthesizers was established in the 70s. "The Garden" is a release of late 1960s outtakes (CD Whirlybird). [AM]

SILVER LAUGHTER (IA) 

"Handle With Care" 1976 (Fanfare Records)

This Iowa band put out two very obscure albums on their own label in the mid 70s. The first of the two is a mixture of Beatles-inspired 70s pop and backwoods rural rock. The power pop stuff here is very good, bringing to mind bands like the Hudson Brothers and Hollins Ferry. Their songcraft is strong, the singing excellent, and unlike most bands in the genre, there’s a reasonable amount of variety in their songwriting. Unfortunately, the more countrified and boogie rock songs are pretty bad, hitting a nadir with the album closer “Whiskey Heaven.” The result is that about two-thirds of this is very good. They should have stuck with their best instincts. Look at the album cover photos -— these guys are geeky wanna-be pop stars with 70s hair, not redneck drunks. [AM]

"Sailing On Fantasties" 1978 (Fanfare)

Silver Laughter’s second album drops all of the backwoods aspirations of the first. As a whole it doesn’t rock as hard, but the harder rocking songs were the duds on the first album anyway. Here they’re simply a confident, inspired pop band and the album is solid straight through. The harmonies and hooks may be a little derivative for some, but these songs are really catchy and have a nice breezy summer feel to them. While the songs are very carefully constructed, the private press production keeps it from sounding too slick, something that really marred a lot of the better 70s power pop. The post-punk 70s freshness also makes this obscurity better than just about any of the 90s power pop revival albums I’ve heard. My only complaint is that as with most bands in this genre, the lyrics are inconsequential. [AM]

JEFF SIMMONS (CA)

"Lucille Messed My Mind Up" 1969 (Straight sts-1057)    [wlp exists]

This is one mess of a record, and it's hard to recommend it, but I think it's got a lot of fun moments on it. There's wacked-out guitar throughout, the great Zappa-penned doo-wop-ballad title track, and a couple of weird ambitious classical-influenced songs. Fans of the down and dirty will probably prefer something like 'Wonderful Wino" to "Aqueous Humore" or "Tigres." My favorite, though, is "I'm In The Music Business," the ultimate tale of the struggling rock wannabe. In the song Jeff refuses to get a haircut and lose his chance at rock stardom, and ends up so hungry and poor that he takes a part in a skin flick. Grungy and hairy. Simmons also contributed to the biker movie "Naked Angels", and was formerly with Easy Chair. [AM]
~~~
see -> Easy Chair

DAVID SINCLAIR (Vancouver, Canada) 

"Take My Hand" 1973 (SGM Records no#)  

Typical '73 fence-straddler between westcoast and singer/songwriter, with convincing moves in both directions and added credibility via strong vocals and a quite professional sound. Sinclair sings and plays guitar but has a full rock band plus piano, which is skillfully employed for both introspective s/s-w and upbeat New Riders/Cambridge honkytonk digressions. Has been compared to Jackson Browne but to me it's really more of a Nor-Cal/Pacific NW trip with a fresh outdoors feel. The highpoint is an atypical but terrific Nick Drake-like folk brooder, "A tale of raven" which opens side 2. Not outstanding but enjoyable and recommended to genre fans. This LP would have deserved to come out on a real record label, such as Tumbleweed. [PL]
~~~
Sinclair is Canadian, but he sounds like an early 70s California singer songwriter. The album has crisp production and pleasant vocals and some pretty strong songwriting. The dreamy “A Tale Of Raven” is the definite standout, but this is pretty consistent. It’s a pretty mainstream record, though, so beware of “psych” dealer hype. [AM]

TONY TAM SING (HI)

"Tony" 1975 (Shampton)  

Littleknown Hawaiian LP in a folk/folkrock style, with violin. Sing is a Christian minister.

LES SINNERS (Montreal, Canada)

"Sinerisme" 1967 (Rusticana 1243)  
"Sinerisme" 1989 (Hablabel, Italy)

Wellknown French-Canadian band with several LPs, this one has half French and half English vocals in a garage beat style and is rated highly by many.

"Sinnerismes" 1967 (Jupiter 7009)  

Different LP from above, despite the title

"Vox Populi" 1968 (Jupiter 7015)  [French vocals]  
"Les Sinners, vol 1" 1991 (CD Disques Merit 22908)  [French vocals; +bonus tracks]
"25 Succès En Anglais" 1991 (CD Disques Mérite 22922)  [English vocals; +bonus tracks]

"Vox Populi" is an ambitious but un-pretentious "concept" LP in the wake of Sgt Pepper, built around a theme of the "voices of the people", and a recurring musical signature that introduces different snapshots of everyday life and attitudes, such as a taxi driver's story. These snapshots are conventional 3-minute pop songs, most of which are pretty terrific 1967 UK-style beat-psych, well-written with hooks and vocal harmonies a la the Beatles/Bee Gees/Hollies. There's also some strong fuzz leads and interesting studio effects that give the trip a clear identity, and a stoned sense of humor which works well. Consistent and skillfully balanced between songwriting and concept, not unlike the Forever Amber album, and a lot better than Rockadrome, as an example. The LP is strong enough to be enjoyable even with the French language barrier, but obviously those who don't speak French need the English vocal version, which wasn't released until the 1990s. One of the best psych LPs from Quebec, with a strong "1967" feel. The band later cut two unexceptional hardrock LPs in the 1970s, with a new line-up. [PL]

SINNERS (Canada)

"Sinners" 1970 (Transworld 6801)  

Artrock and prog with fuzz leads and flute. This is a different band from above, although they're often confused. These guys also cut a novelty hit 45 "Go-go Trudeau", with an accompanying album in 1968 (Transworld tws-1968).

SIVEL SOUND EXPERIENCE (NE)

"Sivelization 1" 1968 (Rene 1107)  

Oddball local LP of teenbeat/blue eyed soul with horns.

SIXTH STATION ( )

"Deep Night" 1982 (LPS 1588)  

Stunning soft rock set of dreamy celestial moods carried by a steady beat and rife with phased electric rhythm guitar for a wonderful unfiltered slightly out-of-tune quality. Lead vocalist sounds a lot like Neil Young with his fragile shaky delivery. Deep creative lyrics to match, with all original songwriting and plenty of solo leads on top of the rhythm guitar, sometimes two in tandem, sometimes with light fuzz or other effects, reaching some hard-hitting moments on tracks like "Scar Of Love" or the powerful "Before The Snowfall". The only other instruments are bass and drums (no keyboards or even acoustic guitars from what I can tell). Some of the most beautiful selections are the ballads, like "Make A Way For Me" or the delicate title track. Catholic I’m guessing – the back cover has references to “nihil obstat” and “imprimatur”, plus a thanks to the Bishop of Peoria. Simple sunset cover photo. One of the most impressive post-1980 custom recordings I’ve heard. [KS]

SKIP & THE CREATION (VA) 

"Mobam" 1967 (Justice 152)  
"Mobam" 1995 (CD Collectables 0602) 

Organ-led combo with hip (relatively speaking) Myrtle Beach teen club vibe, band does unusual covers of Hank Williams and "Harlem Shuffle" plus one cool original. Bonus points for excellent organ sound but the muddy recording, weak vocals and abundance of soul covers places this among the less interesting on the label. The selfwritten tune, a semi-ripoff of "Time won't let me" (comp'd on "Good Roots") is worth hearing. "Mobam" supposedly means Makers Of Bad Ass Music, but the sounds on the record belie such an interpretation. [PL]

SKOGIE (MN)

"There's A String Attached" 1974 (General)  

This weird mix of funk, glam and straightforward rock is completely unique. They take Parliament's experimentation with synthesizers a step further (or, they may actually have used them first), with bubbly bass snyths galore. The album begins with its funkiest and most synth-heavy tune, giving a strong but not 100% accurate first impression. Apparently they were a rather comical live band, but other than a disgusting sound effect that accompanies a lyric about masturbation there's no blatant humor here. The songs flow together with no space between, creating the illusion of a concept, though there's no lyrical unity. Overall, this record is pretty neat. It's creative and energetic and there are a bunch of good songs. It probably won't appeal to psych fans, but if you're looking for an unusual 70s rock album, I recommend it. [AM]

SKUNKS (WI)

"Gettin' Started" 1967 (Teentown 101)

Here's one of the few local garage era LP that's never been expensive, partly due to copies being available, partly because it's lukewarm and difficult to hype. The band has an amateur folkrock sound with nothing that grabs your attention. Mostly originals, a couple of Beatles covers. The band had several 45s which again have failed to raise much excitement.

SKY DANCER ( )

"Alive" 1977 (All In One) 

Live hardrock with hard guitar and churning organ.

SKY DOG ( )

"Just Want To Make You Happy" 1974 (Paw Records 5336)  [1000p]  

Local Allman Bros-type combo with a pleasant rural vibe, ranging from rootsy mellow rock to spacier jamming, just like their mentors. Sometimes too easy-going for its own good, though it's difficult to knock as background music for summer day cruising. Strongest appeal may be the Hammond organ which has one of the best sounds ever and is put to good use, while a couple of tracks (such as the title number) are too poppy for my tastes. An odd Middle-Eastern theme recurs through the LP for reasons unknown to me. Recorded in Sandy Springs, Georgia. Has the same generic rainbow cover as Euphoria-Lost in trance. [PL]

SKYEROS (MO)  

"Skyeros" 1975 (no label 8637)   

Dual lead guitar, melodic psychy progressive. A bit spacy and comparable to Brimstone.

SKY FARMER (Chicago, IL) 

“Amazing Grace” 2004 (Gear Fab 191)

1970s recordings of commune-vibration organic, borderline psychedelic, jazz-rock that hits some good spots. Very distinctive and beautiful vocals from Annie Hat. The strong prevalence of piano and saxophone could put rock heads (like me) off, but it has a happy-go-luck feel that makes it worth listening to. A pioneering, rock’n’roll, camp fire feel prevails on the better tracks. Overall, it may appeal more to those with a taste for jazz. They came out of the ashes of Mountain Bus and retained their capacity for free-form live jamming. Nothing here equals the heights attained by the Mountain Bus version of "I know you rider", but the first track "Okooch Farewell" is a joy to hear. [RI]

SKY-SAILS (Canada)

"Sky-Sails" 1973 (no label MH-93)  [insert]  

Obscure Canadian electronics, effects & poetry freak LP in the Bill Bissett/Intersystems tradition.

SKYWALKER (Long Beach, CA) 

"Made In Flight" 1982 (Phax pr-2001)

Hardrock trio with spacy Floydian moves.

SLEEPY HOLLOW ( )

"Sleepy Hollow" 1972 (Family FPS 2708)  

The first two songs here are the most uncanny Beatles soundalikes you'll ever hear. The first is the perfect blend of "Abbey Road" and "Plastic Ono Band" and the second mixes pure 1965-style harmonies with 1969-style production. So this album gets big points for nostalgia value; like Blue Ash, Badfinger, Zerfas, Anonymous, We All Together, Jade and so on, it gives comfort to people who wish the Beatles never broke up. The vocals throughout are pure Lennon, very similar to Lazy Smoke but a bit more studied. The rest of the album is hit and miss, with the upbeat songs better than the ballads. Even the weak songs have that magical feel to them, though in some ways this feels like a McCartney solo album: everything sounds great, but there's something a bit (sorry about the pun) hollow to it. The long song that closes the album, unfortunately, is not especially compelling. If it had been up to the level of the best songs here, this would have been something truly special. As it is, "Sleepy Hollow" is definitely recommended for the three or four winners and, of course, the déjà vu factor. [AM]

SLEEPY JOHN (ID) 

"Sleepy John" 1999 (Rockadelic 38)  [600p]

Haven't heard much buzz on this but clearly a worthwhile addition to the Rockadelic roster; crude early 1970s local NW basement hardrock with intense Hammond and fuzz excursions and a truly frantic drummer. Somewhat similar (though inferior) to neighbors Stone Garden but less Bay Area-influenced, delivering a dense wall of lo-fi blowouts plus some melodic/proggy ambitions on a track like "Seasons". Consistent, with agreeable songwriting, lots of riff hooks and clever breaks and an idiosynchratic vocalist a bonus. Should appeal to fans of Brigade. Gatefold cover with band story and pics. [PL]

SLIGHTEST IDEA (IA) 

"Bring Your Own" 1973 (Pit 1019)  

Raw bar-rock with unusual basement vibe, covers of things like "Smoke on the water", plus one band original.

SLOOPY & THE GUYS (Detroit, MI)

"Somethin' Wild" 1966 (Mark 107449/50)

Local teen-beat band with loads of reverb and cool amateur mid-tempo moves.

SLY BOOTS ( )

"Notes On A Journey" 196  (Faithful Virtue fvs-2002)  [gatefold]

Late 60s hippie folky rock group led by Michael Wendroff and David Greenberg. Deep thought lyrics and wistful acoustic jammy playing. Solid latenite charmer. Not an expensive LP.

SMACK (KS) 

"Smack" 1968 (Audio House 14468)  [blank back]  
"Smack" 1991 (Smack TS 9104)  [altered cover; insert; 300p]  

Surprisingly enjoyable guitar-psych top 40 cover LP with tunnelvision galore as these highschool kids blow through 4 Hendrix and 3 Cream numbers, making the additional Kinks and Buffalo Springfield tunes seem downright exotic. Somewhat mysteriously the guitarplayer achieves some of the best fuzz-tone I have ever heard, and isn't afraid to use it. The full band has the right power-trio directness, and are given an additional hand by an excellent in-yer-face recording. Vocalists do credible Jimi & Jack Bruce imitations and as a whole any sarcastic jokes aimed at this LP come flying back like a cream pie in the face of the listener. Only moment of stupidity is some funny incorrect lyrics in "For What It's Worth"; other than that this is the Rolls Royce of "Purple Haze" copy band LPs. The band met at a summer camp in Kansas but the four members came from all over the US and only rehearsed for a few weeks before releasing this LP on request of the other camp kids, even though their "acid rock" performance had been aborted by camp management! [PL]
~~~
see -> Young Prophecies '68

BOB SMITH (CA)

"The Visit" 1970 (Kent 551)  [2LPs; poster]  
"The Visit" 1996 (CD Virgo 1518)
"Stop For A Visit Down Electric Avenue" 2000 (RD 6, Switzerland)  [3 LP box set; poster; +1 bonus disc] 

Very good Bay Area forerunner of the epic 70s psych sound of Zerfas, Garret Lund, DR Hooker etc. A 2 LP set and except for one or two unnecessary "experiments" solid all through. Wellcrafted psychrock with strong, heartfelt vocals and marvy sound tapestries of fuzz, flute, mellotron and more. All psych collectors need this. The original came with a great poster that's often missing. The retited Swiss 3LP box-set features an LP of unreleased material featuring Bob's post-"Visit" band Stop, 1971-72. This bonus material is remarkably good in a style close to the double LP, and should be checked out. [PL]
~~~
It’s pretty ambitious to debut with a double album, but I’ll give Smith credit as he had enough ideas to fill four sides. His voice is a little serious/loungy but he does at least try to sing like a rock guy when he’s not trying to sound like a prophet. If you like D.R. Hooker’s singing, you’ll like Smith’s. The music is in a wide range of late 60s/70s psych genres, from hard rock to upbeat folk-rock to jazzy experimentation. The arrangements are always interesting. Backing vocals, a range of keyboards and clever sound effects are used well. Smith’s band is excellent, and there’s plenty of hot guitar/keyboard interplay. A few songs have some pretty heavy mellotron. The 8-minute “India Slumber” might be a bit much for some listeners, but otherwise this album is surprisingly accessible. By the end of four sides, I wish Smith would have lightened up a bit, but this album is chock full of great songs and great moments. Even the requisite blues song is pretty good. As is the case with 99% of double LPs, side three is the weird one. Darryl Dragon began his “Captain” persona here; he’s listed as “Captain Keyboard.” It would have been cool to have heard Toni Tennille singing something like “Mobeda Dadelions.” [AM]

GRANT SMITH & THE POWER (Toronto, Canada)

"Grant Smith & the Power" 1968 (Boo 6802)   

Blue-eyed soul and r'n'b club sound with Hammond and sax, on the same label as A Passing Fancy. Includes a long instro version of "Ode to Billie Joe", lots of soul numbers, and a Beatles cover.

KATHY SMITH (CA)

"Some Songs I’ve Saved" 1970 (Stormy Forest 6003) 

Stormy Forest is Richie Havens’ label, and he presented the world a number of very interesting folk and folk-rock artists, of which Smith is probably the best and most evocative. Her debut album has some unusual orchestration, some of the most effective I’ve ever heard in the genre, and powerful singing in the Judy Collins style (I suspect Kathy listened to Who Knows Where The Time Goes a hundred times before recording this.) It also benefits from terrific acoustic guitar playing and subtly powerful drumming on a number of songs. A few other songs are just guitar and voice, and they’re pretty deep. The intelligent and moody lyrics about the not-so-sunny California of the time foreshadow Jackson Browne's career, which is apt because Browne was friend of Smith's. The album includes, along with Smith’s own songs, excellent compositions by her friends Pamela Polland and Jimmy Spheeris. The album improves with multiple listens, and has a number of chilling moments (the loud strings at the end of “Same Old Lady,” the circular vocal bit at the end of “If I Could Touch You.”) Both of Smith's albums are among the very best female singer songwriter albums of the 70s, and should appeal to loner folk fans as well. By the way, despite the claims of several record dealers and reference books, she is most certainly not the same person as the Cathy Smith who was with John Belushi on the night of his death. It's appalling that so many people would make such a slanderous claim without first researching the matter. [AM]

"2" 1971 (Stormy Forest 6009) 

Kathy Smith's second album is in the same style as the first, and is every bit as good, if not better. The singing is equally strong, but here she's developed more personality and is less of a Judy Collins clone. The songs are uniformly strong: by combining her own songs with those of her like-minded friends, Pamela Polland, Jimmy Sphreeris, and Jackson Browne, she maintained a high standard while having the flow and continuity that is missing from albums where performers mix their own material with that of outside songwriters whom they do not personally know. The excellent orchestration from the first album has been replaced by a hot jazzy backing band that rocks out and occasionally jams in a highly appealing and appropriate way. The lyrics are, once again, deep. If Browne, James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, and so on were able to make million-selling albums in the early 70s, it's a mystery why Smith didn't as well. This certainly blows away anything by Janis Ian or Joan Baez. By the way, both of Smith's albums were engineered by Val Valentin of Velvet Underground fame. [AM]

SMOKE (Los Angeles, CA)

"Smoke" 1968 (Sidewalk t-5912)  [mono]  
"Smoke" 1968 (Sidewalk st- 5912)  [stereo]  
"Smoke" 2004 (CD Acid Ray 5504, South Korea)

This is certainly one of the best US popsike albums, straddling the edge of soft-rock popsike like Sagittarius, but rocking quite a bit more convincingly. There’s a definite Beach Boys influence, but the soaring vocal arrangements and guitar-based song structures move in a direction those Boys never dared tread. That said, it’s nowhere near as weird as the WCPAEB, and could easily have had mainstream success if the cards were right. Great songs like “Gold Is The Color of Thought” encapsulate the era perfectly. The stereo pressing exists with both Sidewalk and Tower labels. [AM]
~~~
see full-length review

SMOKIN' WILLIE (IL)

"Smokin' Willie" 1972 (Ulrich Studio 3999)  [1000p]  
"Smokin' Willie" 1994 (OR 006)  [375#d]
"Smokin' Willie" 2004 (CD Radioactive 077, UK)

An LP to match St Anthony's Fyre for outlaw booze & pills attitude and an even more echoey gymnasium fidelity. Five out of six tracks are covers but they're so off-the-wall it doesn't matter much. Dig "Whiter shade of pale" with half the notes missing from the familiar organ line. Loud fuzz and Hammond upfront, howling biker vocals and a thundering rhythm section. Not for everyone's tastes for sure, but entertaining to these ears. [PL]
~~~
Heavy distorto fuzz biker cover band. Savage power chord no-fi onslaughts that just pulverize the material. When they ease up on "Whiter Shade Of Pale" with the shimmering church organ and strained vocals you can see why their motto was Louder, Harder, Fuzzier. Most copies were destroyed at the local dump in 1988. Promo copies were made on 8-track tape. [RM]

SNAKE (Pittsburgh, PA)

"Mysterious Ladies And Midnight Queens" 1977 (Nite Owl)

Chuck Owston has a long career in a variety of musical genres, though he rarely recorded. This self-released album contains country-rock, energetic roots-rock, folk, ballads, and an absolute spot-on Tom Waits impersonation/tribute. All of it is pretty good, but none of it is transcendent. If you like this style of music, it’s recommended. He has an appealing road-weary personality, kind of like someone whose whole life is music but doesn’t care if he ever hits the big time or not. Most songs are sparsely arranged, but the production is very crisp and his band is quite good. Nice mix of instruments including dobro and slide guitar. [AM]

SNAKEGRINDER (DE)  

"And The Shredded Fieldmice" 1977 (Alligator Shoes 40-004)  
"And The Shredded Fieldmice" 2005 (CD Radioactive 102, UK)
"And The Shredded Fieldmice" 2005 (CD)

One of the more pleasant reissue surprises of 2005, this obscure Delaware (not many known LPs from there) private goes into a lot of unusual places and retains a friendly, upbeat vibe while doing so. I hear traces of mid-70s Dead, Santana, The Band and Zappa, but the end result is all Snakegrinder. The vibe I pick up is a bunch of local stoners who have been jamming for years, written some tunes, and finally gotten together for an album to delight their buddies. The sound is rich and n-dimensional with an impressive group-mind synchronization going, creating a vintage Bay Area vibe pretty much any time they zoom off into jams. At times it sounds a lot like Ray Harlowe & Gyp Fox, and anyone who likes the best tracks on that LP is going to flip out over this one. This is not a 70s hard guitar jammer, but real deal acidrock with a multichannel flow to rank among the best of them. Terrific musicians, floating THC vibe, and long snakey tracks -- what more could one ask for? The second CD is a master tape reissue from the band. [PL]
~~~
This is a completely distinctive album that seems to wow everyone who hears it. It’s compared by most to the Grateful Dead, but some songs actually have a very professional jazzy 70s sheen and funky rhythmic sense that reminds me of Steely Dan. Unlike that band, though, the careful songwriting soon gives way to long jams, which veer from acid rock to jazz and back seamlessly. These sound like they have developed carefully over many live performances and rehearsals, and not like random improv. The playing is top-notch, and the songs are full of surprising twists and turns. The vocals aren’t up to the level of the guitars, but they’re serviceable (and there aren’t very many of them.) Not at all what you’d expect from hippie jammers; this is the kind of unique mix of styles that takes a while to get used to but is ultimately more rewarding than the cruder and less complex laid-back jammy music more frequently found on private press albums. [AM]

SNICKELFRITZ (Provo, UT)

"Snickelfritz Wants You!" 1969 (Mormoney mm-666)  [insert; 50p]

Amazing dark folk rock excursion with creepy pipe organ interludes that would have been right at home in the film, "Carnival of Souls". The songs cover the downer bases of unrequited love and societal rejection with aching sincerity teen vocals. Meandering minor chord 12-string solos give the record a real lost-in-time feel like a moody New England prep rocker without the backbeat. Thick gatefold with demonic trivia insert. [RM]

SIGMUND SNOPEK III (Milwaukee, WI)

"Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf" 1973 (Waterstreet)  [insert]  

"Trinity Seas" 1974 (Akashic)  [insert]  

"Nobody To Dream" 1975 (Couth Youth 1001)  [insert]

Doorsy vocals prog psych with mellotron, synth, and whatever else was handy. There was also an instro artrock LP from 1982, "Roy Rogers Meets Albert Einstein". [RM]
~~~
see -> Bloomsbury People; Jim Spencer; Major Arcana

SNOW (Cleveland, OH)

"Snow" 1968 (Epic BN 26435)  
"Snow" 2003 (CD Radioactive 056, UK)
"Snow" 2003 (Radioactive 056, UK)

Little-known item on the label with a sound placed right smack in the 1968 moustache sunshine Los Angeles & London pop-psych intersection of Mamas & Papas, Bee Gees, Hollies, etc. Not bad for the style, with nothing particularly objectionable and vintage zeitgeist charm. Male/female munchkin vocals, fuzz and harpischord flourishes, and an upbeat mood throughout. The production and vocals are LA while the songwriting style and whimsical fairytale lyrics are typical British. "Old Uncle Timothy's Flying Balloon" is the perfect lost track for the Rubble series. The closing psych-phased "Caterpillar" track has been hyped and is probably the best track here, but for fans of things such as the Smoke on Sidewalk or the Move/Idle Race the whole album could be worth searching out. Not heavy or deep in any way, in case the description hasn't made that clear, although they do try and pull an Iron Butterfly on "Song of the Sirens". [PL]

SNOWBALL (Long Island, NY) 

"Snowball" 1977 (Guinness Records GNS 36065)  [1-2]

One of the top three releases on this tax-scam record and in my opinion, the label’s best offering. Killer power pop that even the most discriminating hard-rock fan can’t deny. The guitars are brilliant and can do no wrong, along with vocals and arrangements that are flawless and highly addictive. The songs have more hooks than a tackle shop during the tourist season at Key West and production talent that would make George Martin envious. These guys have it all and no duds on the album. It’s a grower too! By the way, it’s another Bob Gallo project and he’s  involved in the arrangements, conducting, engineering and production. A Louis Lofredo shares credited in all chores with Bob Gallo except engineering. If you see this record at a reasonable price, grab it fast before it disappears and becomes insanely expensive. [JSB]

SNOW GEESE (Manfield, TX)

"Feathers In The Wind" 1977 (Old Hat)  [inner; insert]

Rural hippie folk and country-rock with some Christian moves.

