The Always Blue Society Compilation Vol. 4

My fourth and possibly last compilation. I'll be bringing in two new contributors soon, so I'm considering doing away with compilations for now... maybe not. Anyhow, this compilation alternates between British and American psychedelia from the late 60s. I think it's pretty enjoyable.

1. Tomorrow - "Real Life Permanent Dream"
2. Strawberry Alarm Clock - "Birds in My Tree"
3. The Tremeloes - "Suddenly Winter"
4. The Electric Prunes - "The Great Banana Hoax"
5. Les Fleur De Lys - "Circles"
6. T.I.M.E. - "Tripping Into Sunshine"
7. The Smoke - "My Friend Jack" (Demo Version)
8. The Smoke [US] - "Gold Is The Colour Of Thought"
9. Forever Amber - "The Dreamer Flies Back"
10. The Millennium - "It's You"
11. The End - "Cardboard Watch"
12. Moon - "I Should Be Dreaming"
13. Idle Race - "Hurry Up John"
14. Love - "! Que Vida !"

Download The Always Blue Society Compilation Vol. 4

The Electric Prunes - Underground (1967)

This is the second album by the Los Angeles based psychedelic/garage rock/pop group the Electric Prunes. Although it never did as well as their debut record, which included their hit song "I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)," it has since become regarded as a classic album of the 60s psychedelic era. While the Prunes did play the majority of the music on their first two records, most of their material was not penned by the band. Producer Dave Hassinger was too busy to contribute much to the recording of Underground due to his success from the previous singles and debut, which allowed the band to write five of the twelve songs on the album. Underground consists of a range of styles that come together to create a strangely cohesive album. The sporadic psych-pop of "The Great Banana Hoax" and "Wind-Up Toys" somehow manages to lead into the tongue-in-cheek country of "It's Not Fair" and the downright strange "Dr. Do-Good." There are a number of solid pop songs like "Children of Rain," "I Just Happen To Love You" and "Antique Doll" that help tie everything together. Psychedelic sounds and textures are abundant throughout Underground, which take otherwise good songs to new levels. It's this attention to detail that has secured Underground and the Prunes' legacy in psychedelic history. Who knows what they could have tapped into had they stuck together and gained full creative control.

Download Underground

A Couple of Singles from 45s

As an admitted conformist to the digital age of music, I've had difficulty getting into 60s psychedelic singles and 45s. iTunes can seem so cluttered filled with tons of single songs by obscure bands. So now I'm finally starting to venture into this territory and have came across some pretty amazing stuff already.

The Gordian Knot - Broken Down Ole Merry-Go-Round


My intentions of posting singles is to showcase the work of groups who didn't release albums. As it turns out, Gordian Knot did release an album in '68, but I've just been so into this song that I can't help but put it out here. I love how this song naturally eases from a somber verse to a cheery chorus. There's some great lead guitar that compliments the vocals and harmonies beautifully. In the middle of the song, it deviates into a weird, carnival-esque bridge. I don't really feel this as much as the rest of the song, but it's amusing enough. If you're dying for information on the Gordian Knot, here's a write-up on allmusic.com.

The Mass - Without You


I'm having trouble finding solid information on this band. This article might be about them, but I'm not sure. If anyone can confirm or disprove this, it would be appreciated. Anyhow, "Without You" is a pretty straightforward R&B tune with great guitar, drums and vocals. It's just an all around good song... nothing more, nothing less.

Much thanks to Sir Psych and others from The It's Psych Forum for posting 45s.

Moon - Without Earth and the Moon (1968/1969)

This is a CD release that features psych-pop supergroup Moon's two albums, Moon Without Earth and Moon. Moon was most remembered for featuring ex-Beach Boy David Marks on lead guitar. At just 14, Marks filled in for Al Jardine who left the Beach Boys to attend dental school. After leaving the group around the age of 16, he formed two bands prior to the formation of Moon, including Dave & the Marksmen and Band Without a Name. Marks would form Moon with pianist/vocalist Mathew Moore who wrote most of Moon's songs. Bassist David P. Jackson and drummer/producer Larry Brown completed the line-up, although bassist Andy Bennet played on Moon and session drummer Jim Keltner contributed as well. The band actually moved into Continental Recorders in Hollywood and recorded Moon Without Earth in 1968 and Moon in 1969 for Imperial. Marks has since admitted that they recorded both albums under the influence of LSD. Moon would disband sometime shortly after the release of these albums, neither of which had any successful singles. Although relatively unheard at the time of their release, they have since become favorites of psychedelic collectors. Both albums are composed of catchy tunes with dense instrumentation, liberal use of vocal harmonies and occasional psychedelic effects. Moon is less focused on creating psychedelic sounds as the debut, and more focused on pure songwriting. I tend to prefer their debut for this reason, although Moon is a quality album nonetheless. This release also features five bonus tracks, three of which are recordings of Matthew Moore Plus Four.

