Customer Reviews

Fields

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

 

 

YES! I've waited a long time for this to come out on CD. Heavy psych acid rock, grinding guitars, this is the stuff folks! I originally stumbled on them many years back in the cut out bin and was blown away by their style/content. No disappointments here, buy it, you'll love it!

PS...Don't be fooled by the "other" Fields LP with the bird on it, not hardly the same group.

Originally released in 1969, this lp was The Fields only effort the power trio had ever put out. The album reportedly came and went like a thief in the night. Some might tag this CD reissue as 'acid rock'. Tunes I was most impressed with were "Bide My Time", "Take You Home" and the eighteen-minute {took up the entire second lp side} semi-experimental bluesy "Love Is The Word", which is worth the price of admission alone. Line-up: Richard Fortunato-guitar & vocals, Patrick Burke-bass & vocals and Steve Lagan-drums. Might appeal to some fans of Blue Cheer, Cream and Iron Butterfly. A decent pick.

If you buy this CD based on the 5-star reviews here, I'm pretty sure you WILL be disappointed. I'll give you Fields in a nutshell: if Cream had been significantly less talented and took a lot of quaaludes, they could have made this album. There's a very good reason why this recording is obscure: it deserves to be. These guys aren't even as good as Stained Glass. Save your money.

Fields was a late sixties So. Cal. power trio that cranked out some pretty good psychedically infused rock, as captured on this album. Their name was supposedly based on love-ins that were held in "Elysian Fields", a park area behind Dodger Stadium in L.A. I saw them live at The Rose Palace in Pasadena in the late sixties (every name band from the sixties played this forum at one time if they came to So. Cal.), and was disappointed that they didn't do their showmark tune of "Elysian Fields", because the lead guitarist's wah-wah pedal was broken. Great song. The five stars is based solely on side 1 of their LP (I haven't heard the CD and can therefore make no commentary on its sound quality or liner notes), as side 2 was a "suite" consisting of only one song that I recall as being spectacularly unimpressive. If you like The Hook,Aum,CWB,Blue Cheer,The Leaves and other proto-punk psych bands of the late sixties then you will get into Fields. I am frankly surprised that it is even out on CD, as the album was somewhat obscure even in the sixties.

After listening to this album, it just blown me away. How this band did not get much recognition during their times is beyond me. I thought I had enough of the 70's classic bands and had virtually bought every CD that I could land my hands on. Thanks to Amazon.com. You guys keep posting classic 70s band on your net and I just can't stop discovering new ones (I mean only 70's classic band). Congratulations Amazon.com

A really good heavy prog- and psyche (or acid) album, somehow reminds "Rare Bird", strongly influenced by "Cream". The band (Richard Fortunato, Patrick Burke, Steven Lagana) was from California, and was doomed to become another "one album wonder". If you're a fan of early 70s prog, get it, you won't regret it. Don't confuse it with British trio "Fields", who released an album (under the same title) in 1971 - that was Graham Field (of "Rare Bird"), Andrew McCulloch (formerly of King Crimson) and Alan Barry (also with Crimson connections)- don't miss it.

fields was a power trio that released this one recording back in '69. they released it under the uni label back then. influenced by cream, fields played a mixture of rock, blues and psychedelia. i really don't think this release is very dated. it sounds pretty good and still worth multiple plays even though decades old. this cd has been reissued by pilot records. what is cool about the label is they created an escrow account to pay royalties on music where they can't find the artists. the sound is great and artwork is intact. the best track is the last and longest, Love is the Word, which goes through multiple musical changes throughout the track. fields is a highly recommended release if you're into the 60s rock/psychedelia movement.

I have searched for this on CD since they were invented. My old LP is worn from lots of play. In 1969 my housemates and I always wanted this playing when outdoors and 'altered' in consciousness. It has a great feel overall. Give a listen

Far Out! I thought I would never hear this music again. Thanks Amazon! I saw Fields on stage in 1969 at the Teen Age Fair in Hollywood, CA. Purchased the LP as soon as their set was over,I was 16 yrs.old at the time. I really enjoyed the music my favorite song being,Take You Home. Six months later, I enlisted in the military. Long story short,now at 58 yrs.old,really happy to hear these songs again. Fields looked really cool on stage and sounded tight and solid.

I'm going to try to find some middle ground considering the other reviews of the cd.

from a sentimental point of view i was thrilled to see this on cd. as even the notes on the cd material indicate it is an unlikely candidate for a cd release. i had the good luck to be introduced to this lp by a friend of a friend who was visiting from california. it was pretty typical of lp's of its day in that it was a three man band and a gatefold lp.

i did very much like "bide my time" and "elysian fields". subsequently i got my own copy in flagstaff arizona and that copy is in sad shape so the cd is welcome.

now the downside. while i'm thrilled to get clean copies of the above mentioned favorites the rest of the cd is pretty grim--or maybe just typical of the times. there is a fair
amount of noise and loud, not great singing. the 20 plus minute suite or side two of the album is typical late 60's bombast and impossible to sit through regardless of the hallucinagen of your choice. it makes tales of topographic oceans seem short.

summary--if you were a fan years ago then enjoy as i am as a neat period piece. if you're considering buying it as a new listener you should probably save your bucks to buy gas.