DENNIS SOARES (HI)

”Surf Over The Reef” 1975 (Kobe DS101)

21 year-old native Hawaiian relaxed one man psych band that hits the mark and gets way deep.

SODBUSTERS (Vancouver, Canada)

"Sodbusters" 1974 (Georgia Stock 71-01)  

Rural hippie folk LP with Huckle helping out.

"SO IT GOES" (Atlanta, GA)

"So It Goes" 1973 (no label 1701)  [insert]  

Also known as "Emory Almanac", this various artists project from Emory College is an above average mix of folk and psychy rock.

SOJOURNER (LA)

"Wings Like An Eagle" 1979 (no label 017901)  

Christian proggy folk and rock mix, recorded at Magic City Studios in Bogalusa. Keyboard-heavy sound including synth, organ, clavinet, electric guitars and various percussion instruments.

JERRY SOLOMON (Los Angeles, CA)

"Past The 20th Century" 1971 (J-S 101)

L.A. real person extra-ordinaire creates an LP that is from a time and dimension not yet determined. Jerry’s songs are the modern psycho-acidic equivalent of the madrigals of Don Carlo Gesualdo, music's first outsider. With his highly chromatic melodies and overdubbed harmonies, Jerry sounds like a late 50s vocals group from the Twilight Zone. His self-accompaniment consists of a repetitive one-chord (maybe two) guitar strum that predates Jandek and a toy piano that is “strummed” and sounds like a lysergic equivalent of the zither on the Third Man soundtrack. The songs range from nostalgia for the earlier years of his life to total despair. He sings about not fitting in the modern age, life in the 50s, his first date. A song about the drudgery of work and longing for green meadows with peace and solitude is an atonal dirge that is anything but peaceful. The starkest song, complete with distorted vocals, sings of being denied of all human life in the name of morality, though he never says whose morality it is. [MA]
~~~
Solomon had two more LPs, and a large number of 45s, all highly desirable items on the lunatic fringe. Those close to Jerry have compared his lifestyle to that of a westcoast Cosmo Kramer.
 

V.A "SOMETHIN' ELSE" (Canada)

"Somethin' Else" 1966 (Roman drl-103)  

Canadian teen-beat sampler including the Paupers, David Clayton-Thomas, the Shays. The latter's track ("This hour has seven days") is good moody beat and has been comp'd.

SOMETHING NEW ( )

"Are You Looking" 1970 (Century 40499)

Electric folkrock with female vocals on well-known custom label.

ALAN SONDHEIM (Providence, RI)

"The Songs" 1967 (Riverboat rb-3)  
"Ritual All 7-70" 1968 (ESP 1048)  [2nd press; altered cover]  
"Ritual All 7-70" 199  (CD ESP 1048, Germany)

Pre-psych beatnik style freakout with exotic string and woodwind instruments and voice fragments. A classic of the early avant underground. The Riverboat version was credited to Ritual All 7-70, which became the LP title for the ESP pressing. Sondheim made a second LP for ESP with synth added, "Th 'Other Little Tune" (ESP 1082, 1969) which also is of some interest.

SONICS (Tacoma, WA)

"Here Are" 1965 (Etiquette etalb-024)  [mono; red label]  
"Here Are" 1965 (Etiquette etalb-024)  [stereo; red label]  
"Here Are" 1965 (Etiquette etalb-024)  [stereo; purple label; 2nd press]  

"Boom" 1966 (Etiquette etalb-027)  [mono; purple label]  
"Boom" 1966 (Etiquette etalb-027)  [stereo; purple label]  

Often inaccurately described as a "garage" era band, the Sonics emerged from the pre-Beatle Pacific Northwest scene as the final and perfected incarnation of the first 10 years of rock'n'roll. The debut LP is one of the best regional albums of the 1960s, and while "Boom" has a few unexceptional cover versions, the originals are again utterly stunning. No need for lengthy discursions on these guys, you either own this or you're clueless. Cover variations of first LP originals exist as follows: 1) cat# top right; 2) cat# lower right; 3) 1/4" white border round the cover. Reissues of both albums are too numerous to list, but there were official, exact runs from Etiquette in the 1980s sporting a purple label. Poorly done bootlegs exist without spine printing and a botched b & w sleeve job on "Here Are". The reissues on New Rose are reported as having poor sound. The 1970s six-LP "Northwest Box" on Etiquette include both (stereo mix) albums in thin, flimsy b & w sleeves. There is also an original 1960s Canadian pressing of "Boom", distributed by London. [PL]

"Introducing" 1967 (Jerden jrl-7007)  [mono; wlp exists]  
"Introducing" 1967 (Jerden jrls-7007)  [stereo]  

Repackaged early "hits" plus some later-day numbers, missing the nitroglycerin charge of the Etiquettes but still way above average. The original band was falling apart at this time.

"Explosives" 1973 (Buckshot 001)  

Legit sampler of Etiquette material put together in the dark ages, available via mail-order ads in Bomp Magazine. Compiled by Mark Shipper, this features 12 classic rippers in mono mixes.

"Original Northwest Punk" 1977 (First American fa-7715)

A couple early hits plus the later 1966-67 material, in fact an exact retread of the 1967 "Introducing" LP repackaged in a new cover. First American was run by NW scenemaker Jerry Dennon, also behind the Piccadilly label from the same timeframe.

"Unreleased" 1980 (First American fa- 7719)

Jerry Dennon's second raid on the Sonics vault yielded a selection of later 45s and unreleased tracks, some from the post-Gerry Roslie era. The material pops up on recent CDs as well. For diehard fans only.

"Fire And Ice" 1981 (First American fa-7779)

Scraping the bottom of the barrel on "Fire & Ice" with really lame vault material. A later CD version also exists. There is also a reunion LP of sorts from 1980, "Sinderella" (Bomp), which has a hideous cover and reportedly not very appealing contents. "Live Fanz Only" is a 1986 Etiquette release with a 1966 Oregon show on one side and a 1972 show on the other. From the mid-1980s and onwards the Sonics became a matter of international concern, with a number of reissues and retrospective releases. Best of CD samplers from Etiquette and Big Beat are good, just make sure you get the early non-LP 45 tracks ("The Hustler"; "Keep-A Knocking") and the X-mas sampler tracks. Mono mixes are always preferrable. In the 2000s there has again been a slew of releases, including early, pre-Etiquette recordings from Norton ("The Savage Young Sonics"), and more.
--
see -> "Merry X-Mas"

SONS (San Francisco, CA)

"Minus Seeds and Stems" 1971 (private 2126)  [100p]  
"Minus Seeds and Stems" 1993 (CFS 2126)  [2 inserts]  

Westcoast rarity featuring privately released live recordings by the Sons Of Champlin. This was made as the band had been dropped by Capitol, although they would reform for a couple more major label LPs later on. The sleeve has no song titles or credits, which were added via the 1990s reissue.

SONS OF THUNDER (MD) 

"Till The Whole World Knows" 196  (Zondervan 754)

Obscure late 1960s Christian album with surprisingly hip sounds of mostly light femme-vocal folkrock like an upbeat Guitar Ensemble or John Ylvisaker's younger cousins; a couple of tracks with male vocals are less exciting but it still plays solidly through with folkboom leftover charm and marginal school-play moves. Side 2 is strong with 3 excellent tracks, one of which even features raga guitar and psych effects. A few covers, but mostly origs I think. A marginal item really, but worth checking out for fans of Holy Ghost RC#9. Band looks really eerie on the cover... straight out of "Stepford Wives". The album is not expensive. Later Sons albums include "Days Follows Night" (Bronte 1001, 1972) and the heavier "Live At Virginia Beach" (Bronte 1002, 1973). [PL]

SORCERY (Chicago, IL)

"Sinister Soldiers" 1978 (Century 45484)  [2LPs; gatefold]  
"Sinister Soldiers - First Chapter" 199  (no label, Europe)  [bootleg]
"Sinister Soldiers - Second Chapter" 199  (no label, Europe)  [bootleg]
"Sinister Soliders" 199  (CD Monster)
"Sinister Soldiers" 200  (Century)  [2LPs; gatefold; counterfeit]

Often described as an early metal/NWOBHM album, but in my ears closer in sound and mood to local early 1970s hardrock bands like Top Drawer. Inane teen lyrics and thankfully non-screaming vocals, with plenty of guitarwork that occasionally goes into Terry Brooks territory, plus some mellotron and a proto-1980s drummer. Despite some negative feedback I think it's listenable all through, with a highpoint in moody long "Last goodbye" track. 2LP set in gatefold cover, although the total playtime barely exceeds 50 minutes. Apart from the reissues, there's a counterfeit in circulation which can be recognized by a white rectangle obviously inserted into the original cover artwork. [PL]

"Til Death Do We Part" 1980 (Sentry)   

The second LP is not so good. Is this the same group who did "Stunt Rock", the soundtrack to the film "Stunt" (Groovy, 1978, Holland)?  [RM]

S O S FEVER ( )

"Live At The Outrigger Hotel" 1969 (Makaha 5001)  

Obscure beat LP in nice color cover, supposedly recorded live.

SOUL INC (NC)

"At The Cellar" 1967 (Emblem)  

A common band name, this particular branch cut a live album in Charlotte NC with mainly blue-eyed soul numbers, as indicated by their monicker. Some originals, and covers of "Knock on wood", "You don't know like I know", etc. This is not the same Soul Inc as the prolific 45 outfit from Louisville, KY.

SOULS OF INSPYRATION (Quebec, Canada)

"The Souls of Inspyration" 1970 (Columbia ES 90061)  
"The Souls of Inspyration" 199  (Columbia)  [bootleg]
"The Souls of Inspyration" 2005 (CD Pacemaker 037)

Like labelmates Jarvis St Revue and It's All Meat a very rare LP despite being on Columbia. Keyboard-driven artrock with a late 60s feel in the vocals and organ but also baroque and classical influences. Not overwhelmingly interesting to me.

SOUND OF THE REIGN ( )

"Reigned Out" 1965 (Wilber)  

Teenbeat/garage.

SOUNDSATIONS (MI) 

"Shout" 1966 (Phalanx 001)  [1000p]  

If intended to capture the band's in-concert excitement, then this was totally missed. In spite of some lame audience sound effects, nothing here sounded live, nor particularly exciting. Featuring a mix of then-popular pop and soul hits the album deserved a 'D' for creativity, though the inclusion of one original ("Moody Love") saved it from an 'F'; this bluesy organ-propelled original was also the album's highpoint. Perhaps because they were so bad, the band's haphazard readings of "When a Man Loves a Woman" (I could read Dr. Seuss' "Green Eggs and Ham" with more feeling), an equally inept "Midnight Hour" and a seemingly endless "Shout" (with a particularly disturbing drum solo) were fascinating in the same way a bad traffic accident captures one's attention. By no stretch of the imagination was this great music, but the band's misplaced enthusiasm helped compensate for the absence of originality and the rather flat production. The other saving grace came in the form of guest vocalist Patsy Stevens. While she wasn't even shown on the album cover, Steven's handled lead vocals on several tracks and her performances on "What Now My Love" and "Just You" provided two of the LP highlights. [SB]

V.A "SOUNDS OF CENTRAL HIGH" ( )

"Sounds Of Central High '67" 1967 (no label)   

"Sounds Of Central High '68" 1968 (no label)  

High-school project LPs of which the first is of no particular merit, while the 1968 instalment has some cool tracks and an extraordinary psychedelic cover.

V.A "SOUNDTRACKS 1966" (Northfield, IL)

"Soundtracks 1966" 1966 (no label 28573)  

Very obscure school project LP from New Trier High School, features some brief teenbeat from the Maniacs doing "Little Latin Lupe Lu" as the main attraction; also has some students singing a mock "protest" tune to the melody of "Louie Louie".

SOUP (Appleton, WI) 

"Soup" 1970 (Arf Arm 1)  [plain cover; blank labels; yellow insert]  
"Soup" 199  (Arf Arm)  [counterfeit; insert]
"Soup" 2000 (Gear Fab 144)  [+bonus tracks]
"Soup" 2000 (CD Gear Fab 144)  [+bonus tracks]

Crude local rural rock/hard-rock affair with melodic Marin County eclecticism on side 1 including jazz and country moves; ambitious guitarwork, unpretentious vocals and some nice hooks that may appeal in an Owen B direction. Side 2 is a live-recorded hard-rock blowout called "I'm so sorry" with the desperate teen vocals again an asset, as well as some of the more frantic guitar riffing you're likely to hear. Nice playing all around and a trip worth examining for those into the really local early 70s sounds, while the average psych fan can pass on it. The easiest way to identify an original is that the vinyl has a flatter, rounded edge while the fakes are sharply beveled. The fake insert was a lime green with thinner paper stock and 'new' looking. The group was previously known as garage-era band Private Property Of Digil, whose 45s are included on the reissue. The band had a second LP on a real record label, "The Album Soup" (Big Tree bts-2007, 1971) which has some excellent guitar and a couple of good songs opening side 1 but is otherwise unexceptional. [PL]

RICHARD SOUTAR (CT)

"Episodes" 197  (Artsong)  

Pleasant surprise in store here as Soutar's more obscure debut LP turns out to be clearly better than "Lavender Daydreams", in fact I think it's on a whole other level. Songwriting is similar but superior, with a 1960s folkrock feel and lots of hooks and strong melodies. Recurring use of fuzz leads and enthusiastic live feel reminds me of the Joe Peace album but this is clearly better in my ears. Also has frequent use of flute and female harmonies supporting Soutar's own excellent vocals, wrapped in a full folkrock basement setting a la Gandalf the Grey. A couple of tracks hint at the generic 1970s singer/songwriter blandness that weighed down his later LP, but all over this is a fine trip comparable to a less moody Gary Higgins, or what you hoped the Arthur Lee Harper album would sound like. Too bad this didn't get reissued instead of "Lavender", but hopefully it will come round down the line. [PL]

"Lavender Daydreams" 1976 (no label SD-72176)  [lyric insert; 200p]  
"Lavender Daydreams" 199  (Void 9)  [insert]

Pro-sounding melodic singer/songwriter & hippie folkrock LP in the popular post-CSNY 1970s bag, too lightweight and easygoing to challenge the status quo of anything, including the listener's mood. Songwriting and performances are flawless, but a bit more heart and soul wouldn't hurt next time. The title track is a terrific dreamy folkrockpsycher in the Michael Angelo realm, but to get there you have to sit through 35 minutes of pleasantly forgettable s/sw material. Gary Higgins is a much better and more personal trip for this style. [PL]

JOHN SOUTHERN (OK)

"Equinox" 1975 (Boyd 0001)  [insert]  

Little-known mid-70s title in great color sleeve showing the man inside a giant sewer pipe. The LP features Southern's homemade string instruments and has one excellent long cut and a couple other decent ones.
 

SOUTHERN STEEL (Miami, FL)

"Get On Through" 1974 (Earth Records 0003/04)  

Seldom seen Southern rock/hardrock with strong guitarwork and some outstanding tracks such as "Don't deny it". There was also a 45 released. Produced by Craig Leon, who went on to fame as a producer with Ramones, Suicide, and others.

SOWER (NM)

"Sower" 1977 (Grand Trine)  [500p; inner]  

1970s style laidback rural folkrock with guitars, drums, flute and violin, reported as "lame" by one renowned critic.

STEPHEN SPANO (MD)

"Eye To Eye" 1974 (Adelphi ad-4103)  [insert]  

Here’s a terrific private press rarity that’s completely fallen under the radar. It’s way better than multi-hundred-dollar singer-songwriter/folk-rock/soft pop rarities like Richard Soutar or Mick Stevens and the entire brigade of albums inaccurately compared to Michael Angelo. Like all of those records, there’s scant amount of fuzz guitar or trippiness here. But there’s some excellent lead guitar, occasional use of hippie instruments like conga and flute, a bit of moog, unusual chord progressions and thoughtful, intelligent songwriting to go along with the requisite vocal harmonies and acoustic guitars. It’s also much less wimpy than your average CSN-influenced private press album. The highlights are “...and dream,” which has some great lead guitar, and “Eye to eye,” which rocks out (and, admittedly, veers a tad toward prog). The rest of the album is quite good too. Neat album cover; you’d think that alone would have attracted attention to it. Snap it up quick before it gets discovered and the price balloons. About 1500 copies were pressed. [AM]

SPARE CHANGE BAND (MA)

"Spare Change Band" 1977 (Tribute)  

Westcoasty folkrock jams and loungey blues, post-Tea Company. To my ears a dull, overrated LP with one good track in "Take me to your garden".
~~~
see -> Frankie Carr

