VARIOUS ARTISTS Part 3: A Large Psychedelic Bubble In Three Parts

I love Psychedelic music and the more obscure the better.  I have a few Box Sets in my personal collection.  These box's pulled out some generally well known songs that we all know from the period and also the real rare or obscure.  These songs were great and would lead me to find out more about the band or singer that did them.  I loved that I could find the album they were on and then listen for myself the album.  In most cases these albums were just as trippy and psychedelic as the song they used in the box set.  Some of these songs were on many box sets and as a general rule defined the era where they came from.  

One day I was looking on line for more compilations of Psychedelic music.  A friend pointed out that the ones you really should check out is one called.  A MONSTROUS PSYCHEDELIC BUBBLE - Amorphous Androgynous.  These are three two CD sets of very cool and creative with a mix of old and new Psychedelic music.  The great thing about these compilations is that the songs interweaved into the next seamlessly without any effort.  If the song was new or old it worked to mix those eras without any issue.  What was also cool each volume had a theme or a subtitle that went with each.  If you are a fan of this era or type of music there was at least one thing on each of the volumes to pique your curiosity. 

Volume One gets your mind expanding right away and for me I already loved it.  Like it's title Cosmic Space Music is something that really gets the musical mind going.  I liked it because it made me feel like I was going on a journey or trip.  It was great because it was an artist I recognized, but did not know where the song came from.  It was great to explore this tune and find where it came from.  Some of these artist on all three compilations we all know pretty well, but hearing them on this makes you re-think their music or re-vist their past music.  For me this was the fun part hearing a band that I love and forgetting or reminisce their music.  Some of these bands or singers best moments were from the early years.

At first listen Cosmic Space Music has some great people such as Donovan, Betty Davis, Osibisa, CAN, David Axelrod, Miles Davis, Pentangle, Hawkwind, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Devandra Banhart, Tommy James and Tim Buckley.  These are the ones I knew, but the other groups or people I had no idea who they were, but they fit into the music like a glove.  The way Amorphous Androgynous interweaved this music was great.  People like Cranium Pie, Weekraum Ian Neal and others just enhance the music even more and keep it flowing.  The hidden gem was music from the cult movie Wicker Man. The odd folk music in the movie really makes an impression.

Just like Cosmic Space Music is volume 1, Volume 2 is named Pagan Love Vibrations.  A great title also includes great music such as, Dungen, Bo Diddley, Faust, Focus, Ulitmate Spinach and that is on disc one.  I loved this mix because it kept me on my toes. Also there was a lot more other bands I need to seek out and listen to.  A great example is the song "Love Is Everyone" a song by Ed Askew.  The song is odd and once in a while has a me pushing repeat.  Good music is easy to find when it comes to this second volume.

The second disc opens up with Melanie.  My favorite tune of her's "Lay Down (Candles In The Rain)" and it may sound a bit dated but it is still a killer tune.  Once again this disc is filled with Animal Collective, Pearls Before Swine, Comus, Hawkwind, Edgar Winter Group, Richard Harris and so many great others.  This disc had more obscure and unknown people I needed to seek out. In this one they twists the older songs to make them sound warped and nothing like the original but that is okay with me.  It gives it more of a unique twist.  Once again the music is awesome and keeps the curious listener at the edge of their seat.

Volume 3 is the cool one because it includes my favorite band GONG. Exploding in Your Mind (The 3rd Ear ) is the title of this volume.  This also opens with the famous, "Turn on, tune in, and drop out." quote from Timothy Leary.  This is where I got turned on to a band called Nektar.  After this purchase I went to seek out Nektar and let me tell you, they are worth what I heard and more. A future post about them for sure.  Music on here includes Spencer Davis Group, Ennio Morricone, Dick Hyman, Aphrodite's Child, James Last, Rotary Connection GONG and Moody Blues.  This volume seems like it moves at a faster pace then the previous two.  It's the one volume that got me really focusing on the unknown songs.  They were so good and were a total joy to listen to again and again.

Disc two includes Leon Russell, It's A Beautiful Day, Donovan, Bob James, Bonnie Dobson, Paul Weller, Amon Duul II, Tiny Tim, Dorothy Ashby and that is just the few I put on repeat in these listenings. The tracks on the album I did not know about make me still curious like the last two compilations.  I loved the mix on it.  I only wish I could find out where they found the new and the obscure.  I was a college DJ and these mixes would have been perfect for a late night radio show.

As the subtitle suggests Exploding Your Mind is just what these compilations are.  They are an awesome look back and forward to music that just did not fit in the square peg.  Every time I play these compilations.  Just a note there is a fourth one, but that does mostly music from Australia and is more music that is newer Psychedelic then these are a mix of both old and new.  It's worth seeking out for sure.  Tame Impala and others make sure to keep this cool sound alive.  There is also a Amorphous Androgynous tribute to Harvest Records too.  That is pretty awesome.  Only wish they do that for Island Records or Vertigo Records as well.  All in all if you find these albums get them while you can I'm missing Vol. 3 I think? and would love to have a physical copy. I have them digitally and that is good for now.  This will make you travel back in time to where doing all this Psychedelic music was fresh to all of us.  Just wish I was around to hear it all.  Enjoy!!!