Glimpses into 1968
Don Loiacano | Bowling Green, KY United States | 07/07/2008
(3 out of 5 stars)
"I'm an avid [some would say obsessive] fan of sixties music. From the obvious [Beatles, Beau Brummels, Zombies, Who] to the not so obvious [Remains, Blue Things]. And I'm a fan of both Jefferson Airplane AND the Mamas & the Papas. Heck, I even 'dig' the Savage Resurrection and Blue Cheer [produced by Abe 'Voco' Kesh,the same person as this album] and the Velvet Underground [this is engineered by John Cale]; but does all this make this a lost masterpiece? No. But it does have its merits. They look the part, they play the part, they are the part...however.
The downside of this album [at least for me] is the production. Blue Cheer should sound like it is in a cave, not the Morning Glory. Several tracks highlight their vocals, but most concentrate on their 'chops'. This was typical of that time period. It works for some, it doesn't work for others. Yes, these guys could play. But they could have made pop records too - god forbid ; - ) Too many times during a listen I was struggling to here the words.
Other reviews I'ver read have knocked the Morning Glory's lyrics. Yes they are 'hippie'. Dated? Not entirely. Buried in sludge? A little...
This one isn't going to fly off the shelves. But if you want a glimpse of why some bands were given one shot OR never topped the bill, this one is worth a look at. You may find the merits outweigh the 'what ifs'."
Like the Mamas and Papas only harder!
Dave | Missouri, USA | 09/10/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Imagine The Mamas and Papas doing acid rock, and that's what you have with this group. Sunshine music of a harder variety, but definately worth getting if you like good music to groove to on a warm summer's day."
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1