SPARKS (Canada) 

"Travelling With" 1965 (Fontaine)  

Obscure teenbeat.

SPARROWS (Los Angeles, CA)

"That Mersey Sound" 1964 (Elkay 3009)

Exploito Beatles covers with monster garage guitar sound and hick vocals (like From Britain With Beat)! One of the best in the style. Rick Griffin did the cover art. [RM]

SPEAK EASY (Kansas City, MO)

"Speak Easy" 197  (no label)

Late 1970s hardrockers.

SPECKULATIONS ( )

"Walking The Dog In The Midnight Hour" 1966 (Justice 132)  
"Walking The Dog In The Midnight Hour" 1996 (CD Collectables)

Crude frat/garage that differs from most Justice albums in being sloppily played, the rhythm section in particular. In fact, they're all over the place. Further garage ambience is provided by Index-like teen vocals and a selection of covers that are somewhat less soul/lounge and more standard '65-66 fare than many of their local competitors. There may also be an original or two. A solid dose of vintage teen incompetence that makes for passable entertainment and is about the closest any Justice band came to the equally maligned North-East preprock sound. One of the rarer Justices. [PL]

SPECTRE (WY)

"Spectre" 1982 (Vedauwoo)  

Hardrock/AOR with lots of guitar, housed in an odd b & w cover. One of the few ones from Wyoming, this has been compared to Unison.

SPEED LIMIT 35 (NC)

"Speed Limit 35" 2004 (RD Records 14, Switzerland)  [insert]

Post-Ladies WC band with unreleased studio and live recordings from circa 1970 in a rural guitar-jam style.

ALEXANDER 'SKIP' SPENCE (San Francisco, CA)

"Oar" 1969 (Columbia cs-9831)  [360 label]  
"Oar" 199  (CD Sundazed 11075)  [+10 tracks]
"Oar" 199  (Sundazed 11075)
"Oar" 199  (CD Sony Legacy 75031)  [+5 tracks]

As most probably know already this is the solo album Alexander 'Skip' Spence recorded after getting sacked from Moby Grape and spending six months in the Bellevue hospital. The songs were written while he was committed there and it kinda shows - it's fragmented and demo-like but at the same time filled with emotion and raw beauty. The album is often described as being very downer and depressive, which I think is extremely unjust. It's full of beautiful songs like "Little Hands", "Diana" and others, that easily would've fitted with the Grape. But the spectrum is much wider. There's the countryish "Broken Down", a tale of revenge, cheating and death which predates Johnny Cash's raw acoustic recordings by three decades. The influence of American folk music, or cosmic Americana maybe, runs through the whole album and keeps it together. There's off-beat humor in tracks like "Dixie Peach Promenade" and "Lawrence Of Euphoria". Great lyrics over all and possibly one of the best real psychedelic acid compositions/performances ever pressed into vinyl: "War In Peace" which is worth the price of admission alone. Alexander plays all of the instruments himself and the result is fantastic, if you like some off-beat playing and misses in synching, but also a total presence of this person who turns himself inside out to express his inner feelings. It's quite simply an awesome album, for me it has desert island status. He's been compared to Syd Barrett a lot, but I don't think that gives away what this LP sounds like. This is, first of all, more American. It's also less whimsy and to my ears more "real". There's nothing quite like it. "Oar" is one of the worst selling albums in Columbia's history; around 600 copies total of the 2000 pressed. The old Sony CD has lots of extra material, but I must warn about the sound on that issue. It's way too "cleaned up" and sounds dead compared to an original or a better reissue.  [MM] 

JIM SPENCER (Milwaukee, WI) 

"Landscapes" 1973 (Thoth)  

Singer/songwriter and folkrock with an ambitious mainstream feel and Susan & Richard Thomas helping out.

"2nd Look" 1974 (Akashic Records ast-1001)  [poster]  

Before the Major Arcana album, Jim Spencer released two equally rare solo albums. The second has contributions from Susan and Richard Thomas, Sigmund Snopek III and Anonymous’ Ron Matelic (who wrote one song and co-wrote another.) The music is a more singer/songwriter variation on the Major Arcana album. Some songs are dead ringers for the Major Arcana sound. Others are in a more straight folk and/or country direction. The more elaborate songs feature mildly jazzy arrangements including sax, flute, mellotron and synthesizers. The songwriting is reasonably strong, peaking on the somewhat sinister “The Devil Is A Fat Man.” Matelic’s contributions are almost baroque, sounding nothing like Anonymous (and nowhere near as good). This album isn’t quite up to the level of Major Arcana, but will certainly appeal to fans of that album and folk/psych fans in general. [AM]

SPIDER & THE CRABS (KS) 

"Spider & the Crabs" 1967 (Audio House AH12267)  

Previously unknown to exist custom press on renowned Lawrence, KS label. Eight tracks, six of which are horn-laden crooneresque soul ballads of no identifiable merit. However, "Think" is a fuzzed out 100 mph band original well worth investigating, and the LP closes with an agreeable "Stepping Stone". Press size has been estimated to 25-100 copies by Audio House management. The band, who were a popular live attraction in the Kansas showband style, also had a local non-LP 45. [PL]

SPIFFYS (Annapolis, MD) 

"The Spiffys" 1967 (no label 242)  [1500p]    

The weaker of the two LPs from Naval Academy recruits whose band kept going for decades, with members changing as new classes were enlisted. This one is on level with the average Justice LP and thus not very interesting beach club garage/soul sounds, all covers except one OK beat original. Nice sleeve. 
~~~
see full-length review

"Spiffys '68" 1968 (no label 12597)  [2500p]  

Their better LP, two bad "soul" tracks while the rest is highly listenable, including fun covers of Procol Harum and the Doors. The great group folkrock/psych original "Dreams" is a must-hear and has been comp'd on Oil Stains vol 2. 
~~~
see full-length review

SPIKEDRIVERS (Detroit, MI)

"Spikedrivers" 2002 (RD Records 10, Switzerland)
"Spikedrivers" 200  (CD RD Records CD-3, Switzerland)

