The Mojo Collection: The Ultimate Music Companion

[axolotl]

Iron Butterfly - In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (1968)

Aside from the iconic and often joked about title track, not sure why this album made the list as it's just an OK psych-rock album, but fine with listening again

Don't you know that it'll hallways be true.

If I ever hear it again, it'll be the next time.

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Harpers Bizarre - The Secret Life of Harpers Bizarre (1968)

O...K...
Again a first listen - I see why it's on that - with its label at "Sunshine Pop" probably a darling of later indie rockers influenced by The Beach Boys and similar bands. Not that I'm comparing these guys with The Beach Boys. Weird, lite arrangements of songs that at times sound like the New Christy Minstrels on acid - some wacko choices too - "The Battle of New Orleans" (?!), "Sentimental Journey", "Sit Down You're Rocking the Boat" (?!!). Didn't put it together until later, but this is the group with that awful cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "Feelin Groovy" that hit the charts in the 1960s.

As for its appearance here:

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Ill Wind - Flashes (1968)

Not 3 Wind from an old Roman's standpoint - but rather Wind that's not feeling too spiffy
Another first listen for me
Folk/psych rock - kind of Grateful Dead but not as good (and I'm not really a Dead fan). Still better than the last album (curious to go home, break out the Mojo book, and read the essays on some of these choices I spun today)
Billy Nicholls was definitely the best of the three first listens of the day.

 

[axolotl]

Harpers Bizarre - The Secret Life of Harpers Bizarre (1968)

Didn't put it together until later, but this is the group with that awful cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "Feelin Groovy" that hit the charts in the 1960s.

Actually, that was my first thought when I saw that band name.

******************************************

Does Mojo have some kind of psych rock/psych folk axe to grind?

I suppose I'll just have to wait and see.

P. S. Thank you for doing all this spliffy listening, tho'.

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Simon & Garfunkel - Bookends (1968)

 

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Various Artists - Tropicalia ou panis et circensis (1968)

Os Mutantes - Os Mutantes (1968)

A little Brazilian tropicalia to start the day

 

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The Beach Boys - Friends (1968)

 

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The Small Faces - Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake (1968)

 

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Dr. John, The Night Tripper - Gris Gris (1968)

 

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J.K. & Co. - Suddenly One Summer (1968)

First listen - baroque/psychedelia
From AllMusic

This sounds like the solo album that George Harrison might have made before he left the Beatles, as several songs have that solemn, spiritual, forlorn quality Harrison perfected on cuts like "Long, Long, Long." With its languid guitars, organ, and somber mood, "Nobody" is so reminiscent of All Things Must Pass tracks like "Let It Roll" that one is surprised to find that this album was done well before the release of All Things Must Pass in the early '70s. Although the lyrics are blatantly hippie-ish, the music itself sets a dignified, almost stately mood with its intimacy and tasteful restraint. "Fly" and "Nobody" are genuine lost treasures of low-key late-'60s late psychedelia, and alone make the album worth investigating. But it's inspired and pleasurable the whole way through

The All Things Must Pass comparison is a bit of a stretch - that's a much better sound, but this is pretty good just the same. I'm surprised (though maybe I shouldn't be from the albums Mojo has brought up recently) that I haven't heard it before (especially given late 60s-1970s is my wheelhouse)

 

[axolotl]

^ Hmm. Would you recommend (the) hoi polloi, such as myself, give this a listen?

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

^ Hmm. Would you recommend (the) hoi polloi, such as myself, give this a listen?

I think there's definitely some interesting stuff here to make it worth a spin

 

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The Byrds - Sweetheart of the Rodeo (1968)

 

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The Milennium - Begin (1968)

 

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The Band - Music from Big Pink (1968)

 

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Blue Cheer - Outsideinside (1968)

Not surprised to see Blue Cheer on the list given their proto-metal status, although they were always more loud that...you know...actually good. I'm a bit surprised to see them here over early stuff by The Who (especially given the group's presence on the mid-late UK scene). Of course, I'm sure The Who will come up in 1969 and 1970 - clearly Mojo is striving for a mix of groups in their choices.

 

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Harry Nilsson/Nilsson - Aerial Ballet (1968)

 

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David Ackles - David Ackles (1968)

 

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The Outsiders - CQ (1968)

^
First listen re: David Ackles as above - kind of a Scott Walker meets Gordon Lightfoot sound, presaging the 1970s singer-songwriter sound

Also first listen for me of CQ - assumed initially The Outsiders was the garage band who did "Time Won't Let Me" appearing on the Nuggets comp. Nope a DIFFERENT Outsiders - this one Dutch, the "Time Won't Le Me" group was from Cleveland.
This Outsiders' CQ is (per AllMusic):

is one of the finer unsung psychedelic records of the late '60s. Heavy echoes of Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd, Hendrix, and psychedelic-era Pretty Things, with adroit shifts from crunching rock and soft, almost folky passages to spacy phase shift bits and just plain dementia. The album has an ominous and creepy, but rocking, ambience that still cuts deep.

Embarrassed for not knowing this one - it's indeed a pretty good example (though weirder that most) of psychedelic garage rock of the era.

 

[axolotl]

The Outsiders - CQ (1968)

^
First listen re: David Ackles as above - kind of a Scott Walker meets Gordon Lightfoot sound, presaging the 1970s singer-songwriter sound

Also first listen for me of CQ - assumed initially The Outsiders was the garage band who did "Time Won't Let Me" appearing on the Nuggets comp. Nope a DIFFERENT Outsiders - this one Dutch, the "Time Won't Le Me" group was from Cleveland.
This Outsiders' CQ is (per AllMusic):


Embarrassed for not knowing this one - it's indeed a pretty good example (though weirder that most) of psychedelic garage rock of the era.

Just coming in here to say that I listened to both J.K. & Co. and David Ackles. I liked both. I drew virtually no comparisons between Suddenly One Summer and anything of George Harrison, but there were elements that I liked in the vocals and harmonies, particularly.

I was only familiar with David Ackles via "Down River," which is a song that Spooky Tooth covered on The Last Puff. Mike Harrison does an enthralling job on the ST cover, and it was good to hear the original.

Imma gunna now listen to CQ (when I have the opportunity).