Customer Reviews

Afterglow

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Ouch, that last review stung! Seriously, I don't see what the problem is. This is a very catchy, hummable lyte-psych offering from the magical Golden State Recorders studio circa '66-'67. These guys weren't world-beaters in the league of some of their peers, but they've got a nice, Byrds-influenced sound and guitarist George Tecumseh writes some good pop songs-- "Dream Away", "Chasing Rainbows", "Morning" and "Afternoon" come to mind right away. Also, the bass player and the cat on the Farfisa are solid musicians. In short, if your bag is overlooked groups of the 1960's, you could do far worse than Afterglow!

Afterglow was a band from California from the mid-60's, and it is so painfully obvious. It's lyrical content, while sometimes questionable, is never too fluffy. What makes this album such a standout is it's organ. Never, I repeat, NEVER, have I heard so much organ on so many different levels. It bore a hole directly into my brain, inserted itself into my nerve cells, and gave me a "tingly" feel all over. There's that much organ. "Morning" is a killer organ-pop tune as is "Chasing Rainbows". You should hear this album at least once if you are a fan of ogan-pysch-mind numbing-taboo-faboo-mystic music; chalk up Afterglow on your "gotta have" list if any of the above apply to you.

This little known Oregon band recorded one album with Leo Kulka at San Francisco's Golden State Recorders (home of the Beau Brummels and numerous West Coast psych-rock groups), borrowing sounds from all points around the Bay Area. They dipped into San Francisco ballroom psych, sunshine harmony pop, folk rock, and even a Red Krayola-styled studio freakout. The band's vocal harmonies far outstripped their instrumental and compositional abilities, with drum fills that occasionally lag the beat, and guitar and organ that give everything a garage band edge. Their melodies were catchy, though not at the radio hook level of the parallel Autumn Records teen sound, and the psych elements weren't as heavy as contemporaneous fellow travelers. Kulka's crisp engineering and production was superb, with the multipart vocals nuanced and perfectly set atop the instruments. The bonus tracks include a variation on the freak-out "Susie's Gone," and three instrumental backings that demonstrate the band's rudimentary instrumental skills. Recorded in '67 and released the following year on MTA, this is a listenable disc -- particularly if you like the high, whiney sound of a Vox organ -- but it's not hugely memorable. 3-1/2 stars, if allowed fractional ratings. [©2007 hyperbolium dot com]

Organs, sunshiney guitar, harmonious backup vocals. This record is so good I had to raise the score! The sound is often similar to Belle and Sebastian (I suspect they may have covered "Riding Home Again", or written a song that is an exact copy)other times it's Beatle-esque. Beautiful organ stuff going on (Farfisa?) similar to the Piper at The Gates of Dawn at times (much more bubblegummy song content though in comparison but not overall). They get spaced out on "Susie's gone" almost to a No-Wave groove 10 years too soon. It's kind of a short record, but you'll just want to listen to it again after the first time, so who cares. Anyone even looking at this casually should also check out the record label's site (where you can purchase this on vinyl LP). Sundazed Records is an amazing company dedicated to reissuing lost gems like this one. http://www.sundazed.com/

If you're a connoisseur of 60's psychedelic music, don't buy this CD! The music is shallow, bland, and unoriginal. Usually, when I order an obscure 60s psychedelic album, it's expected that about 30-40% of the songs are hidden gems. This album is ALL bad, only containing a hint of decency on a couple of tracks. This is the worst CD I have purchased in a long time. :(