Subtitled "Folk-rocking psychedelic innovation from the Motor City in the mid 60's", this is a rather terrific and much-loved retrospective sampler of official and unreleased recordings from this ahead-of-their time band that blended westcoast folkrock with middle eastern psych sounds long before it was trendy. The opening "Often I Wonder" raga psycher (a 45 B-side from mid-1966) blows minds wherever it is heard, and the rest of the LP ranges from good to great. Two different line-ups of the band are represented. Along with Bob Smith my favorite release from the label so far, and simply essential to any 60s psych fan. [PL]
~~~
see -> Ted Lucas; Perth County Conspiracy; Peace Bread & Land Band; Modality Stew

SPIRITS & WORM (NY) 

"Spirits & Worm" 1969 (A&M 4229)  [brown label box logo]  
"Spirits & Worm" 1995 (Water Servant, UK)  [paste-on; 375#d]
"Spirits & Worm" 1995 (Sweet Herb, Europe) 
"Spirits & Worm" 2000 (CD Akarma 141, Italy) 
"Spirits & Worm" 2000 (Akarma 141, Italy) 

Well, you can't get much rarer for a major label LP, although the reason for the rarity and the number of copies pressed differ depending on who you talk to. Unfortunately, and despite some excited ramblings I've read, this doesn't really deserve its legend. The music is your standard westcoast hippiepop/rock, pretty fun and enjoyable but by no means superior to many a $20 LP, with horns on two tracks. Despite what you might read, this sounds closer to the Fifth Dimension than Jefferson Airplane to my ears. A 45 was released from the LP, and it appears the LP was also released in England, despite its utter obscurity. The band was from Long Island, except the female vocalist who was from NJ. Prior to the A & M signing they won a Battle Of The Bands sponsored by a shoe store which supposedly led to them recording a local 45, which has not yet been found. The Water Servant boot cover is a poorly done repro of the back cover with a different front, while the Sweet Herb job is an exact repro with some minor crackle. [PL]

SPLIT DECISION ( )

"Flight Of The Triad" 1981 (no label SD-1)  

Rather quirky hard rocking AOR private press I believe hails from New Jersey. There are occasional arena prog moves thrown in, mainly through the sporadic use of a synethesizer. There's some psych vibes as well, particularly in the first two songs on Side 2. The first is a heavy late psych sound with liberal use of fuzz on the guitar. It flows into the next track, a spacy guitar dominated instrumental with a bit of a rural Dead influence. Plenty of guitar leads permeate the LP, and a lot with effects (phased, synthesized, etc). Good musicianship throughout, though there is an endearing bonehead quality to the lyrics and vocals. Extremely rare; I know of only three copies, including the two I have. [MA]

SPOILS OF WAR (IL)

"Spoils of War" 1999 (Shadoks 001, Germany)  [+bonus 45]
"Spoils Of War" 2000 (CD Shadoks 001, Germany)

Late 1960s recordings, originally released on two local EPs at the time, from arty college outfit who later metamorphosed into prog-folkers Mormos. Really two bands in one, one being an introspective garage/folkrock band like the Rising Storm, the other a quirky electronics psych act in a Lothar & the Hand People/50 Foot Hose direction. Oscillator and sound fx become annoying at times but add an interesting intellectual finish for the most part. Well worth a release, and combined with the great cover design makes for one of Shadoks' better offerings. Includes a bonus 45, even though the playtime of the regular LP isn't particularly long. Shadoks followed this with a 2LP set (also titled "Spoils Of War", Shadoks 55) of similar, slightly earlier material in lesser sound, which is recommended only to hardcore fans of this first one. [PL]

SPONTANES ( )

"Play Solid Soul" 1965 (Hit Attractions 109)  

Obscure teen-beat/blue-eyed soul LP in crude cover.

SPOONFED (AR)

"Rock 'n Roll Rowdies" 1983 (Zanbeck ZSP 1001)   

Good Southern guitar-rock despite the late release date.

SPRING FEVER (Canada) 

"Woodstock" 1970 (Paragon 302)  

Obscure power trio doing blues-rock with all covers except one instrumental, on the same label as Reign Ghost and Christmas.

SPUR (IL) 

"Spur Of The Moment" 1969 (Cinema 1500)  
"Spur Of The Moment" 199  (Cinema, Europe)  [bootleg]

Pretty strange LP from rural Illinois band which is partly novelty-tinged garbage with rock'n'roll medleys, "funny" spoken bits etc, but also has some very good folkrock psychers on side 2 - too bad the whole LP isn't that way. Can't really recommend it despite being pretty cheap, but try to tape those good ones. Spur also backed Father Pat Berkeley on a late 60s LP in the "Incredibly Strange" bag. The LP was distributed mainly around St Louis, which is why the band was believed to be from there. [PL]

SQUARE ROOT OF NINE (MI)

"Three" 196  (Pac Three)   
-- there is some confusion around the name of this band, as some believe them to have been called Three, 'Square Root Of Nine' being the album title.

Little known folk with 2 guys & 1 gal looking square indeed. Mostly covers in a moody folk-boom style.

STACCATOS (Ottawa, Canada)

"Initially" 1965 (Capitol t-6158)  [mono]  
"Initially" 1965 (Capitol st-6158)  [stereo]  

Jangly pop and teen-beat from popular group, mostly originals. The band also released a split Coca Cola-backed promo LP, "A Wild Pair" (1969, Nimbus 9), with Guess Who on the other side. Pre-Five Man Electrical Band.

STACK (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Above All" 1969 (Charisma 303)
"Above All" 199  (Charisma, Europe)  [bootleg]
"Above All" 1997 (Void 06)  [die-cut cover; insert; +1 track; 500p]
"Above All" 1998 (CD Gear Fab 111)
"Above All" 199  (Akarma 057, Italy)
"Above All" 199  (CD Akarma 057, Italy)

Early LA hardrock blowout with a British sound and Who and Led Zep influences; not everything works but the best tracks go into ferocious guitar excursions that are among the best anywhere. Teenage punk vocals work well and it's a LOUD upfront mother from start to finish. Almost glamrocky in its selfassured yet convincing "rock" postures, and indeed ahead of its time. Mandatory to any hardrock fan, although originals are genuinely rare. One member was in garage legends the Fabs before this. The band appeared in a Pepsi Cola commercial, supplied background music for the classic teen flick "Wild In The Streets", and had a major label contract within reach, but it didn't happen. The Void reissue has some crackles. [PL]
~~~
Superb bluesy hard fuzz rocker with a Rush feel at times. Powerhouse vocals, tight playing, distinctive songs, and muscular guitar work with plenty of fuzz. This group had the whole package, it's really a crime they never hit the big time. The drums are up front and this record really pounds. One of the few early hardrock locals with memorable songs and a first class vocalist with range. The anthemic "Only forever" and "Everyday" will blow heavy guitar fans away. Amazing LP at least five years ahead of its time. [RM]
~~~
As the band say, “Laugh and point and stare at the boys with girls’ hair”. You can laugh and point and stare as much as you like, because Stack demolish most of their contemporary hard rockers and either predate or demolish most of what came after in the genre. The drumming on this LP stands out a mile but the whole band are great. No macho drivel or posy metal solos on this one –- this is the meat with no vegetables or potatoes in the mix. The shortest songs are the best (they’re all quite short apart from "Da Blues"). "Everyday", "Valleys" and "Cars" are wonderful songs delivered with such raw energy that you are left wondering how success eluded them. The LP does sound like it should have had significant mainstream appeal in all the right ways and yet amazingly it flopped. [RI]

STAGE FRIGHT (MO)

"D-Day" 1980 (Aardvark)  

Rural hardrock/barrock with a late 1960s vibe. Has been hyped, but not everyone is impressed with it.

STAINED GLASS (CA) 

"Crazy Horse Roads" 1969 (Capitol ST 154)

This album has a cool cover, with the band being hung from (obviously airbrushed) trees. The music doesn’t really have the outlaw vibe as advertised, though, being a pretty upbeat mix of pop/psych styles. A few songs are pretty strong, and overall it’s a pleasant listen, slightly above average for the genre. [AM]

"Aurora" 1969 (Capitol ST 242)  

The second LP is rarer and considered superior by most.

STAINED GLASS WINDOW (IL)

"Stained Glass Window" 1975 (Sycamore 248)  

Downer folk with an Incredible String Band vibe, not terribly impressive.

STALK-FORREST GROUP (Long Island, NY)

"Stalk-Forrest Group" 1999 (no label, Germany)
"Stalk-Forrest Group" 2002 (CD Rhino Handmade)  [+bonus tracks]
"Stalk-Forrest Group" 2004 (CD Radioactive 019, UK)
"Stalk-Forrest Group" 2004 (Radioactive 019, UK)

Also known as "St Cecilia" and "The California Album", these are legendary pre-Blue Öyster Cult recordings made for a 1969-70 Elektra LP that was shelved for reasons that remain obscure. Tapes of this material were going round already in the 1970s, but it wasn't until recently that it became commercially available. It's a tremendous westcoast-sounding LP with a superb blend of songwriting, guitar excursions and above-average lyrics. Strong all through with outstanding peaks in "Gil Blanco County" and "St Cecilia". The album has a bit of a Love influence and could be considered an alternative (superior) development to "Four Sails". Essential to any westcoast fan, also reminiscent of "China cat sunflower"-era Dead and Truth/Them from Chicago. The German vinyl bootleg has unimpressive sound (about 7/10) which admittedly brings a nice basement edge to the tracks, but ultimately isn't recommended. The Rhino Handmade on the other hand is almost too good in sound, with an unprocessed, widestretched soundscape that will appeal to sound engineers but is somewhat lacking in warmth and presence. The remastered Radioactive CD delivers a more alive, organic feel and also has a superior running order and should be considered the first choice for Stalk-hunters, even though it is completely lacking the superb packaging of the Rhino CD. A promo 45 was released by Elektra, this 45 has been bootlegged. [PL]
~~~
see full-length review 

STANLEY (TX)

"Enemy Ave" 1981 (Rectangle)  

Obscure bonehead hardrock in primitive cover.

RICK STANLEY ( )

"Song Of Life" 1970 (Jai Guru Dev)  

Spiritual meditation folk sounds from guy on the Maharishi trail, opens with a lecture on the virtues of transcendental meditation, followed with music in the expected style. Stanley later popped up with the Natural Tendency "Something Good Is Happening" LP (Ganesh, 1972) which has a full folkrock sound with keyboard mixed with Indian instruments.

STARBLIND (CA) 

"Rock Is Our Business" 197  (LRS)  

One-sided LP on same custom label as Frolk Haven, typical 70s hardrock with mostly covers in an elaborate gatefold sleeve.

STARCHILD (Canada)

"Children Of The Stars" 1978 (Axe 521)

Metallic hardrock like German band the Scorpions. With Greg Hinz of Helix. The label had several more releases out.

STARFIRE (CA)

"Starfire" 1974 (Crimson 4476)  
"Starfire" 2004 (Void 033)
"Starfire" 2005 (CD Radioactive 137, UK)

Unexceptional local basement hardrock with guitar, organ and some prog ambitions.

STARFIRES (Orlando, FL)

"Play" 1965 (Ohio Recording Service 34)  

Typical mid-60s teenbeat from Florida band who recorded in Ohio due to a family connection. One member later went on to garage legends Little Willie & the Adolescents.
 

STARFIRES (Los Angeles, CA)

"Teenbeat A Go Go" 1965 (LaBrea LS 8018)  

Frat r&b covers, mostly in a pre-Invasion mood with "Money", "Peter Gunn", "Apache" and so on. The band later cut an all-time classic garage 45 in "I never loved her". Many years later, band member Sonny Lathrop popped up in Sweet Marie.

PETER STARK (MI)

"Mushroom Country" 1976 (Montagne no #)  
"Mushroom Country" 2005 (CD Radioactive 098)

Second-tier private press hippie folk LP is a somewhat surprising pick for a reissue, although the great mushroom/flying saucer cover may have contributed. Stylistically pretty similar to the Ted Lucas LP with a mix of loner folk, bluesy folk, and acoustic ragas, the latter aspect being perhaps the most appealing as the guy gets a nice flow going. The vocal stuff isn't too shabby but a little bloodless, due in some part to a flat, lo-fi recording. Some unexpected cover versions take up space that could have been put to better use. Last track has full folkrock setting with guitar leads. A listenable 30 minutes, but recommended mainly for genre fans and completists, and ultimately one of Radioactive's more questionable reissues. [PL]

STARLIGHTS ( )

"Triste-Payaso" 196  (Teardrop lpm-2015)

Tex-Mex sound with some garagy r&b ravers. "Mustang Sally", "Stagger Lee".

