Search - Bent Wind :: Sussex

Get back in the psychedelic garage

E. Portoghese | Denver, CO | 09/02/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This band can play straight-forward garage rock with a psychedlelic feel that is is clean with just the right amount of weird guitar sounds and bizzare lyrics. I really like the guitar breaks.

The songs have a bluesy feel to them (think Cream/ Blues Magoos).

This CD makes a nice addition to anyone's garage/psych collection."

Canadian garage/psych at its best

Kevin D. Rathert | Carbondale, IL | 09/14/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Originally released in 1969, "Sussex" is one of those must have releases. The band, led by lead guitarist/vocaist Jerry Gibas and rhythm guitarist/vocalist Marty Roth unfortunately released only this one psychedelic classic album. The album itself consists of 8 songs, all originals an all written by Gibas and Roth, either individually or in collaboration. I am reviewing this cd from a 2001 release on Green Tree Records, a small German label, which contains five bonus tracks, rather than the three offered on this cd. The band took their name from one of the bonus tracks, all of which were recorded by an incarnation of the band which contained only Marty Roth from the original band. The cd is filled with wonderful guitar work and the songwriting is strong throughout. The band deserved a much better fate, but like many bands of the day, with little backing from their label, were unable to survive financially. The Green Tree release contains the rare single track, "Castles Made of Man" b/w "Sacred Cows" both penned by Roth, and the first obviously borrowing its title from one of Jimi Hendrix's better known songs from his "Axis: Bold As Love" lp. While this cd is not inexpensive, it is well worth the investment. Gibas and Roth not only wrote strong material but delivered it with wonderful vocals. The songs stand as strong in 2009 as they did when originally released forty years earlier. Canadian garage/psych bands never got their due in the United States, and this is certainly true of Bent Wind. Had the band landed a contract with a major US label and received some much deserved publicity and monetary support, they might well have hit big. Original vinyl copies of "Sussex" fetch as much as $5,000 and it is among the most desired of all Canadian garage/psych albums ever. Record collectors around the world have long sung the praises of "Sussex." I strongly suggest that you invest in it and find out what they are raving about."