Although the Bay Area may have seemed to corner the market on the psychedelic "Summer of Love", the equally bountiful Los Angeles scene was the breeding ground for one of the more inventive units of the mid- to late-'60s. The incipient incarnation of
Kaleidoscope synthesized
rock & roll with roots and world music, first yielding Side Trips (1967), arguably the most diverse effort of 1967. Their ten-track outing features multi-instrumentalists
David Lindley (guitar/banjo/fiddle/mandolin),
Solomon Feldthouse (saz/bouzouki/dobro/vina/oud/dombek/dulcimer/fiddle/guitar/vocals),
Chester Crill (aka
Fenrus Epp and
Max Buda) (violin/viola/bass/keyboards/harmonica),
Chris Darrow (bass/guitar/mandolin/vocals) and
John Vidican (percussion). The combo evolved from
Lindley's string band interests,
Darrow's love of
the Beatles' early records and
Feldthouse's exotic-sounding Eastern excursions. After being signed by Epic, they initially wanted to operate under the surreal moniker of the
Neoprene Lizards with
Barry Friedman (aka
Frazier Mohawk) collaborating from the producer's chair. Further galvanizing
Kaleidoscope and Side Trips is the strength of the original material. The mid-tempo ballad "Please" was picked as the single, while the album's overall mood and cerebral vibe are front and center on
Darrow's trippy "If the Night" and "Keep Your Mind Open."
Feldthouse's suitably surrealistic "Egyptian Gardens" concisely demonstrates his distinct contributions, as does the
Lindley composition "Why Try." From the other side of the
pop spectrum are the layered vocal harmonies of "Pulsating Dream" and the overt
jug band influence heard on
Cab Calloway's signature "Minnie the Moocher," as well as the
traditional tunes "Come on In" and "Hesitation Blues." Enthusiasts and collectors should note the three-disc Pulsating Dream anthology, as it not only contains
Kaleidoscope's four Epic LPs, but also hard-to-find sides, such as "Elevator Man" and "Little Orphan Nannie" circa Side Trips. ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide
