Part punk, part garage and part psych… the Monks were a group of American GIs stationed in Germany who were way ahead of their time. On their discharge from the army they got into some existentialism and adopted stage garb some called blasphemous. With few artistic constraints they utilised feedback to groundbreaking effect.
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Before the Dream Faded The Misunderstood 1966 (released 1982) [Cherry Red]
Groundbreaking Californian psych outfit featuring British lead guitarist Tony Hill recruited after the band moved to London in 1966. The first six tracks recorded in 1966 are classics of the rave-up psych genre, with the rest being garage 1965 stuff showing a distinct Yardbirds influence. A real gem of obscure psychedelia.
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Peak Impressions The Freeborne 1967 [Monitor]
Another of the 'Bosstown Sound' bands, the Freeborne's only album finds the band sounding pretentiously eclectic. The general idea was to take just about every minor chord psych sound going and make an album that would creep people out. The group did a great job and the only thing holding the record back today is somewhat poor availability.
Silver Apples Silver Apples 1968 [Kapp]
This New York duo made a kind of electronic psych music that in places sounds very much like today's techno-pop. Simeon Coxe III was the man behind the self made synth, with drummer Danny Taylor the only person he could find who understood his music. Simoen's synth was actually nine stacked audio oscillators with 86 homemade controls.
Minneapolis' C A Quintet has the dubious distinction of making one of the best records ever to sell less than 1000 copies on original release. It became kind of legendary and was re-released in the early-80s, then later on CD. A difficult record to categorise, imagine a sort of zombie-psychedelia with shades of the Doors and the Electric Flag.
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The Five Day Week Straw People The Five Day Week Straw People 1968 [Saga]
Commercially contrived record that sounds great. Singer/guitarist John Cann, formerly of the Attack, was contracted by Saga records to do an album for which he got paid £25 a song. The album was recorded in a school classroom with Cann's roommate on bass and a drummer who had never heard the songs. The result was pop-psych magic.
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The Music Emporium The Music Emporium 1969? [Psycho]
Only 300 copies were originally pressed but this curio has survived the ages. Some frenetic Gregorian chanting kicks things off on 'Nam Myo Renge Kyo', with 'Catatonic Variations' pretty well summing up the philosophy. Leader Casey Cosby hits the front on the harder rocking workouts, with Carolyn Lee a handy stand-in on the dreamier tracks.
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Introspection The End 1969 [London/Decca]
Produced by Rolling Stone Bill Wyman, the End was a superb British psych-pop band that simply missed the boat because their album took so long to hit the shelves. The basic ingredients are all here - swirling organ, fuzzy guitar and some tight harmonies. Toss in a harpsichord and some Mellotron and we're left with a coulda-been classic.
