December 24, 2010 Playlist

"The American Metaphysical Circus" by Joy Byrd & The Field Hippies (1969)
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
Joe Byrd & The Field Hippies  "The American Metaphysical Circus"  1969 (USA)
Joe Byrd was an interesting character from the psychedelic sixties who is responsible for a pair of classic albums, this one and the album credited to the group called The United States Of America from the previous year.  In fact, though it is the less-well-known of the two, I'd say the Field Hippies album is his masterpiece.  Both records combine state of the art electronics and production techniques with an amalgammation of all sorts of American music:  blues, jazz, pop, country and vaudeville are all mixed in with a little bit of rock n' roll.  If nothing else, the overwhelming sense of eclecticness make these recordings "ahead of their time" -- nowadays it seems like everybody's doing a new hi-tech fusion of a bunch of old timey music styles.
Here are some groovy fan videos for the Field Hippies track "The Elephant At The Door", and a couple from the earlier United States Of America album: "The American Way Of Love" and "Heresy (Coming Down)".
 
(N) = New Release
(R) = Listener Request

   
Artist Song Album Year (label) Country
Queen Procession
   / Father To Son
Queen II 1973 UK
Scott Walker Plastic Palace People Scott 2 1968 USA/UK
The Band Whispering Pines The Band 1969 Canada/USA
Joe Byrd & The Field Hippies "The Sub-Sylvanian Lithanies":
Kalyani
   / You Can't Ever Come Down
   / Moonsong: Pelog
The American Metaphysical Circus
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
1969 USA
 
 
Wolf People
Painted Cross Steeple (N) 2010 (Jagjaguwar) UK
Jimi Hendrix
Little Drummer Boy / Silent Night / Auld Lang Syne West Coast Seattle Boy (N - posthumous anthology) rec. 1969 (2010 Sony Legacy) USA
Janis Ian Sunflakes Fall, Snowrays Call For All The Seasons Of Your Mind 1967 USA
MV & EE Death Is My Friend Liberty Rose (N) 2010 (Child Of Microtones) USA
The Shaggs We Have A Savior Philosophy Of The World 1969 USA
Mission Of Burma New Nails Vs. 1982 USA
Sabbath Assembly
The Power That Is Love Restored To One (N) 2010 (AJNA/Feral House) USA
 
 
Stereolab Silver Sands (Emperor Machine Mix) Not Music (N) 2010 (Drag City) UK/France
Bruce Haack Snow Job Farad: The Electric Voice (N - reissue compilation) rec. 1981 (2010 Stones Throw) Canada
The Transistors Beautiful World (R - Devo cover) Not Necessarily Beautiful But Mutated (various artists Devo covers compilation) 2008 USA
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti
Round And Round Before Today (N) 2010 (4AD) USA
 
 
Pantha Du Prince Bohemian Forest Black Noise (N) 2010 (Rough Trade) Germany
Prince Rama Satt Nam Shadow Temple (N) 2010 (Carpark/
Paw Tracks)
USA
High Wolf Bummer Of Beauty Shangri L. A. (N) 2010 (Moamoo) France
King Capisce
The Rift King Capisce (N) 2010 (self release) UK
   
 
Frank Zappa Let Me Take You Too The Beach Studio Tan 1978 USA
Frank Zappa & The Mothers Dupree's Paradise (Parts 1 & 2)
   / Satumaa (live)
You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 2 (The Helsinki Concert) rec. 1974 USA
   
 
Joni Mitchell Paprika Plains Don Juan's Reckless Daughter 1977 Canada
Neil Young There's A World Harvest 1972 Canada
             
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