As a "conductor" together with organ/electronic synthesizer player, artist/byrd-mn0001465217">Byrd is really much the leader of this circus. With a duet drummers, a half-dozen horn players (including a immature artist/tom-scott-mn0000934350">Tom Scott), iii woman someone vocalists, together with a half-dozen or together with thus other musicians popping upward over the course of written report of the album, at that spot are a lot to a greater extent than people involved inward this projection than at that spot were inward the (relatively) stable lineup of artist/the-united-states-of-america-mn0000920101">the U.S. of America. Despite the ambition of this LP, it ultimately serves to illustrate exactly how artist/byrd-mn0001465217">Byrd benefited from the unique synergy provided past times the other members of artist/the-usa-mn0000920101">the U.S.A. There are all kinds of adventurous electronics together with eclectic ideas bouncing dorsum together with forth, but the songwriting is but non equally rigid equally that of artist/byrd-mn0001465217">Byrd's previous group. The best songs are the ones which close strongly retrieve artist/the-usa-mn0000920101">the U.S.A. inward their spacy melodicism ("Moonsong: Pelog") together with driving psychedelic pulse ("You Can't Ever Come Down"). Unfortunately, the woman someone singers on these tracks are no tally for artist/the-usas-mn0000920101">The U.S.A.'s artist/dorothy-moscowitz-mn0001820116">Dorothy Moscowitz, although they look to hold upward aspiring to the same dreamy, icy quality. artist/byrd-mn0001465217">Byrd himself is quite a mediocre singer, equally his attempts at taking the Pb on straightforward stone textile prove. Otherwise, at that spot are to a greater extent than or less bad takeoffs on gospel together with old-time music, haphazard primitive early on synthesizer, together with dated social commentary/satire. As ambitious inward its compass equally artist/byrd-mn0001465217">Byrd's starting fourth dimension stone project, this album is non nearly equally successful.
After his starting fourth dimension album alongside a band called "United States of America," Joe Byrd released this, his masterpiece, inward 1969. Even without the assistance of mind-expanding drugs it is obvious that metaphysics is key to the overall subject of this slap-up concept album.
The starting fourth dimension section, "The Sub-Sylvian Litanies," is an elbow grease to plough reality inside-out. Literally important "beneath the forest," its iii odes larn correct to the core of our really existence. It employs themes built upon the quaternary grade of the octal scale, a Greek agency called phrygian.
The middle section, "Four Songs for a Departing President," are a slap inward the expression upward to one-time president Lyndon Johnson. It is a condemnation of both his "Great Society" drive together with his perpetuation of the Vietnam War. "Gospel Music" is a tribute to Byrd's brother, Ruddell, who was imprisoned at Leavinworth for evading the draft.
Finally, the 3rd department deals alongside aging nether the sub-heading "The Southwestern Geriatrics Arts & Crafts Festival." Often morose together with overly nostalgic, it withal presents a clear sentiment of the agency our elders are shuffled off to nursing homes to hold back death.
The vocal writing together with arrangements are superb, the role of synthesizers is tasteful together with the subject is awesome. You need maintain to move out of the box to have the total sense this album has to offer.
This album did a slap-up bargain to alter my encephalon when I was inward high schoolhouse inward the early on '70s. Concurrent alongside ingesting a multitude of substances that shall stay unmentioned, this album saw many, many spins on my together with my friends' turntables. It was ever a important experience. There is literally EVERYTHING on this record. Vaudeville, jazz, electronic, psychedelic powerhouses, acid rock, spoken word, together with much more. Joe Byrd was an unrecognized genius who issue 2 incredible, ahead-of-their-time records (The U.S. of America beingness the other). Sometimes our minds were expanded. Other times our minds were blown. But our minds ever received an EXPERIENCE listening to this fine, unique, well-produced together with well-composed music. There is nil else similar it. Nothing!
I originally owned this album equally a vinyl tape when I was inward high school. I bought it for the incorrect argue - purportedly the starting fourth dimension part of the recording is similar an LSD trip. This album kindled my lifelong involvement inward "new" music. I literally wore the pressing out, I liked it together with thus well.
The pioneering role of a lineament synthesizer arraignment superimposed on lyrical vocals. The composer, Mr. Byrd, apparently wrote together with orchestrated each slice equally though it were a symphonic work. This album is non for people who abhor experimental music. John Coltrane's Africa Brass, or Ornette Coleman Shape of Jazz to Come are similar artistic endevors inward the jazz vein.
Track listing:
The Sub-Sylvian Litanies
"Kalyani" – 3:52
"You Can't Ever Come Down" – 3:02
"Moonsong: Pelog" – 3:47
American Bedmusic - Four Dreams For H5N1 Departing President
"Patriot's Lullabye" – 2:49
"Nightmare Train" – 3:20
"Invisible Man" – 3:33
"Mister 4th of July" – 1:48
Gospel Music For Abraham Ruddell Byrd III
"Gospel Music" – 4:29
The Southwestern Geriatrics Arts together with Crafts Festival
"The Sing-Along Song" – 4:05
"The Elephant at the Door" – 5:13
"Leisure World" – 2:36
"The Sing-Along Song (Reprise)" – 0:48
Personnel:
Pot - Piano, Conductor, Harpsichord
Ed Sheftel - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Christie Thompson - Vocals
Ernest "Ernie" Anderson - Voices
Fred Selden - Clarinet, Saxophones, Flute
Ted Greene - Guitar
Joseph Hunter Byrd - Organ, Producer, Vocals, Keyboards, Conductor, Synthesizer
Larry Kass - Tabla
Michael Whitney - Guitar (Classical)
Chuck Bennett - Bass Trombone
Victoria Bond - Vocals
Bob Breault - Engineer
Ray Cappocchi - Tuba, Tenor Trombone
Dana Chalberg - Flute, Piccolo
John Clauder - Percussion, Drums
Susan de Lange - Vocals, Electronic Voices
Meyer Hirsch - Flute, Saxophones
Don Kerian - Trumpet, Cornet
Gregg Kovner - Drums, Percussion
Tom Scott - Clarinet, Saxophones, Flute
Harvey Newmark - Bass (uncredited on album)
Harihar Rao - Percussion (uncredited on album)
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