STARLINERS (MN)

"Live At Papa Joe's" 1967 (Le Jac 1001)  

This little known garage/club LP is above average for the genre, due to a crazy Gerry Roslie-type screamer on vocals and some genuinely rocking takes on the standards; "Bo Diddley" in particular blows away any UK r'n'b act, while their "Satisfaction" is one of the best ever (better than the Stones). Six-minute take on "Caravan" has terrific Gene Krupa-style drum solo and the band is very tight. Not great all through, but if they'd let the wildman sing all songs and lost a couple of soul poopers this would have been a mindblower for any garage LP fan. Comparable to the Tony Lane LP on Justice. Seems to be an authentic live recording, though crowd noise is faint. "Broken engagement" is a band original, while "I feel good" is listed as "I got you". The press size has been reported as only 275 copies, due to a pressing plant problem. [PL]

STARLITERS (NC) 

"Journey With" 1966 (Justice 124)  
"Journey With" 1995 (CD Collectables 0611)

Obscure one on the label, with four high school kids displaying their lack of "chops". They try burying the drummer's incompetence with an  echo-laden production to no avail. Pretty fun and charming LP, closer to being real "garage" than most of their Justice colleagues, with three Animals covers including a memorable "Rising Sun"; the band also had enough chutzpah to try out "Ticket to ride". Three unexciting instros and a couple of half-assed r'n'b/beach music covers break the spell, but this is in no way inferior to the prep rock and local garage LPs from the Northeast. [PL]

STARR (CO)

"Memories Never Die" 197  (no label)

Late 1970s proggy hardrock a la Legend "From the fjords", with some AOR moves and synth. The LP is sometimes shown as self-titled as there is no title on the front cover.

GENE STEIKER & LARRY CHENGGES ( )

"Straywinds" 1973 (Shanyn-Alexus)  

Most of us have a record or two that we believe in our hearts we are the only person to ever "get". For me, this record is utter magic and sits in a stack of well under ten records I won't put up on the block because I just can't be without them. The Grudzien is in that pile, so is the UK mono White Album. "Straywinds" is a whole lot closer to Grudzien than The Beatles. Two guys in a cavernous and empty auditorium (the natural echo here is phenomenal). One plays acoustic piano, the main instrument, the other some percussion and some clean electric guitar, very quietly. This is, in fact, a seriously quiet record. There are a few vocal parts that are sung, but the majority of this is spoken poetry with piano accompaniment. There is a naiveté and innocence here that I think is a common thread in my private stash of keeper records. This is as fragile a record as may have ever managed to get itself pressed and issued into the world. While the first side is heavily echoed vocals over sparse instrumentation (on tracks like "In Green Pastures" "Some Old Town" My Dreams, My Love"), the second side opens with "Beyond Forgetting." Under the right circumstances someone could play this track and, at the end, ask for $1,500 and get it. A distorted and electronically effected vocal shouts over an electric piano and acoustic guitar bed. Still subdued but otherworldly and impossibly strange; I have never played this for someone and not had to scrape their jaw off the carpet. Like most of our secret records, this comes with the added knowledge that this will be reissued only after everything else is and so it will remain that little treasure just for us. Back in the time of mail order record lists this would show up occasionally for $35 to $75. Certainly not for everyone, and perhaps more a relic from the psychedelic age than psychedelic itself; I can't recommend this without reservation. In fact, I'm not really sure I want you listening to it at all. Forget I mentioned it. Move along. [SD]

ALEX STELZNER ( )

"Listen To The Changes" 197  (Century 32413)  

Moody melodic folk and folkrock with baroque feel. Originals all through.

STENCIL FOREST (IN)

"Opening Act" 1983 (Realtime RTA 1000)   

Styx-inspired melodic hard rock-AOR with professional sound and some progressive rock leanings, with keyboard and ace guitar leads.

JOE STEP ( )

"Sacrifice" 1982 (CCS)   

Guitar-dominated band somewhere between hardrock and metal. The cover shows stills from a slasher movie the band made.

STEPHEN & THE FARM BAND see Farm Band

STEPSON ( )

"Stepson" 1974 (ABC 826)

This band actually descends from Touch and Blue Mountain Eagle, though this time they’ve gone towards moronic hard rock, including a song about their “Rude Attitude” and a hilariously crude power ballad. It’s not exactly hard rock at its most precise or thoughtful, but it really works for dumb fun. Pretty great, really. Marred slightly by an unnecessary and uninteresting Animals cover. [AM]

JERRY & NANCY STEVENS (Austin, TX)

"A Little Resolution" 1976 (Troll tr-12372)  [insert]   

Gently baked hippie folk delicate peace and love tunes. Lots of backing instruments and nice vocals, right look but ultimately borderline crappy in a sleepytime way. [RM]

LORA LEE & JANA LYN STEWART (Canada)

"Have You Heard The News?" 1972 (Wonderland QCS 1033)  

Two wholesome hand-holding teen sisters who somehow ended up with a trippy psychedelic sound on a good third of their ultra-homemade LP. The songs to pay special attention to are "It Seemed So Easy", "Why Do You Keep Running?", "So Far To Go" and the seven-minute ballad "Fellowship", each of which features a sparsely-arranged late-‘60s combination of psychy organ, piano, electric guitar (including some fuzz), drums and bass. Not just the arrangements – the melodies themselves have a moody psychedelic nature with gloomy minor-key downer structures (the organ on a couple of these reminded me of Azitis). Even some subtle echo effects on the vocals in a couple spots. A few other songs like the title track, "Can’t You See?" and a cover of "Day By Day" also manage a pleasant underground light-rock vibe, albeit without the psych edge. Everything has a simple stark hypnotic loner tone overlaid with the gals’ delicate soprano/alto harmonies. Unfortunately the rest of the album consists of traditional piano hymns, but the good stuff (all of which was written by the girls) more than makes up for it. [KS]

A STILL SMALL VOICE ( )

"The Still Small Voice" 197  (Herald AM1596)  

Great underground psych-edged custom rock from male/female group of eight. Garagy electric riffs with wah-wah loudly roughing things up on "Mark Of The Beast" and the eight-minute opener "A Still Small Voice/A Future Time". The latter track also has some nice psychy organ, as does the trippy mysterious "The Night Has Come". Several songs target middle-ground plugged-in guitar/piano folkrock realms a la Wild Olive Branch Band, namely "Lord I’m Smiling In Your Love", "All The Days Of Your Life", "Rainbow" and "Same Old Feeling", all with good electric guitar presence. A couple pleasant acoustic ballads: "I Must Tell Jesus" and "Wherever He Leads I’ll Go", the latter with a spoken personal challenge to accept Christ. Crude b&w pen/ink cover drawing of a pair of hands reaching out toward three crosses on a hill. Creepy contorted photo of two faces on the back. Doesn’t say where they’re from, but mentions the album was recorded in Phoenix, Arizona. No relation to the better known Herald label out of South Carolina. [KS]

TED STILLES ( )

"Bhang" 1980 (Telewbar TS-100)  

Six-track mini-LP debut in a hard fuzz Hendrix style fuzz, more primitive than heavy. Stilles second LP is less interesting.

STING RAYS (Rochester, NY)

"Take Off With" 1964 (Century 17867)  [10"]  

Garage surf and r&b stompers, 11 tracks in total.

RAY STINNET ( )

"Ray Stinnet" 1971 (A & M demo)  [2LPs; no sleeve]  

Sleeveless double set demo album recorded with LA session pro:s, according to a reliable source it "sounds like the tail end of the Steve Young/Dillard and Clark impulse, clearly influenced by Neil Young but with a few druggier moments. If you took the best 1/3 of it, you'd have a truly great 2/3's of an album." This appears to be the same Ray Stinnet that was in Sam The Sham's Pharaohs.

BILLY AND SANDRA STINSON ( )

“The Merchant’s Ship” 197  (NRP NR 2924) 

Scarce and unknown private press folk LP with some mellotron, mixed vocals, dark lyrics.

STONE CIRCUS (NY)

"The Stone Circus" 1969 (Mainstream 6119)  
"The Stone Circus" 199  (Mainstream, Europe)  [bootleg]

Westcoastish psych/hippie-rock, less elephantine than most later Mainstreams, with an unusual Strawberry Alarmclock influence a plus. Melodic and competent, fairly agreeable LP. Described as "strange" elsewhere but in actuality pretty straightforward, some odd spoken passages excepted. Most of the members were originally from Montreal, and were based in NY where they were known as the Funny Farm; the new band name was Mainstream's invention. In 1971 band member Larry Cohen aka Jonathan Caine recorded an orchestrated pop-psych album which included a version of a Stone Circus track. He hired one Yank Barry to handle the vocals, and Barry actually released this in the mid-70s, possibly without Cohen's knowledge. The whole thing was then reissued as a box-set in 2001, now credited to Stone Circus ("Diary Of Mr Gray", McConnell, Canada). The Yank Barry story is pretty amazing, see separate entry. [PL]
~~~
see -> Yank Barry

STONE CROW see Great Loose Band 

STONED CIRCUS (MO)

"Stoned Circus" 1994 (Rockadelic 12)  [insert; 500p]
"Stoned Circus" 200  (CD World In Sound, Germany)  [+bonus tracks]

Unreleased 1970 tapes from band with rare 45, somewhat atypical for Rockadelic in its generic westcoasty Big Brother/Airplane style. Agreeable Hammond/guitar mix and a tough femme wailer, songwriting isn't terribly impressive however and the band sounds best on two jammy numbers on side 2 that suggest they may have been good live. Bluesy feel like the St Louis Touch, some stray folk and soulrock moves; all over like if the first Big Brother LP had been recorded in 1969. May appeal to fans of the Mainstream label sound. Worth releasing but not among the best Rockadelics in my opinion. Yet another find from the depths of Cavern Sound studios in KC. [PL]

STONE GARDEN (ID)

"Stone Garden" 1998 (Rockadelic 29)  [insert; 500p]
"Stone Garden" 2001 (CD Gear Fab 188)

Popular title on the Rockadelic label and clearly above average transition document from late 60s S F Bay Area eclectisism into crude Northwest hardrock. The band was once thought to be an early version of Fraction which is not true, although their 45 (on Fraction's label) packs a similar intensity and is present here in two versions, both excellent. The LP is enjoyable all through with highpoint in a couple of hard guitarpsych excursions on side 2, and the band shows more talent and variation than the standard basement outfits from the era. Extra points for obvious teen psych remains, and even the goodtimey track about being busted for pot in S F is agreeable. One of the best of the label's more recent releases. Very nice gatefold packaging although the Stonehendge image may remind some of "Spinal Tap". [PL]

STONE HARBOUR (Youngstown, OH)

"Emerges" 1974 (Stone Harbour 610)  [500p]  
"Emerges" 199  (no label, Europe)  [bootleg; b & w cover]
"Emerges" 199  (CD Flashback, UK)
"Emerges" 2004 (Void 32)  [500p]

Extraordinary basement psych with two multi-instrumentalists creating a melancholic dreamlike state with songs fading in and out of the speakers, cavemen drums, primitive electronics and murky fuzz lurking in the background. The best tracks go into places no other albums reach. Actually closer to the heart of psychedelia than most other records listed here. The two hard rocking tracks that have been comp'd are not representative of the album as a whole, and add an unwanted "roots" feeling that disturb the trip somewhat. Still, one of the Ohio classics, with unparalleled artwork on the sleeve. Beware of an earlier "reissue" on Void (#20) titled "Re-emerges", which is new recordings of the 1974 material. [PL] 

STONE MOSES (IL)

"Stone Moses" 1974 (Red Rock)   

Stoned rural rock.

STONEWALL (NY) 

"Stonewall" 1974 (Tiger Lily 14013)  
"Stonewall" 1992 (no label)  [bootleg]
"Stoner" 199  (Akarma, Italy)  [new sleeve]
"Stoner" 199  (CD Akarma, Italy)
"Stonewall" 2004 (Scorpio/Tiger Lily)

Very good teenage hard rock rated highly by many. Worth it for any fan of the genre, with energetic teen vocals and frantic guitarwork. Originals all through, with "Outer spaced" particularly intense. Only a handful of originals have been found, all of which have been DJ copies. Both Akarmas are retitled reissues with completely altered artwork and inferior sound. The Scorpio reissue is a nice job and recommended. [PL]
~~~
This impossibly rare album (only a handful of known copies) ranks among the top few hard rock albums of all. Punky, snotty vocals, loud guitars, powerful riffs, relentless organ and drums, tight short songs without any wank factor... this has it all, along with an amazing amount of energy that keeps it from dragging the way the heaviest rock tends to. It really doesn't sound like anything else, and I imagine it would appeal just as much to punk fans as it would to blues-rock or heavy metal fans. The album is brief, with only eight short songs, and it goes by in such a breathless rush that you'll be begging for more. The key moment of this album to me is when they appear to be heading towards that album's first cliched misstep-a drum solo. Yet after a few seconds the rest of the instruments come crashing back in unexpectedly, so much so that you can hear if fifty times and still not anticipate exactly when they'll return. There's genius here, and the funny thing is that I suspect it's entirely unintentional. Who were these guys and why didn't they record again? The thought that this album could have been lost to the world if those scant few copies hadn't ended up in the hands of knowledgeable collectors/dealers is tantalizing. If what may be the greatest hard rock album almost had such a fate, is it possible that the greatest album in some other genre is still lost somewhere in a warehouse, its creators unaware (as all Tiger Lily artists were) that their music had even been put on plastic at all? [AM]

