Really being drawn to a lot of 60’s Nuggets and Psychedelic rock recently (as well as proto-punk) – was checking out the 100 Records That Set Fire To The World (Not – as the The Wire article pointed out – these are their ‘great lost classics’) after frenchbloke linked to a follow-up on Twitter.
Working through the list and it’s surprising what I like – I think I knew of Bob Graettinger’s work with Stan Kenton, I was definitely aware of the myth, but City of Glass/Thermoplyae is an amazingly mad work, a Big Band Jazz Band goes modern classical, atonal, strange. Not a fan of Jazz (a lot of the free/modern jazz in this list can go twiddle elsewhere) but I kind of like this. I think.
Other ones new to me are Son House (well sort of – as an avid radio listener you tend to get the likes of Son House always played on 6Music or Radio 3 etc – Andy Kershaw just wouldn’t leave Son House alone years back, and sure John Peel played him regularly too) and Dr John’s early stuff where he’s not all Dixie Bow-Tie Nawlins tribute act but doing the swampy hoodoo thing, a bit variable in the fashion of overlong Fela Kuti length ‘jams’ but mostly I like.
On the psych tip so far we have Pearls Before Swine (bagpipes? In psych rock? Woah) and the above “The United States of America’ who have just the right level of Radiophonic swoopage and acid-fry lyrics, reminds me of White Noise. Through the Rabbit Hole, indeed.
Currently at 1969…will delve further, it’s like an exploration into musics I rarely listen to.
EDIT: And Phil Ochs…love Rehearsals for Retirement (the song) but this one is too deliciously true not to post – Love Me, I’m A Liberal. Funny but also says in song what I’ve been trying to say to/about Liberals for years…
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