Bad Trips

Experimental psychedelic SF band from late 60’s that gets pushed to back of the crowd teaming with Grateful Airplanes and Janis Santanas for good reason because their music was actually challenging, interesting, and arguably the true definition of “acid rock”, “psychedelic”, far too progressive for Woodstock. More along the lines of London extremists Soft Machine, or desert trippers Captain Beefheart, Mothers of Invention. When they aren’t trippin out it smacks of John Mayall blues, but like if he got some Orange Sunshine instead of Purple Haze. The album title refers to a “bad acid trip”, something that was to be avoided at all costs in the heady days of Owsley and Kesey. And two tracks (1, 4) sound to be their aural vision of one (to todays ears it simply sounds like kick ass organic experimental noise). The whole album goes heavy on the “wow trippy” use of effects like stereo hard panning and excessive nascent Echoplexes. Beautiful stuff, very ahead of its time, do not miss. Play any, all tracks.

1) (3:22) abstract experimental messed up vocal effects, noisey, looping repetitive guitar and percussion, bass, tape effects, a vision of a bad acid trip 2)** (11:38) more of a 60’s London psych slow sexy rock with a 12 bar structure, male hard panned vocals, super groovy at start but goes double time rockin grooving and a long tripped out guitar sustain laden jam, ends with the slow sexy stuff, “sock it to me baby”, fucking crazy epic!! 3) (2:38) female vocals sing a sultry cool chill blues siren, heres the John Mayall ref of previous 4)** (2:42) a revisit of the “bad acid trip” of track 1, even more insane, with gastrointestinal distress even 5)* (2:18) drivin, with female vocals again, this one drives in a psych garage almost punk quality, play with your searing garage bands 6)* (3:38) sultry with female vocals again, a lovely Zappa/Soft Machine composed feel, wow is this good and trippy (is that a Theramin?), the LA early 80’s band Monitor springs to mind 7) (6:00) blues pattern, swing groovy love song