STOWAWAYS ( )

"In Our Time" 1967 (Justice 148)  
"In Our Time" 1996 (CD Collectables)

Apparently one of the rarest LPs on the label and to my ears also one of the more enjoyable. Cover photo shows the band in lengthy Peter Tork hairdos and indeed they seem to be more with the times than their colleagues. While they deliver obligatories like "I've been hurt" and "Sunny" there's also some unusual Stones and Beatles numbers as well as a daring, atmospheric stab at the Byrds and a spooky original called "Just a toy", which crowns them Justice's token folkrock act. Also has an excellent fake 12-string take on "Summertime" that rivals the Half Tribe. The r'n'b stuff that weighs down side 2 is less convincing, but passable. Band isn't terribly tight and the recording has the label's usual early 60s murkiness, but clearly an above average Justice outing. [PL]

STRANGE see Terry Brooks

STRANGE (CA)

"Strange" 1979 (Yantis)  

Legendary obscurity, the first copy of which was found in a garbage can. The LP has been described as a "journey through someone's personal hell" with bizarre lyrics, sparse piano interrupted by Baumstaum-like heavy guitar and backwards effects. The sound quality fluctuates wildly. Has been deemed "too disturbing to reissue", but we'll see about that.

THE STREET AND THE SEA (PA)

"The Street And The Sea" 1975 (no label)  

Folk/singer songwriter with female vocals on some tracks.

V.A "STRICTLY CANADIAN" (Canada)

"Strictly Canadian" 1969 (Birchmount bm-523)

Compilation LP with a mixed bag, notable for including "High Flying Bird" by the Plague, one of the best versions ever (has been comp'd).

STROKE BAND (GA)  

"Green and Yellow" 1978 (Abacus 78-095)  

Bruce Joyner led group. Proto new wave basement realness with moog, fuzz, effects, and "big thought" lyrics. A funny bad aural disaster. [RM]

STUD (TX)

"Stud" 1975 (Baron 002)  

Highly rated hardrock LP on local Rosenberg label. Only a handful of copies have been found, out of the 300 supposedly pressed.

DANE STURGEON (CA) 

"Wild'n Tender" 1967 (Stur-Geon TS 100)  

No other album had this particular sound, mid 60s folk rock instrumental backing with 50s/early 60s style vocals and lyrics (notably the horror tale "Ghost of Bardsley Road.") It's a throwback to people like Roy Orbison and Del Shannon, back when pop stars could really sing. Like Shannon's mid-60s work, it's terrific, and is proof that this era of rock and roller could easily have made the transition to the 60s and beyond without compromising themselves. There's some lovely 12-string guitar on a few songs, terrific falsetto vocals on "What's Comin' Z' Comin'," and even a little fuzz guitar on a couple of songs. Side one is listed as the "wild" side, and side two the "tender" side, but they aren't really all that different except that Sturgeon sings on side one and his soundalike David Cosby sings on side two. The song "Whip Of Love" somehow ended up on the "tender" side. A couple of the ballads are less exciting than the upbeat songs, but for the most part this is great. The cover calls this music "righteous folk-rock" and "folk-rock in a stone groove." Two sleeve variations exist, one with a statue design, one with a photo of Sturgeon. [AM]

MICHAEL STYERS (NC) 

"Bearing A Gentle Message" 1980 (Myrddin 8007)  [lyric insert; 800p]  

Interesting LP that has received some attention of late. As the album title and a nice naked chick art sleeve suggest, the dominating sound is melodic, slightly rural folkrock/singer-songwriter not unlike Gary Higgins, or the less acidy tracks on Michael Angelo. Styers' voice is somewhat weak, but the arrangements and playing is fine, with rich, crystalline guitar tapestries that recall Relatively Clean Rivers on the best tracks. Female backing vocals and light string arrangements are put to good use. The countryrock moves convince, while the caribbean jungle excursion seems a bit superflouos given the 45 minute playtime, although it has a certain charm.  Side 1 is uneven while side 2 is very good, peaking in the superb "Summer Evening Chant" with a Donovan vibe and excellent psychedelic guitar leads. A friendly, wistful mood persists, while the obvious talent and work that went into it holds your attention. While not a classic this, along with the first Bobb Trimble, T-Kail and Blackburn & Lauren show that the psychedelic era was alive and well around 1980. [PL]

SUB ZERO BAND (Sacramento, CA)

"Sub Zero Band" 1972 (no label)  
"Sub Zero Band" 1999 (Void 15)

Good rural hippiefolk/countryrock with atmospheric violin and downer psych moves, similar to the first Shivas Headband LP but with female vocals. Couple of great moody psych tracks and the rural stuff is enjoyable too, my main objection being that some tracks are too long. Press size reports vary between 500 and 1000 copies. A non-LP 45 exists. [PL]
~~~
This is basically a crude, amateurish country/old fashioned rock and roll album. It has some charm, but beware any dealer who tries to tell you this sounds like a West Coast psych album. The frequent Shiva’s Headband comparisons are more appropriate. Neither band is exactly “rock”. There’s some violin on a few songs, and lots of noodly lead guitar. The singing is decent, and there’s a pleasant hippie vibe. There are some duds on the album, but a few of the songs are strong (the long closer is the best, and would be a standout on any album) and this will appeal to the right listener. [AM]

SUDDEN DEATH (Pasadena, CA)

"Sudden Death" 1995 (Rockadelic 19)  [600p]

Previously unreleased 1971 tapes of LA area band on Led Zep bender, local hardrock with some pretty good tracks like "The zoo", operatic vocals and one of the best Rockadelic sleeves ever. [PL]

SUGAR BEAR (FL) 

"Sugar Bear" 197  (Gaff NR5392)  [500p]  
"Sugar Bear" 2004 (CD Radioactive 59, UK)

Yet another Grateful Dead-inspired 70s rural rock obscurity with a professional sound and an unusually clear and well-engineered recording. Most distinctive feature are probably the expressive vocals which aren't necessarily great but have a nice showmanship to them. Music is song-oriented in a folk/country/swamprock mix rather than jammy, with  a typically tight band and nice guitar figures throughout. One or two tracks are a little too close to Dr Hook for my tastes, but there are also some obvious psych moves with late 1960s remnants, especially on the stronger side 2. "Seasons For Love" has a MU/Fankhauser feel, while the SF psych Croz/Airplane-style "The Garden" is easily the best track. And the chorus to "Moccasin Mona" will eat into your brain in no time! Not a classic, but above the genre average to my ears. [PL]

SUGAR CREEK (OH) 

"Please Tell A Friend" 1969 (Metromedia 1020)  [wlp exists]  
"Please Tell A Friend" 1999 (CD Lyrical SD 5004)
"Please Tell A Friend" 2001 (Akarma 151, Italy)
"Please Tell A Friend" 2001 (CD Akarma 151, Italy)

Overlooked but appealing mix of late 60s westcoast and early 70s-style rock. Two outstanding psych tracks, the good news being that the rest delivers too, even the Butterfield-inspired blues aspects work on strength of the excellent vocals and an exemplary production. A couple of ballads are OK too. Almost as good as Christopher, if approached mainly as a post-psychedelic "rock" LP. As with some other Metromedia releases, promo copies seem to be more common than stock. Apart from Jonathan Edwards' solo career, member Joe Dolce would go on to have a huge novelty hit with "Shaddap you face" in the 1980s. [PL]
~~~
This professional-sounding hard rock/country blues band was led by "John Edwards", who would find fame and fortune as Jonathan Edwards with the hit "Sunshine". Fans of his folk and country career will be surprised to hear the copious fuzz guitar here. Some of the guitar has an Eastern style to it; the opening "A Million Years" adds to the exotic feel with chanting that ends the song. "Memory Tree" is a terrific slow psych tune with an equally otherworldly sound, and "Night Flash" is a terrific ballad. It's too bad that more songs don't try these approaches, as the acoustic-based blues songs are somewhat hit and miss, with the better ones sounding more folk than blues. One boogie styled rocker is goofy but is somewhat redeemed by loud fuzz guitar. The harmonica playing isn't bad, but hardly as attention-grabbing as the guitar. A mixed experience, but an interesting album with a bunch of fine moments. [AM]

SUGAR CUBE BLUES BAND (MS) 

"Sugar Cube Blues Band" 1997 (Rockadelic 21)  [500p]

Folkrock/psych transition duo showcase their unreleased 1967-68 recordings. At best reminiscent of mid-period Beau Brummels or the Blue Things LP, though many tracks have desperate, strained vocals instead of the cool Sal Valentino moves I would have preferred. Others have reported enjoying the vocals in a Sky Saxon way - decide for yourself. I counted 4 good tracks including an alternate version of their sole 45 release "My last impression", the flipside of which unfortunately is not included at all. [PL]

SKY SULAMYTH (Canada)

"Full Moon Light" 1979 (7th Ray 03721)

Obscure 1970s hippie folk with titles like "Medicine Fire" and "Angels In Embryo". Sulamyth also worked with Huckle.

JIM SULLIVAN (Los Angeles, CA)

"U.F.O" 1970 (Monnie MR 0003)  

"Jim Sullivan" 197  (Century City CCR 5000)  [remix; gatefold]  

Early singer/songwriter sounds with lots of personality and atmosphere. Setting is light folkrock with excellent vocals that seem almost too good for such an obscure title. This guy has lived, man, and seen a few things in life, which gives the album a certain country music vibe without actually sounding country at all. The presence of Earl Palmer and some pretty advanced studio arrangements suggests that someone poured a sack of coins into this project. "Jerome", "Highway" and "Rosey" are standout tracks to me, but this is a surprisingly good westcoast s/sw LP all through.In an enlightened world Jim Sullivan would be in Bel Air while James Taylor would play $15 tourist traps. The Monnie version is probably the earlier and has a somewhat awkward mix with drums upfront, while the self-titled Century City mix has a soundscape more typical for the genre. [PL]

SUMMERHILL ( )

"Summerhill" 1969 (Tetragrammaton t-114)

This album goes for the kitchen sink approach, kind of like the Sundowners and Condello albums. It mixes over-orchestrated popsike with semi-heavy rock and sparkling guitar rock. The combination of styles is a bit off-putting, and by the time you get used to it you'll realize that only two or three songs really rise above, though those (especially the killer guitar pop tune "It's Gonna Rain") are very good indeed. I don't expect anyone to like the whole thing, but if you prefer a spotty album with a few great songs to a consistent one with no standouts, this is worth picking up. [AM]

V.A "SUMMER OF SERVICE" (NJ) 

"Summer Of Service" 1968 (RPC 11461-11464)  [2 LPs]

2LP set local sampler of religious folk and folkrock from Elizabeth, NJ. Acts include The Nu Sounds of Chatham, Rasberry Jam, The Heartbeats, The Teacher and the Preacher, Whole Ensemble and more.

