By: Andy Little
Released on February 12, 2016 via Cleopatra Records
For a genre of music, which revels in its mind expanding, otherworldly explorations into sound and beyond, this Cleopatra Records release is rather surprisingly straightforwardly titled. A 5 cd box set lavishly packaged (looking at the pictures on the label’s website), this is a 77 track trawl through Psychedelia taking in originators from the late 60’s and onwards to the present day flag bearers of hallucinogenic soundscapes. But any attempt at defining a genre of music, and one as richly diverse as Psychedelic music, must have been an enjoyable but daunting task, as there is always going to be cries of crime worthy omissions of psych innovators, boundary pushing legends, and modern day purveyors (for example no Frank Zappa, Kevin Ayers, Spaceman 3, Thee Oh Sees, Animal Collective, to name but a few). But let’s not be too harsh and praise the bravery for undertaking such a mind boggling task and concentrate on the choices selected.
So, sticking with convention, unlike the musical components contained within this box set, let’s start with Disc 1. It begins in gentle fashion, Brian Jones Massacre’s catchy The Monkees tinged ‘Going to Hell’, and proceeds to capture the genre’s dreamy summery drenched poppier nature before expanding out into more experimental waters. What this opening, and pursuing discs, successfully weaves is a cross section of bands spanning the four decades. At times it’s tricky to distinguish which period they come from barring slight varying production values if paying close attention. Highlights are Hawkwind’s ‘Opa Loka’ from their 1975 Warrior on the Edge of Time album and great to have on board Brain Ticket’s ‘Black Sand’ from 1971.
Sonic Youth connoisseurs will appreciate the inclusion of Wild Style Lion’s ‘Love Is In Me’ featuring Kim Gordon as guest vocalist. It kicks off disc 2 in a darker sounding avant-garde indie-psych crossover. And the opening few tracks explore the merging of these styles. What strikes is how psych and pop converge in many various forms (or what once pop was considered in times past anyway), from the dreamy but harder rock edge of the May Company’s ‘Wrap Around Porch’ to the all out drifty shoegaze pop of the Dum Dum Girls ‘Letter to Hermione.’ Spindrift’s ‘Red Reflection’ from 2007 – featuring ex-members of both the Warlocks and the aforementioned Brian Jones Massacre – combines the members’ ex-bands sounds to good effect.
Disc 3 begins with the classic ‘All Tomorrow’s Parties’ by Nico, which paths an onward journey of Velvet Underground influenced fuzz guitar pop drones. A pleasurable modern day highlight is Montreal’s Femme Accident ‘Everything Goes Wrong’, a delightful disoriented sounding hard nosed slice of warped Indie-pop. Harder rocking LSD induced experimentation is supplied by the legendary MC5 with ‘Gold’. And the most trippier of all the tracks spanning the five discs ends this one with Electric Moon’s appropriately titled ‘Spaceman’.
There is some fine pysch-rock action on Disc 4 with early 70’s progressive rockers Nektar and from 1967 the harder distorted guitars rock edge of Chocolate Watchband’s ‘No Way Out.’ Also from 1967 is the Crazy World of Arthur Brown’s first single, the organ driven groove of ‘Devil’s Grip.’ The modern day highlights on this disc (and new bands to me) are the instrumental space rock of Brujas Del Sol and an atmospheric rocker by Wisconsin’s Calliope, ‘Iron Hand’. But like the genre itself we are taken into various musical universes including electronica pop supplied by the John Grant-esque ‘Close to Odd’ by Wight Lhite.
The formula of mix-matching bands spanning the decades has on Disc 5 Iron Butterfly, Allah-Las, The Fuzztones, Kim Fowley’s ‘The trip’, the enjoyable Hawkwind vibe blast of ‘Time crypt’ by ex-Hawkwind member Nik Turner, and rounding off this hefty kaleidoscopic package is The Raveonettes covering The doors ‘The end.’ But what this bespoke compilation strongly achieves is demonstrating, despite Psych largely being an underground, bohemian, outsider, interest in these modern commercially bland (The Voice, Britain’s got Talent) days, it still is a living, breathing entity with young purveyors willing to take the baton on into future decades.
So this is a commendable portrait of the many facets of Psychedelia and should please both the expert and an apprentice who wants to er…. expand their musical mind, in equal measure. Basically, each disc is expertly and caringly sequenced and ordered, so it successfully blends all the variety of styles, genres, to allow it to be a case of just put them on and let your listening senses be caressed. The slight criticism is the heavier rock influenced psych has been neglected (the inclusion of Monster Magnet would have delighted this reviewer) as it mainly concentrates on the rock/Indie/Pop crossover. But at nearly five hours long it is an enjoyable, colourful, mind melting, listening experience. Another plus what gives this box set a nice touch is the booklet provides band bios, and offers possible suggestions to continue the musical research for the outer reaches of this open-minded musical universe. And long may psych in all its forms continue its search and journey.
