Classic Rock 199 Items

Debut album by the English rock band The Soft Machine (named after William S. Burroughs' novel), one of the best known exponents, along with Caravan, of the "Canterbury Sound". This masterpiece was released in 1968 and features the trio of Robert Wyatt (drums & vocals), Mike Ratledge (organ & piano), and Kevin Ayers (bass, vocals & piano). This was the only album by the band showcasing Ayers. Additional personnel includes bassist Hugh Hopper (who would later become a permanent member after Ayer's departure), and the NYC vocal group The Cake. The Soft Machine was one of the first albums recorded at the legendary Manhattan studios The Record Plant, which had been inaugurated with Jimi Hendrix's Electric Ladyland that same year. The album was given a 5-star rating on AllMusic by reviewer Richie Unterberger. The group is considered one of the most influential underground bands of their era.

Sacred Mushroom -- led by future Pure Prairie League member Larry Goshorn (guitar/vocals) and featuring brother Danny Goshorn (vocals) -- were a short-lived rock/blues quintet based in Cincinnati, OH. Their efforts coalesce on this, the band's self-titled debut (and only) long-player. The album contains a blend of proficient originals as well as a pair of well-chosen cover tunes, such as the blues standard "Mean Old World" and the Kinks' "I'm Not Like Everybody Else." While their name conjures images of late-'60s psychedelic or acid rock, Sacred Mushroom's roots were decidedly more bluesy than trippy.

Prog-psych / acid-folk lost classic from 1969 by this short lived London trio. Now lovingly reissued on vinyl with fantastic remastered sound and including insert with rare photos / memorabilia and detailed liner notes by Steve Krakow aka Plastic Crimewave. Named after a Cannonball Adderley track, Synanthesia formed thanks to a Melody Maker ad placed in 1968 by guitarist/vibes/vocalist Dennis Homes, answered by Jim Fraser (who played sax, oboe and flute) and Leslie Cook (an Incredible String Band fan on bongos, violin and mandolin). With their particular blend of folk, jazz and psychedelia, the trio played all the key underground venues and clubs, sometimes alongside top acts like Floyd, King Crimson or Fairport Convention. Their sole album was recorded at Sounds Technique studio in Chelsea (which was where Pink Floyd were recording their albums at the time) and subsequently released by RCA. The cover featured the trio climbed onto a tree at the same park where the Beatles filmed their “Strawberry Field” promo film. Despite the good reviews and the support of DJs like John Peel, the album was considered too far out and psychedelic and eventually flopped, only to be re-discovered several decades later by acid-folk fans and collectors.

After 53 years of oblivion, Walkin Up con Los Walkers, the fundamental work of Argentinian garage-psych is being reissued again in Argentina from the original mono master tape. An iconic LP from “the other” youngster music—the one that was known as “beat music"—it was originally released in 1969 and has never been reissued in its original format until now. The band had previously released two LPs and several 45s which contained an exquisite selection of covers, from The Rolling Stones material to songs by Astor Piazzola, but with Walkin’ Up they entered history as excellent songwriters and conceptual artists. With a great use of studio production, unseen before in Argentina, they laid down a wide range of psychedelic sounds and structures that decades later are be considered as the Buenos Aires version of Los Shakers’ La Conferencia Secreta del Toto’s Bar—both albums under a huge influence from The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s. Limited edition of 300 copies on 180-gram vinyl with the careful restoration and printing of the original artwork. Includes a printed postcard and a lavish 4-page booklet with photos and liner notes by journalist Víctor Tapia.

The sole album by cultish psychedelic pop band from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. They formed in 1964 and split up after their debut, which appeared on prestigious label Decca in 1968. The lines "Is it much too much to ask / Not to hide behind the mask?" from "If You Only Had the Time" weree sampled on MF Doom's 2005 song "The Mask". All along with classic blues standard ‘Tobacco Road‘ (covered by anyone from The Animals to Brother Jack McDuff via Jefferson Airplane) and contemporary folk number ‘Morning Dew’ (originally penned by Bonnie Dobson) the record shows a series of original numbers verging on the happiest side of jangle-rock with a ‘nuggets’ feel all in all.

Produced by David Briggs (Neil Young, Alice Cooper) and recoreded at famous Wally Heider Studio 3 in Hollywood, CA during 1969, their self-titled album features ten original compositions, with essential contributions from the four members of the band. Summerhill certainly spotted a late-1960s West Coast vibe, including Hendrix-Rock style ("Bring Me Around"), sunshine pop ("Soft Voice") and even a touch of ‘flower-jazz’ ("What Can I Say").

Rare Bird are perhaps best remembered for having the distinction of being the first act to be released on Tony Stratton Smith’s gloriously eclectic label Charisma records (also the home of Genesis, THE Nice and VAN DER Graaf Generator to name but a few) and for their excellent 1970 hit single ‘Sympathy’. Like fellow future Charisma stable mates Van Der Graaf Generator, Rare Bird was formed around the principle of keyboard dominated progressive rock which eschewed the use of guitars. In December 1969 their eponymous debut album was released to great critical acclaim.