Genre: rock
Rating: *** (3 stars)
Title: The Visitation
Company: Crested Butte
Catalog: CB 701
Year: 1972
Country/State: Westchester, New York
Grade (cover/record): VG / VG
Comments: white label promo copy; original inner sleeve and lyric insert
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 1
Price: $140.00
Cost: $1.00
First one of those
stylistic warnings! While I've seen the LP advertised as a high
priced psych outing, it ain't ! There are splashes of fuzz guitar and
occasional progressive moves, but propelled by vocalist Anvil
Roth's AOR-styled pipes and delivery, these guys have more in
common with 1970s hard rockers like early Journey or Styx than most psych
outfits..
The label (Crested Butte) and the overall Western motif, left me with the
impression this short-lived early-1970s outfit was from Colorado. Wrong !!!
Namesake drummer Tony (Joe) Chirco originally hailed from Westchester County
New York. By the early-1970s Chirco had hooked up with producer Mike Cuscuna
and the band Sassafras (keyboardist S. H. Footer, drummer Ted MacKenzie,
guitarist John Naylor, singer Anvil Roth and bassist Bruce Taylor).
While 1972's "The Visitation"
was recorded in New York and Connecticut, the Colorado based Crested Butte
Records somehow obtained distribution rights. Produced by Cuscuna and
John Forster, given it was released by a small independent label, sonically
the album's surprisingly impressive and sounds particularly good with a
quality set of headphones. As mentioned earlier, the set really wasn't
psychedelic, rather offered up a nice mix of 1970s hard rock and Styx-styled
progressive moods. Thematically and musically the set was divided into two
suites - 'Older Than Ancient' and 'Younger Than New'. In
spite of the fact many of the eight selections sported a vague new age-styled
spiritualistic message, most of the songs sporeted interesting
arrangements and a couple actually rocked out. To my ears, highlights
include the
opener 'Sound of the Cross', 'Golden Image' and 'Dear Friends' (the latter
actually having a modest psych sheen to it). The album was also interesting for it's link to The Remains' Barry Tashian.
Tashian apparently helped record at least one track and the album includes a
cover of Tashian's 'Mister Sunshine'. Needless to say, Crested
Butte's marketing capabilities were dismal and the album quickly vanishing
without a trace.
"The Visitation" track listing:
(side
1)
1.) Sound of the
Cross (Chirco - R. Burnley) - 2:15
2.) 33 Years (Bruce Taylor - Billy Chanaca) - 3:51
3.) Cause I Love You (Bruce Taylor - Lee Rickards) - 3:43
4.) Golden Image (Chirco - Anvil Roth) - 7:00
(side 2)
1.) Dear Friends
(R. Calabrese - Chirco) - 7:46
2.) Mr. Sunshine (Barry Tashian - Chirco) - 5:08
3.) Minutes (R. Calabrese - Chirco) - 2:51
4.) Child of Peace - 4:49
The album's been reissued twice; once by the Italian Akarma label (catalog
number AK 071) and in CD format by Gear Fab (catalog GF-130). Interesting
both reissues are defective in that the contain a skip at the start of 'Dear Friends'.
The 1980s found namesake Chirco playing with The Volunteers. A Grateful Dead cover
band they eventually mutated into The Zen Tricksters who attracted a cult
following with their mix of Dead-styled jams and similarly styled original
material.