No one except psychedelic Renaissance man Alexander "Skip" Spence could have created an album such as Oar. Alternately heralded as a "soundtrack to schizophrenia" and a "visionary solo effort," Oar became delegated to cut out and bargain bins shortly after its release in the spring of 1969. However those who did hear it were instantly drawn into Spence's inimitable sonic surrealism. As his illustrious past in the Jefferson Airplane, Quicksilver Messenger Service, and Moby Grape would suggest, this album is a pastiche of folk and rock. In reality, however, while these original compositions may draw from those genres, each song has the individuality of a fingerprint. As a solo recording, Oar is paramount as Spence performed and produced every sound on the album himself at Columbia Records studios in Nashville in the space of less than two weeks.
Here's the kind of gargantuan production that only Bear Family in Germany has usually undertaken for vintage American country artists: a three-CD set, encompassing 75 songs and nearly three hours of music recorded by guitar great Jimmy Bryant from 1950-1967. This is on Sundazed, however, and it's good to see an American label taking a chance on a major archival collection on a not-too-famous performer that by its nature is going to rule out casual buyers. Many listeners will be sated with a single-disc compilation of Bryant's work (particularly the tracks on which he collaborated with pedal steel guitar master Speedy West), and the wholly instrumental format might make this hard to listen to in one sitting even for committed fans.
FIRST TIME ON COMPACT DISC. After being held for ransom by merciless record collectors for decades, the Holy Modal Rounders rarest album Good Taste Is Timeless can now breathe the sweet air of freedom! Rounders founders Peter Stampfel and Steve Weber the godfathers of anti-folk fire every cap pistol in their satchel for this clat-tering, jugband-on-acid classic, cut in Nashville in 1971 with guest artists Tracy Nelson (Mother Earth), D.J. Fontana, and pedal steel legend Pete Drake. Featuring the definitive version of Rounders gonzo ditty "Boobs A Lot," Good Taste Is Timeless now sports fascinating new liner notes by Stampfel, and remains the pinnacle of the Holy Modal Rounders art.
Recorded in March 1964 and January/July 1966, The Great Lost Trashmen Album! was the supposed second release from those Minneapolis hodads who gave the world "Surfin' Bird." The material finds the Trashmen heading toward Beatles territory on the 1966 sessions, especially on "Talk About Love" (featuring Farfisa organ) and Buddy Holly's tune "Heartbeat." There's also plenty of amazing surf instrumentals and vocal tracks comparable to "Kuk," with cool gremmie/hot-dogging/kowabunga lyrics. "Think It Over" would have made an excellent inclusion in one of those AIP beach party movies of the early '60s. Needless to say, if you have any interest in surf music beyond the Beach Boys, buy this Sundazed disc immediately!