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Overall Album Score: 7.8 out of 10

This is going to be my favorite freaky, avant-garde psychedelic band until I can come up with a better one. Psychedelia was subject to some of the worst examples of excess... not to mention avant garde music. But at the same time, this album is hilarious. These guys are really awesome at sucking.

This is actually their second album, but it's the earliest one they have on Rhapsody's database at the moment (but I do have their first album from my emusic account --- and I haven't listened to it yet). The founder and principal member of this group is Tom Rapp. I'm pretty sure he's the guy who sings... what a distinctly mediocre voice. Sometimes it sounds like he had spit dribbling out of his mouth, but when he's not singing like a doofus, I don't care much for the tone of it. It's just not pleasant sounding.

They might be a psychedelic band (which were kinduva dime a dozen back then), I think you would be hard pressed to find a band that was this SPACED OUT. I mean, I could be wrong. If there is a stranger band, then I'll probably listen to them one day and then check myself into the nearest mental institution the following morning. When it comes right down to it, I love hearing weird, weird music. The problem with this is that it's just not that entertaining. It's definitely interesting, though. Their arrangements, in particular, are quite intriguing. Rarely do I ever run across anything as bizarre as that backing music for "Images of April." The closing track "Ring Thing" also has an interesting texture. This at least proves that they had some sort of goal in mind when they recorded this flabbergasting album.

Another quality I like about this band is they take advantage of a wide array of instruments apart from the usual rock combo. Among other things, I hear organs, beautiful piano, violin, woodwind, bagpipes(!!!!), random sound effects, etc... But in a few of these songs, like "There Was a Man," it merely consists simply of singing and an acoustic guitar. The diversity is at least valuable even though this can be a difficult album to listen to.

And my last compliment: At least I don't get the impression that they're pandering to the lowest common denominator... In fact, I'm sure there's examples of psychedelia that would make me grate my teeth and forsake the genre forever. As far as all that nonsense was ever worth, Pearls Before Swine manage to be fairly worthwhile.

I read on Wikipedia that this album is a huge anti-war protest statement. Well maybe they were trend-followers, after all. From what little I bothered getting out of the lyrics, they seemed pretty spaced out and hippie-esque, so they don't bother me. Also realize that analyzing lyrics is something that generally doesn't interest me...

Well this is definitely something... I'll have you read the track reviews, if you don't mind!

Overall Abum Score: 7.8 out of 10 (This album really isn't that good, but I wanted it to be! That's something that I can't say too often...)

Average Song Score: 7.8 (A mix of the strange, the irritating, the creepy --- and not so much the pleasant. Some of this is effective, others aren't as much.)

Album Tilt: 7.5 (It's an experience... For better or worse, it makes an impression.)

Artist Rating: 8.0 (I debated this one. This rating boost is meant solely for the bagpipe on "Ring Thing.")

Track Reviews

Trumpeter Lanfrey

Apparently, old Rapp found an old 1890 cyllinder recording of a trumpeter who was at the Charge of the Light Brigade at Bakalava. Oh, this is what that album title means... Alright, thanks.

Translucent Carriages 7/10

This song is really trippy. Rapp sings a dreary old song while strumming lightly on his acoustic guitar. He has a really weird voice --- he has a tendency to bend it if he's on a really long note. That's freaking creepy. To make it even weirder, he inserts these noises of somebody breathing very hard in and out. There's yet another creepy voice of someone whispering with a lot of reverb. So... yeah... Not exactly pleasant, but ... well ... effective, I guess.

Images of April 10/10

Oh, here goes something. It's another trippy, psychedelic song, but this one's a little more appealing. It begins with a strange sliding bass-line, a sort of glassy synthesizer and (naturally) a jumpy flute. Most notably, they bring in bird and bullfrog noises for an awesome background texture. (Hey! It's natural!!) This song is creepy, but in a good way this time. I'm very much drawn to this ultimate statement of strangeness ... It kind of reminds me of Soft Bulletin Flaming Lips!!!!!!

There Was a Man 7.5/10

Enough was enough for the trippy music --- for now. He gives us a break with this folk music that has a bit of a British vibe. For some reason, I complimented the melody in an early review I wrote of this, but it's really kind of corny. But it's engaging enough --- all it needed to be, I guess... Why does that vocal performance sound so much like he had spit dribbling out of his lips? Dude!!

I Saw the World 8/10

Oh, it's back to the trippy music! It's much less charming than "Images of April" --- it seems more like a collection of sounds than a real, cohesive effort, but I guess that's to be expected. Some ocean wave sound effects and wind chime noises clutter up this thing while some pizzicato strings are plunking away and an organic-sounding piano plays some nice chords. Of course, Rapp is singing here, but he's not too terribly interesting. The good news is there's so much to listen to, you might be too dazzled to care that this song kind of sucks. Well, I'm endorsing this song, anyway. For some irrational reason, I like it...

Guardian Angels 6.5/10

This song irritates me a little bit. I'll tell you why a little later. This is a remarkably simple song compared to everything except "There Was a Man." Rapp sings a rather old fashioned tune amidst a string quartet. The melody and instrumentation is OK but not too well-conceived. But for some weird reason, you hear this incessant shuffling sound in the background, and there's absolutely no reason for it. It sounds like some eight year old snuck into the recording studio and was shaking a rattle incessantly while the quartet was trying to play...

Suzanne 7/10

This is so dreary that it's not even funny. They use some jangly guitar strumming (not quite Byrdsian) and a very pretty English horn in the background. The general problem with this song is that it doesn't have a very good melody to begin with, it never changes its tone and it drags on for five minutes. I like that one texture they have very much, but it overstays its welcome.

Lepers & Roses 7.5/10

Freaking heck. They are trying to get me sent to a mental institution. This instrumentation texture has about the same stability as water. I mean, it doesn't get any trippier than that... The sounds he uses are from pianos, flutes, bass guitars, organs, tambourine --- and whatever else was available --- and they're all spaced out and playing their own tune. For the most part, these instruments seem to be playing the same chord progression, but --- geez... This is flabbergastingly awesome!

Florence Nightingale

This might be the only rock album to contain an old, 17-second soundbyte from Florence Nightingale. That's definitely one for the history books...

Ring Thing 8.5/10

Well, this isn't quite the ultimate statement of weirdness that "Lepers & Roses" was, but this comes close. It's dark and so thoroughly creepy that it might send shivers up your arms. That melody seems right out of a horror movie and so does the texture. Filled it gongs and cymbals--- geez... The avant-garde bagpipes they use in the background, however, are REALLY AWESOME. Such a strange texture! They lose me at the end where we hear some tape being sped up. I have the feeling that it's the sound of the entire album getting rewound.

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