Download Without Earth and the Moon

Les Fleur De Lys - Reflections (1965-69)

This is a compilation of the British mod-psychedelic band, Les Fleur De Lys. Besides drummer Keith Guster, the band's lineup was in constant flux. Forming in Southhampton, Hampshire in 1964, they released a cover of Buddy Holly's "Moondreams" produced by Jimmy Page, which never took off leading to every one but Guster leaving. Guster revived the band with some musicians from London and released a cover of the Who's "Circles" which was also produced by Jimmy Page. Combining catchy hooks, driving rhythm guitar, and ridiculous psychedelic lead guitar, "Circles" is what Les Fleur De Lys is most remembered for today. Despite it's accessibility, the single flopped. The band then picked up a new lead vocalist in Chris Andrews, who had been a child actor that worked in the 1964 production of Oliver in London. They were signed by Polydor in 1966 but more lineup changes ensued and they became a three piece. Soon a young female vocalist named Sharon Tandy joined the band and they toured Holland with Aretha Franklin. After working on a short lived project called Rupert's People with guitarist Rod Lynton, Chris Andrews left the band and they became a three-piece again. They continued to release singles and began working on an album for Polydor that never surfaced. By 1969, the band disbanded for good. Reflections captures the various phases and styles Les Fleur De Lys explored. There's some classic mod-psychedelia, straight up pop like "Stop Crossing The Bridge," and more ambitious rock songs like "Liar." I also enjoy the compilation for it's mixture of male and female vocals.

Download Reflections

T.I.M.E. - Time & Smooth Ball (1968/1969)

T.I.M.E. (Trust In Men Everywhere) were a 60s band from Los Angeles that combined pop, blues, and psychedelia. This is a CD release that includes their self-titled debut and it's follow-up, Smooth Ball. Originally known as The Hardtimes, T.I.M.E. featured future Steppenwolf guitarist Larry Byrom as well as bassist Nick St. Nicholas on Time. Recorded in 1968, T.I.M.E.'s self-titled album is a more poppy record than Smooth Ball. Although there are many psychedelic elements like fuzz guitar and mild acid leads, Time is more pop than psychedelia. With Smooth Ball, T.I.M.E. became more ambitious with longer songs, less straightforward pop, and an overall heavier sound. Lead guitar plays a much larger role with frequent acid lead guitar by William Richardson and Larry Byrom prominently mixed. New bassist Richard Tepp also adds to the heavier sound of Smooth Ball. The connection to Steppenwolf becomes more apparent on this record as well, with occasional "Magic Carpet Ride"-esque organ. Despite remaining relatively unknown, both T.I.M.E. albums have their own brand of the late 60s West Coast sound.

Download Time & Smooth Ball

Psychedelia Alive in Iowa

So I've been a little slow to post on here with graduation, trying to find a job, and generally trying to figure out what the hell I'm doing with my life. But don't worry, I still have plenty in store and don't plan on letting the Always Blue Society die a slow, neglected death. Anyhow, I've been meaning to write an entry about my recent trip to Iowa City. I went to visit my friend Chris and see Dead Meadow at a venue called the Picador and ended up encountering some great musicians from Davenport, Iowa. The Picador had an all-day event going on which included a craft fair, record swap, and live music.
As a basketball fan, I was surprised to come across a screen printed T-Shirt with a hilarious drawing of Lakers legend Kurt Rambis, as well as four basketball themed postcards from a separate stand. The Rambis shirt was done by a dude named Andrew who runs a screen printing business called the Kitchen Press. There was music throughout the craft fair, which is where I saw a duo named Johnnie and Bambi from Davenport who go by the Quiet Bears. They played a set of enjoyably melodic folk and happened to be super cool folk as well. I'm really feeling the song "We Are All Legend" from their myspace profile. Johnnie from the Quiet Bears also played drums in another great Davenport band called Mondo Drag, who opened for Dead Meadow. Mondo Drag played droned-out, heavy riff rock that made for a very appropriate opening act for Dead Meadow. I managed to get a copy of their album Holy Spirit at the show, which I highly recommend. Another opening act for Dead Meadow was a 60s psych-pop throwback group from Jersey City called the Black Hollies, who put on an impressive set. I got a copy of their album Casting Shadows, which I also recommend. Check out the song "Whispers Beneath the Willows" on their myspace for an idea of how authentic these guys sound. Of course, Dead Meadow put on an amazing set. If you haven't seen them live yet, do yourself a favor and go see them the next opportunity you have. I guess that's about all the plugs I've got from that trip. Thanks again to Chris and Skye for letting me stick around Iowa City for close to a week.

Alright, back to posting some albums.