Gerne: pop
Rating: **** (4 stars)
Title: The New Mix
Company: United Artists
Catalog: UAS 6678
Country/State: Charlotte, North Carolina
Year: 1968
Grade (cover/record): VG/VG
Comments: minor ring wear
Available: 1
GEMM Catalog ID: 5623
Price: $35.00
Ever buy an LP because the cover caught your attention? Well here's one that falls under that category ... As for the music, well talk about schizophrenic. If you can find reviews covering this late-1960s obscurity, they seem to be evenly split between critics who love it and those who hate it. As one of my recent favorite discoveries, it's also a case where I'll tell you to screw the critics - what do they know?
From the opening organ stab to the closing ..., here's an LP I absolutely love. Unfortunately, in terms of bibliographical information there's little we can tell you about the band. The back cover shows them to have been a quartet, but there's little in the way of liner notes. Presumably D. Brown and H. Steele were two of the members since they're credited with writing the eleven tracks. We can also tell you that 1968's "The New Mix" was produced by Tommy Kaye. So what's this thing sound like? If you have to categorize it, the overarching feel is that of "sunshine pop" and lite psyche. Imagine a trippy version of The Association and you'll get a pretty good feel for moody tracks such as "Ursla", "Man" and the nifty "Ever Brighter". Admittedly, The Association comparison isn't 100% accurate in that, unlike the former, these guys weren't scared of a nice guitar solo ("The New Harpoon Song") and occasionally turned in a true rocker (check out the opener "While We Waited" and side two's "Get Me Out").
"The New Mix" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) While We Waited (David Brown - Henry Steele) - 3:08
2.) Ursla (David Brown - Henry Steele) - 2:59
3.) Man (David Brown - Henry Steele) - 2:49
4.) Nothing Means More (David Brown - Henry Steele) - 2:04
5.) The New Harpoon Song (David Brown - Henry Steele) - 2:25
(side 2)
1.) Ever Brighter (David Brown ) - 2:08
2.) Get Me Out (David Brown - Henry Steele) - 2:39
3.) Sun Down (David Brown ) - 2:33
4.) Doorway To An Open Light (David Brown - Henry Steele) - 3:02
5.) Follow Me (David Brown) - 2:46
One LP's all she wrote ... though 2001 saw the Akarma label reissue the original LP in a 10" format (catalog number AK 2016). Drummer Thorne reappeared as a member of The Spongetones.