The College Crowd Digs Me

"People certainly didn't know what to make of us, let's put it that way." ~ David Surkamp ~      There is a fierce and fearless determination in the musical path David Surkamp has chosen to discourse throughout his long music-laden career.  Lead singer and songwriter for the Midwest prog-rock band Pavlov's Dog ,  David Surkamp  often delivers his songs with aching urgency and melancholic desperation in a wonderfully unique timbre that begs no quarter.  Only to be aided by a fantastic, underrated band of musicians who carry his message along with equal confidence and calculation.   Pavlov's Dog first introduced themselves to the world with their debut, "Pampered Menial" in 1975.  An album that has only gotten better with age.  Mojo ranked... "Pampered Menial" ...#26 among their list of 40 Cosmic Prog-Rock albums and is certainly a square to give another listen.  From needle drop to label, no lifting is required.  We are soon approaching t

"Unchained" - Elias Hulk  (1970 - Rei 2023) Elias Hulk's..."Unchained."   One look at the cover and I knew I had to have it.  I was treading into dangerous territory purchasing a new album sight unheard.  I was just crossing my fingers hoping I didn't get burned.  Fortunately for me, the music has that early 70's bravado that I like with vocals betwixt Michael Stipe and Captain Beefheart.  The first two tracks have acid blues rock swag.  The good kind.  And then Elias Hulk  becomes 'fat-guy-in-a-little-coat' stretching out their arms for the rest of the album delivering various amounts of heavy psych rock spankage and prog dust.  The spin's fun, fearless, and entertaining without drifting too far away from ground zero. In other words, "Unchained" doesn't cast its line in the same spot of the lake for the entire album.  Before breaking up, the band was sharing stages all over England with bands like Hawkwind, Caravan, and Migh

"Triangle" - The Beau Brummels (1967) I'm a fan of everything Beau Brummels (apart from "...'66" ) and what a surprise to find "Triangle" at a garage sale on my way to lunch at Braum's.  I have never seen one in the wild and seldom in a record store.  The album is an original Mono copy and in really nice shape.  The vinyl looks well taken care of with no cover stains, splits or crumbles.  Just a dinged corner at the bottom.  Sounded great.   The garage sale had the Beau Brummels' album... "Bradley's Barn" as well, but it had massive liquid stains on the front and back cover that were ugly and peeling. (I know we don't play the cover, but I just couldn't go there.)  "Triangle" had a firm $20 to take it home, which was not a squeal of a deal, but it was fair.  Plus it's always a rush to find something unexpected out in the wild.  Out of San Francisco, these guys had come a long way from the days of &q

"Armageddon" - Armageddon (1975 ) File this self-titled  Armageddon  square in the relatively obscure inexpensive powder keg bin.  A mix of proto-metal, prog-psych spankage, and still a cheap album for the pleasure.  I don't see this album nearly as much as I used to, but the price usually floats under the $15 cloud when I do.  I recently found a nice clean copy at the local Record Ship for a simple Hamilton and that's a bargain.  The album came out in 1975 and sounds like one foot's in the past, one foot's in the future.  Not a mind-blow, but is still a fun spin to rattle your jewelry.  A sweet low-dollar square to punch up your collection.  Armageddon has been labeled a supergroup, a title that has always been a red flag for me.  However, in this instance, Armageddon doesn't disappoint.  Keith Relf (Yardbirds and Renaissance).  Bobby Caldwell (drummer from Captain Beyond).  Guitarist Martin Pugh and bassist Louis Cennamo (Steamhammer).  Together...

"Big Brother & The Holding Company" - Big Brother & The Holding Company (1967)    This is the album notable for introducing  Janis Joplin to the world during what would become known as the "Summer of Love."  Ears would never be the same.  Janis fronts on three or four tracks, and backup sings on the rest.  There's plenty of vocal interaction between the band members and it's an almond joy.  Having more of a Country Joe and Fish vibe than expected,  Big Brother & The Holding Company's self-titled debut sounds like a band still working it all out.  The music is loose, and fun, with a little psych-trippage thrown in to boot.  A pretty good spin for what it is. The biggest hang is all the songs are short.  I mean really short.  And that's too bad because a couple of tracks are just begging for a jam stretch and would have been more than welcome.  Nonetheless...it's cool listening to Janis take her first baby steps like a cat in the c

"Song Of A Gypsy" - Damon  (1968 - Rei 2023)   Original copies of Damon's... "Song Of A Gypsy" are a haystack needle to find and will set your credit card aflame if you ever do.  This psych square got a favorable write-up in The Acid Archives but I recommend you temper expectations a bit before taking the plunge.  Don't get me wrong.  I've had " Song Of A Gypsy"  spinning on my table beaucoup, but it took a couple of laps before I completely fell in.  If the first listen doesn't grab you right off...let the needle have its day.  There's more than meets the eye. Damon (David Del Conte) , from Rochester, New York, has an unusual lysergic modus operandi that just feels…different.  His vocals are almost stoner-crooner with tasty acid fuzz guitar from  Charlie Carey  to push things forward.  The square has the hint of an Arabian mood map.  A little jasmine incense, a bubbling lava lamp to catch the shadows and then drop into your microcosm