Psych comps come and go, but the Psychic Circle label's simultaneously released Realistic Patterns and The Room of Loud Sound are there to stay. Credit that to the Bevis Frond's Nick Saloman who did a great job compiling these lost gems. Saloman clearly understands that rarity is not enough to make a good track, and that musical quality does not necessarily translate into a good album.
In the end, it's all about selection and order: selecting outstanding tracks (and keeping the filler out) and ordering them into a track list that will create its own sense of purpose. This he has succeeded to do on The Room of Loud Sound, a thrilling ride through some of America's best forgotten heavy psychedelic numbers from 1968 to 1972.
The fuzz guitar and the sleazy organ are the key features in all the music heard here, but approaches vary. In fact, there is quite some ground covered between Hot Soup's Hendrix-like anthem "You Took Me by Surprise," and Hammer's fast-paced blues rocker "Something Easy," and Carlo's funky take on "Fever."
Other highlights include Morning Sun's "Dark Hair," and the Mystic Number National Bank's "Beautician Blues," but the jewel of the crown here is Florida band Fantasy's "Understand," featuring the phenomenal singer Lydia Janene Miller (the closest anyone got to emulating Janis Joplin).
by Francois Couture
Artists - Tracks
1. Hot Soup - You Took Me by Surprise - 2:45
2. Bump - Got to Get You Back - 2:39
3. Fuse - Permanent Resident - 3:55
4. Carlo - Fever - 2:41
5. Five By Five - Good Connection - 3:25
6. Plant And See - Put out My Fire - 3:21
7. Morning Sun - Dark Hair - 2:19
8. Today's Special - Krista - 2:41
9. Fantasy - Understand - 3:21
10.Mister Beeler - Henrietta - 2:52
11.Peace And Quiet - You Can Wait Till Tomorrow - 3:10
12.Tombstone Shadow - 2:39
13.Salem Witchcraft - Rock & Roll Lover - 4:18
14.Vagrants - Beside the Sea - 2:17
15.Hammer - Something Easy - 2:54
16.Blowtorch - C'mon & Get It - 2:57
17.Locomotive - Get on Away - 3:18
18.Eagle - Pack Up - 3:51
19.Mystic Number National Bank - Beautician Blues - 1:57
20.Silk - Skitzo Blues - 4:28
For Vol 1 here:
1968-72 White Lace And Strange
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