SUMMER SOUNDS (Cambridge, MA) 

"Up-down" 1968 (Laurel 331098)  
"Up-down" 1996 (Laurel)  [bootleg; 400p; insert]
"Up-down" 2004 (CD Radioactive 78, UK)  

Good local concept beat-garage LP (a very obscure genre) relating a summer vacation love story with the moody/whiney Zombies-inspired New England sound explored to the max. Appealing basic songs, basement teenage vocals and only 2 covers - one of the better pre-psych LPs from the Northeast, though they don't show much "punk" cojones for sure. Cool sleeve. A couple of tracks have been comp'd. [PL]

SUM PEAR ( )

"Sum Pear" 1971 (Euphoria 1)  
“Sum Pair” 1977 (Guinness 36044) 
"Sum Pear" 2004 (CD Radioactive 67, UK)

Eclectic, ambitious Eastcoast bag of tricks delivered from a UK-influenced post-psych melodic rock and singer/songwriter angle. Reminiscent of Westfauster in parts, other tracks are more fuzzed and rocking a la Whalefeathers. Serious lyrics deal with Vietnam concerns, drugs and more. Some minor horns. Harmless and skillful but not terribly interesting. Euphoria was one of several Jubilee subsidiaries. The Guinness release is the same album, but credited to 'Sonny & Doug' and with a new album title and the songs in a different order. More tax scam fun, and one of the rarest albums on that label. [PL]

SUNDANCE (Chico, CA)

"Sundance" 1971 (Kapp 3659)   

Early 70s hard rock album with a rural feel. Slightly above average for the genre, but not a stand-out. They’re from Chico, which may be California but isn’t the usual stomping ground of rock bands. “Chico Women” is a terrific song. Recommended to fans of the style. [AM]

SUNDOG SUMMIT (IL) 

"On Sundog Hill" 1976 (Audio Mixers)  

This bizarre artifact is the missing link between rural rock and punk (I bet you didn't think such a thing existed!). It starts out in mundane fashion, as the second song is a dumb backwoods barefoot ode to dope-smoking, but after that they rip loose with some hot rootsy minimalist rockers. These songs have a cool counterculture edge that can appeal to freaks of all varieties. There's no distortion to the guitars, but certainly the music has the energy of punk (which was a year away from being noticed) while still retaining a hippie vibe…ne'er again would the twain meet. Surely they're the only band who could put a Johnny Cash song and a Velvet Underground song side by side and make them sound like two of a kind. This is a good start, but the real secret weapon here is Lee Groban, the self-appointed "high commissioner of Cyprus." His rantings and ravings are scattered throughout the album (and in the great liner notes), and take full fruition at the end, where we're treated to seven and a half minutes of jaw dropping "recitations" and "incantations" of a completely insane nature, backed by a driving rhythm. This is a wonderfully unique, fun album. They also released a 4-track EP. [AM]

V.A "SUNNY SPRING FEVER" (CT) 

"Sunny Spring Fever" 1971 (Mark)

Connecticut teen folk with live Burnt Suite track. The full title is "Canton High School presents - Sunny Spring Fever".

SUNPOWER BAND (Seattle, WA)

"Sunpower Band" 1977 (Right Now 11277)

Jammy rock with a mild funk feel. Poorly recorded and echoey. There’s some good guitar playing here but this album bored me. Not an expensive LP. [AM]

SUNSHINE (TX)

"Here's Sunshine" 197  (Backbeat Records BLP #69)   

Downer/real people folk with lots of reverb, featuring Larry 'Sunshine' Rice.

SUPERFINE DANDELION (Phoenix, AZ)

"Superfine Dandelion" 1968 (Mainstream 56102)  [mono]  
"Superfine Dandelion" 1968 (Mainstream 6102)  [stereo]  

This is generally seen as one of the lesser Mainstreams, and while it's not especially original or unusual, it's better than its reputation. Mostly this band comes from a 1965-era Beatles vantage point with a little folk-rock mixed in. The rhythm guitars are acoustic and the lead guitars electric. Lyrics range from mild social commentary to silly love songs to folk-style murder ballads. The songs are as blatantly derivative as, say, Blue Things, with one completely ripping off the Beatles' "I'm A Loser," and another stealing the flute solo from the Moody Blues' "Nights In White Satin". These thefts aside, all songs are originals, unusual for this type of album. Side two is stronger than side one, ending with the album's three best songs. "Don't Try To Call Me" is a terrific pop song, "The Other Sidewalk" is the album's one psychedelic tune, and "What's The Hurry" is a pretty folk-rocker. Overall, this album is quite enjoyable. Kazoo haters beware of "It's Raining," however. The LP was also released in France on Vogue with an altered cover, and the band had a pre-LP 45 on a local label. [AM]

SURPRISE (St Louis, MO)

"Assault On Merryland" 1977 (Carousel 77)  [booklet]  
"Assault On Merryland" 199  (CD Zarathustra)  

Prog fantasy concept, with heavy guitar, organ, moog, flute. Deep Purple & ELP influences.

SURPRISE PACKAGE ( )

"Free Up" 196  (LHI s-12005)  

Pretty standard late-60s heavy psych: soulful vocals, lots of organ, loud fuzz guitars. As with most of these bands, it has its moments, and the guitar sound is very nice. Still, it doesn’t really offer much you can’t get from dozens of other albums. The long title track, which would have easily been the album’s best song, is extended beyond the bound of reason with a batch of dull solos. It has some nice feedback, though. [AM]

SURPRIZE (NJ/PA) 

"Keep On Trucking" 1971 (East Coast ec-104-s)  [b & w cover]  
"Keep On Trucking" 1973 (East Coast ec-104-s)  [2nd press; color cover; yellow label]  

From the Crumb ripoff album cover to the cheesy echo effects on “See The Light,” this album is unoriginal fun. It starts with some far out psych, moves into some impressive white boy funk, bluesy hard rock and ballads, all of which work well enough to make this an enjoyable listen. The playing is pretty tight, the guitar has a nice fuzz tone, and the organ is loud. There are only six songs, and maybe they try a little too hard to stretch a few of them out, but all six have something to offer. The album cover leads a lot of people to assume this is Dead-style jamming, but it’s not “rural” sounding at all. This LP supplied the unlisted heavy psych mystery track found on the old "Changes" compilation, titled "Earth Odyssey". [AM]

SURVIVOR (Shreveport, LA) 

"All Your Pretty Moves" 1979 (no label)  [insert]   

Good Thin Lizzy-like hardrock, recorded in Dallas.

SWAMPGAS (Long Island, NY)

"Swampgas" 1972 (Buddah BDS 5102)   

Overlooking the bland cover, the album's quite diverse and impressive. This comparison probably won't trigger everyone's imagination or interest, but on material such as the molten opener "Patato Strut" and "Trapped In The City" the combination of the vocalist's grizzly drawl and Hersey's guitar recalls 38 Special, or Skynyrd had they been interested in pursuing a tougher, mildly psychedelic and progressive sound. Hersey's licks also make it an album that should appeal to folks who like Hendrix-influenced guitar (check out the blazing "Eulogy"). The handful of ballads are equally impressive - 'The Waiting, E Train Blue'. Weirdest and coolest track here: the raga-influenced "Egg Shells". [SB]
~~~
With Baird Hersey' permission (thanks Mr. Hersey), here are some comments on the LP:
"We started out near the end of Long Island NY. About the time we were making the record two records came out with southern roots : Johnny Winter and The James Gang that had certain similarities. I think it's the heavy blues influences: Ray Charles in the vocals, early B.B. King and Muddy waters in the guitar, that pull us in that direction. We were plucked from obscurity by Artie Kornfeld who was one of the three producers of Woodstock. His wife saw us at a concert where we opened for the Gratetful Dead. We made the record, but Artie's record label had financial troubles. The record looked like it wasn't going to come out which tore the band apart. About a year after we broke up Buddah Records which was the parent company of Artie's label put the record out without even notifying anyone in the band. With no support budget and no band to play the music the album floundered and we all slid back into obscurity..." [SB -- excerpt]
~~~
Baird Heresy has continued to play and release records in various styles.

SWEET MAGNOLIA BAND (Little Rock, AR)

"Sweet Magnolia Band" 1973 (Lardbucket 0001)  

Rural rocker with Band and Neil Young influences. Not rated that highly, although "10 days over 23 years" is an excellent track for genre fans.

SWEET MARIE (HI)

"One" 1970 (Yard Bird 770)   
"One" 199  (Yard Bird)  [bootleg]

"Stuck In Paradise" 1971 (Yard Bird 771)
"Stuck In Paradise" 199  (Yard Bird)  [bootleg]

Hawaii trio. First LP is in westcoast blues rock style, second is more relaxed with funk and soul moves added. There were also several 45s released.

SWEET PANTS (PA)

"Fat Peter Presents" 1970 (Barclay 1141)  [circa 1000p]  

Seedy organ fuzz with an underground rural vibe like Mary Butterworth, some pretty obnoxious vocals. Disappointing LP.

SWEET SOMETHINGS (Montreal, Canada)

"Sweet Somethings" 1968 (Melbourne SMLP-4014)  

All-girl quartet done up in mid-60s style, with guitar/organ line-up playing pop. Obscure one for genre fans.

SWEET TOOTHE (Bluefield, WV)

"Testing" 1975 (Dominion 7360)  [1000p; inner]  
"Testing" 199  (Dominion)  [bootleg]
"Testing" 1995 (Void 01)  [lyric insert; photo; 400#d]

Pro-sound rural rock/hardrock similar to Short Cross and Wedge, with strong songwriting and guitar/vocals. Three or four very good tracks with psychy westcoast hints, a few others are too rootsy barrock for me. Fans might also seek out Emerson (Conley) "The power of love" (CD 1992, LGM 2222), which is hampered by a drum machine but does have some good wailing guitar blues licks. [PL]
~~~
Superb flowing dual fuzz hardrock with first rate vocals, including harmonies, and dynamic ensemble playing. The opening two tracks "Karen" and "Music's gotta stay" are especially fine melodic hardrockers. Bit of a backwoods barband edge with several songs about the music biz and life on the road. Nice bluesy restraint and the lyrics. [RM]
~~~
On those rare occasions it shows up on sales lists, the LP is frequently billed as psychedelic. It isn't. Sure, there are occasional psych touches, the most notable being the lyric to "All the Way Home", but the majority of the album offers up more conventional hard rock structures. Propelled by attractive vocals and nifty fuzz guitar, tracks such as "Karen", "Music's Gotta Stay", "You Know How To Love Me" and "E.R." sport great melodies and a sense of enthusiasm that must have made these guys a great live act. Even their isolated stabs at country bar band material ("Wind and Water" and "Swamp Fox") are likeable. Even more impressive, for a small private pressing the album has a wonderful, deep and full sound. Played loud on a quality stereo system, this LP rocks! One of my all time favorite rarities. [SB]

SWIFT RAIN (El Paso, TX / Memphis, TN)

"Coming Down" 1969 (Hi 32064)   

These guys were Southerners, but the album has the feel of a laid-back West Coast album, and a very good one at that. It's hooky, full of memorable songs, energetic guitar playing and breezy melodies. The songs are short and tight, kind of what a post-Dead band like Mountain Bus or the Walnut Band would have sounded like if they wrote pop songs instead of long jams. This end up being quite a bit better than those bands, and there's enough cool lead guitar here so that it may appeal to fans of harder music too. There's a great mix of guitar sounds here: acoustic, electric, wah-wah, dual harmony guitars, etc. Two songs are sung partially in Spanish and have a mild Latin feel to them. [AM]

SYN (PA)

"Cast The First Stone" 1980 (Cheap Plastic)  [inner]  

Mixed vocals proggy psych with dramatic keys and some garagy guitar.

SYNOD (IL)

"Nobody's Jukebox" 1971 (no label)  [gatefold]  

This would be a decent 70s pop/rock album if it weren't for the overly cloying and out of tune vocals, which are not only lousy but are also mixed way too loud. The songwriting is pretty good, and the gatefold cover makes for a nice package for a self-released record, but the singing is really awful, and is worse because they try so hard to highlight their harmonies. The first song starts out in "harmony" a capella, so from moment one you know what's in store for you here. A few songs have Christian lyrics. [AM]

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