Do It Now - A Realistic Drug Education
Album (2-LP set)
Original release: Do It Now Foundation DIN 302 (2 LP set), 1972
Participants: teenagers, doctors, propagandists & Ram Dass
Music by: the Byrds, Hoyt Axton, Genesis (US), and others
Comments: This rather interesting 2-LP set in a
plain (almost) gatefold sleeve combines ambitious audio editing with famous
rock songs. They went through a lot of trouble to try and keep the high
school kids' attention, which is also pointed out in the accompanying
insert. Aural montages with stereo effects, overlapping voices and even
Burroughsian cut-ups create a slightly psychedelic feel, which seemingly
goes against the sober and realistic tone of the message. All kinds of
drugs, and the stoner attitude in general, are covered, and they make no
bones about the fact that some people have great experiences from LSD &
such. Still, the most memorable part for me was side 2, which opens with
some obviously stoned kids discussing drug problems in a hazy, giggling
atmosphere, followed by a rather stark segment about heroin addiction. A
multitude of voices are heard, sometimes arranged in mock dialogue, and
there's also clips from old propaganda ravings (pretty hip), radio
broadcasts, commercials, and so forth.
Hardly anyone is credited with name, but Ram Dass aka Richard Alpert is
heard with several monologues, all of which I think are unique to this LP,
and alone makes it worth getting. All over, the creative editing work put in
by the production team pays off, and while not up to the stunning
entertainment of Capitol's "LSD" LP, this "Realistic Drug
Education Album" is one of the most enjoyable genre albums around. The
rock songs include "Artifical Energy" by the Byrds, Hoyt Axton's
acoustic version of "The pusher", and an outstanding non-LP psych
tune by the LA Genesis.
As noted in the Acid Archives, there are more LP releases from the Do It Now
people, but this is the best and rarest one.
Insert
©
LamaSivartDoz 2007