Rating: **** (4 stars)
Title: Keyboard Tales
Company: Atlantic
Catalog: SD-7230
Year: 1972
Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+
Comments: promo sticker on cover, small cut out notch
Available: 1
Price: $110.00
Can't say we know much about this guy and there isn't much to be found about him on the web ... Released in 1972, his sole album "Keyboard Tales" was recorded in San Francisco's Wally Heider Studios, with Geoffrey Haslam producing. Musically the set's a one man show, Perlitch credited with writing all of the material, as well as handling all of the vocals and instrumentation. Starting off with the 14 + minute "Captain Zanzibar", the album's full of material that's simultaneously melodic, atmospheric, bizarre and occasionally downright disturbing (sensitive types should probably avoid the gruesome "Pete the Bondage Freak"). A gifted keyboardist and a decent singer, who sometimes bares a passing resemblance to Neil Young (the vehemently anti-Nixon/anti-war "America"), lyrically Perlitch turned in some of the year's stranger meanderings - "Take Off" (described as "The customized spacecraft SPECTOCAR blasts off into the outer atmosphere where with a gaseous burst the second stage separates and glides out into distant space.") and "Planet Mission Alpha" (described as "Barbarian space savages drop bomb on plant.") (The album was originally released with a gatefold sleeve.) The collection didn't sell worth crap and as far as we can tell, this is Perlitch's only release.
"Keyboard Tales" track listing:
1.) Captain Zanzibar (Michael Perlitch) - 14:45
2.) America (Michael Perlitch) - 1:50
3.) Remember Sarah (Michael Perlitch) - 4:42
4.) Take Off (Michael Perlitch) - 2:40
5.) Pete the Bondage Freak (Michael Perlitch) - 8:25
6.) Planet Mission Alpha (instrumental) (Michael Perlitch) - 1:43
7.) Holy Joe (Michael Perlitch) - 8:00
Pertlich apparently continued to dabble in music, in 1999 releasing a cassette-only collection "Outworlder". We've never heard the tape, so can't tell you much about it.