The Byrds - Fifth Dimension - I am halfway through Ric Menck's The Notorious Byrd Brothers, a detailed and engaging tale of a band which I'd for no reason assumed didn't have much of a story. It's a little two heavy on the mythologies of the personalities involved for my taste, and the author is no fan of David Crosby, but lots of good stuff in here, including a mention of Roger McGuinn's membership in the Subud religious sect, which I've never heard of until now. Anyway, having not long ago spent an afternoon absorbing The Notorious Byrd Brothers, I can see how it inspired the young mind of the author with its far-reaching experimentism, but to me, Fifth Dimension, which he also discusses in less detail in the text, is the more engaging record.
Pearls Before Swine - City of Gold (lala) Continuing my band-crush on Pearls Before Swine, I offer this folkier version of Tom Rapp's pastoral splendor. PB4S bears some similarities to the Byrds to me, both in full possession of a sound so precious that it at once makes the group so unique and yet is a limiter. And while PB4S dug deeper into potentials of the Baroque Psychedelic, the Byrds made it palpable, so much so that it competed against the unstoppable tide of the Beatles. And both have an undeniable knack for leaving their mark on a cover tune, for better or worse.
Nico - The End (lala) Now this is how you leave your mark on a cover tune! Fadder? Yes sohn. I wann to kill you.... and then follow it with "Deutschland über alles"
Swans - Soundtrack for the Blind (lala) Did Nico ever do anything with Swans? Listening to these two records in a row, there was a decided missed opportunity for a truly overwrought harrowing record if they didn't.
Mr. Bungle - Disco Volante - There are things I really like about Mr. Bungle and things I really dislike about Mr. Bungle and they are both Mike Patton.
Boozoo Bajou - Grains (lala) German EZ listening trip-hop that sounds like California 70's lush-pop. Corrective and sublime.
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