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Plain and Fancy

Music gives soul to universe, wings to mind, flight to imagination, charm to sadness, and life to everything.

Plato

Friday, January 24, 2014

The Youngbloods - Elephant Mountain (1969 us, outstanding west coast psych, Sundazed remaster and expanded and japan Blu Spec 2014)



Elephant Mountain, the magnetic third album by the Youngbloods, is commonly looked upon as the pinnacle of the legendary Bay Area combo’s abundant eight-year career. From its spine chilling opening track—the strains of a somber Appalachian fiddle permeating “Darkness, Darkness”—the listener is inexorably sucked into psychedelic quicksand by the haunting vocals of Jesse Colin Young, whose plaintive cry to “hide the constant yearning for things that cannot be” proves mournfully irresistible.

 In addition to Young’s songwriting masterpiece, the 1969 album also spotlights a sharp, country-rocking vocal duet (“Smug”) by Young and recently-departed singer Jerry Corbitt, as well as the jazzy interplay between electric keyboard whiz Banana and the locked-in groove of drummer Joe Bauer during magical instrumental “On Sir Francis Drake.” More songwriting gems loom like sacred totems on this landmark longplayer, including Young’s signature ballads “Sunlight,” “Quicksand” and “Ride the Wind.” It’s the Youngbloods at the top of their game, indelibly writing their names in the ledger of consummate San Francisco rock ‘n’ roll.


Tracks
1. Darkness, Darkness - 3:48
2. Smug - 2:11
3. On Sir Francis Drake (Lowell Levinger) - 6:45
4. Sunlight (J. Bauer, J.C. Young, L. Levinger) - 3:07
5. Double Sunlight - 0:41
6. Beautiful - 3:46
7. Turn It Over (J. Bauer, J.C. Young, L. Levinger) - 0:13
8. Don’t Let The Rain Get You Down (J. Corbitt, F. Papalardi, Gail Collins) - 3:12
9. Trillium (J. Bauer, J.C. Young, L. Levinger) - 3:08
10.Quicksand - 2:41
11.Black Mountain Breakdown (J. Bauer, J.C. Young, L. Levinger) - 0:40
12.Sham - 2:44
13.Ride The Wind - 6:36
14.Pool Hall Song - 3:04
15.Beautiful (Alternate Version) - 9:31
All songs by Jesse Colin Young except where indicated

The Youngbloods
*Jesse Colin Young - Bass, Acoustic Guitar , Vocals
*Lowell "Banana" Levinger - Guitar, Electric Piano, Backing Vocals
*Joe Bauer - Drums
With
*David Lindley - Fiddle
*Plas Johnson - Tenor Saxophone
*Joe Clayton - Trumpet
*Victor Feldman - Vibraphone

1967/69  The Youngbloods / Earth Music / Elephant Mountain (2 disc set)
1971  Beautiful! Live In San Francisco (Sudazed issue)
1972  High On A Ridge Top 
Related Act
1973  Jesse Colin Young - Song For Juli (2009 edition)

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18 comments:

  1. hi and thanks for this one, and for all, the password "xara" doesn't work with this one. Thanks again

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  2. What's the password, please? xara doesn't work.

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  3. for this only, pass is: The_Loner

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  4. "Marios"thanks for expanded version...

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  5. Love this as i do i don't think i'll ever get over the memories and feelings that Jesse's Light Shine album used to bring to my life...sadly i don't own a copy anymore...!

    Can anyone help out? Marios? Friends, Cypriots, Countrymen??

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  6. I had to sell my copy of Lightshine about 30 years ago - and I've been wanting to hear it again ever since! May I therefore second El Greco's request for an MP3!
    By the way, a year or so ago I did come across a thread on a site (I can't remember which) with several Racoon LPs - JCY, Banana, Joe Bauer, Jeffrey Cain etc - so, for anyone who is looking, that stuff is circulating out there in cyberspace somewhere - keep looking! Cheers HJ

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  7. Thanx so much!!!

    I've bought this album 4 or 5 times (Original, MSFL, Vinyl etc) and I didn't know till recently there was a remaster with extra tracks!!!

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  8. Hello Marios and a happy and peaceful Christmas to you.

    Please repost the FLAC link for The Youngbloods Elephant Mountain (1969 us Sundazed remaster ), thank you.

    When you click on the link, Deposit Files says " This file does not exist, the access to the following file is limited or it has been removed due to infringement of copyright "

    The FLAC link for the Blu Spec edition is working perfectly by the way.

    Michael

    Sunday 13th December 2015 19.58pm

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  9. As always, thank you for your kindness and for posting this again so quickly.

    Take care and best health and happiness to you now and in 2016 and always.

    Michael

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  10. I'm curious if any of you know anything about "The Youngbloods 3 Albums Collection 1967-1969 Sony Japan Blu-Spec 2014" version of this and the First Two albums?

    I picked it up and the sound seems really good. I assume it's a remaster(?)

    The first Two albums have both the Stereo and Mono versions of each album and bonus tracks. Very different mixes. As an example, The Vocals on the Stereo version of the First album are barely there while the Mono has gorgeous full-sounding Vocals.

    I noticed the picture you use above is from this collection but the file is actual the Sundazed version.



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  11. Hi Leesa, if you look carefully and scroll down the page, you will se that both versions contained here, Sundazed and Japanese Blu Spec

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  12. Thanx... but I was more curious if anyone scoped the Two Versions? Is one better? The Blu-Spec is only 3 or 4 years old, right? So it's the latest?

    I have all three albums as Blu-Spec and I was curious what others thought.

    The first Two albums have both the Stereo and Mono versions of each album and bonus tracks. Very different mixes. As an example, The Vocals on the Stereo version of the First album are barely there, while the Mono has gorgeous full-sounding Vocals.

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  13. Hello my friend. The MP3 link is down. Would you be able to re upload it sometime? Thanks!

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  14. Joe Kenney, new links added, check again. Thank you!

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  15. Thanks, Marios, for sharing this title. One of my favorites from the period. Also appreciate the Quicksilver shares!

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