Psychic Circle's second collection of rare "Orchestrated Psychedelia from the USA" manages to be more satisfying than the first; like Realistic Patterns, Wednesday Morning Dew has precious little to do with genuine psychedelic rock, but as a collection of pop tunes which revel in the lysergic influences of the late '60s, it's fun and engaging stuff. Jeff Monn, who as a member of the Third Bardo sang one of the great garage-psych tunes of all time ("Five Years Ahead of My Time"), shows off a more ambitious side on the more polished but similarly intense "She Is There for Me." New York City rockers the Majik Ship are represented by one of the stellar moments from their self-titled album, the moody and tastefully arranged "Sunday Morning Dew."
Secret Agents of the Vice Squad not only had a great name, they managed to twist "Hang on Sloopy" into an homage to the Left Banke, with the likeably odd "I Saw Sloopy." The Shambles' "World War II in Cincinnati" boasts what must be one of the most cryptic drug references of the era, but the Baroque pop arrangement is unmistakably pleasurable; "Follow Us" by Summerhill is an even more impressive and ambitious Baroque pop rarity, and a real stunner.
Silk from Cleveland deliver a solid bit of horn-infused blue-eyed soul on "Not a Whole Lot I Can Do," which features future heartland rock cult hero Michael Stanley on guitar. And though the contributions from the Second Time and the Peppermint Rainbow aren't especially obscure, they're fine tunes that sound great in this context. Fans of heavy psych will find this too diluted for their taste, but if you have an ear for pleasantly off-kilter '60s pop, Wednesday Morning Dew will make you feel very good indeed.
by Mark Deming
Artists - Tracks
1. Bloomsbury People - Have You Seen Them Cry - 3:32
2. Erik - Child of the Sea - 2:22
3. Majic Ship - Wednesday Morning Dew - 2:55
4. Fallen Angels - Room at the Top - 2:41
5. Shambles - World War II in Cincinatti - 2:52
6. Wayne Stewart - If You Could Be Him Instead - 2:16
7. Summerhill - Follow Us - 3:47
8. Stony Brook People - There's Tomorrow - 2:43
9. The Bag - Nickels & Dimes - 2:31
10.Secret Agents of the Vice Squad - I Saw Sloopy - 1:58
11.Peter Courtney - Dr. David's Private Papers - 2:23
12.Green Lyte Sunday - If You Want to Be Free - 2:41
13.Hearts And Flowers - Tin Angel - 4:23
14.Five By Five - Too Much Tomorrow - 2:35
15.Jeff Monn - She Is There for Me - 2:02
16.The Second Time - Listen to the Music - 2:48
17.Nova Local - If You Only Had the Time - 2:19
18.Silk - Not a Whole Lot I Can Do - 3:06
19.Hook - There's Magic in the Air - 2:19
20.Peppermint Rainbow - Pink Lemonade - 2:08
More from the Artists
Erik Heller - Look Where I Am 1968
Majic Ship 1970
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