Genre: psych
Rating: **** (4 stars)
Title: Nova 1
Company: Decca
Catalog: DL-74977
Year: 1967
Country/State: Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Grade (cover/record): VG-/VG
Comments: cover is fairly worn
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 4604
Price: $80.00
Cost: $66.00
Rhythm guitarists Phil Lambeth and Randy Winburn, drummer Bill LeVasseur, lead guitarist Joe Mendky, bassist Jim Opton, and keyboardist Cam Schinhan started their musical collaboration in 1965 while students at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. As The Nova Local the group generated considerable buzz playing local dances and frat parties. Ironically their big break came when Jim Opton's Phi Mu Alpha fraternity hired Chad and Jeremy as the entertainment for a scholarship fund raising event. Needing an opening band, Opton hired The Nova Local. The band's subsequence performance caught the attention of A&R man Rob Heller, who helped sign the band with Decca Records.
Decca quickly dispatched the band (sans Lambeth who opted for law school) to New York. Produced by Elliot Mazur, 1967's "Nova 1" was clearly recorded in a hurry, but in spite of some flaws, stands as a criminally overlooked debut. Musically tracks such as the lead off fuzz rocker '$5 a Ticket' , 'If You Only Had the Time', 'Hitch Hike' and 'Morning Dew' were full of fuzz guitars, thick harmonies, weird production effects (45 seconds of backward tape on 'Hey Jimi') and thoroughly catchy melodies. These guys had more than enough talent to give any of those better known West Coast summer of love band a run for their money. I'll also be the first to admit that the first time I played the album I was left a bit confused. The album cover showed five guys which left me wondering who the female lead singer was. It took a little while to figure out that I wasn't hearing a female, rather Winburn had a rather high and fragile voice (sound like a stupid mistake ... well just check out his performance on 'Tobacco Road'). Elsewhere Decca pulled two singles from the LP:
- 1967 'If You Only Had the Time' b/w 'Games' (Decca catalog number 7-32138)
- 1967's John Knight's Body' b/w 'Other Girls' (Decca catalog number 7-32194)
On a purely technical note, this was apparently one of the first albums to be recorded using Dolby noise reduction technology. Anyone know why Decca didn't include writing credits?
"Nova 1" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) $5 a Ticket - 2:55
2.) If You Only Had the Time - 2:20
3.) Yascha Knew Deli Intimately - 0:35
4.) A Visit From It, the King - 1:15
5.) Tobacco Road - 6:35
(side
2)
1.) Hitch Hike - 2:50
2.) Morning Dew - 5:33
3.) Forgotten Man - 2:19
4.) Dear Jimi - 0:45
5.) And I Remember - 2:13
6.) John Knight's Body - 2:12
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