Customer Reviews

Hoboken Saturday Night

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

 

 

This was one of those A list records from the Dean that you only heard about, but never heard. You can throw out all the genre bending comparisons you want, but this one has to be heard to be believed. It's nearest cousin might be Have Moicy, but that doesn't do justice to the remarkable rhythm section(s). Not for those looking for the more child-like or naive aspects of the psychedelic era, this is a full blown mature work that sounds as professional (in the best sense) as anything from that era. Great musicians and great tunes with a touch of the openness and disregard for boundaries that made everything seem possible and wonderful from those times. Of course, it failed miserably with the public. The great fall of the 70s was just around the corner.

After I pined away for 35 years, somebody finally put them on CD. It's like I just heard it yesterday - I still remembered the haunting "Eyes" and most of the rest.

Believe me, it captures everything the era was about. And, it does an old man's heart good to have a good-sized piece of his youth back.

What was the counterculture, anyway - America's last hopeful moment, or just a bunch of stoners making tragic fashion choices? This 1970 album from a band of East Coast VIP freaks (including the late, great music critic Robert Palmer on reeds) suggests that it was nothin' but a party good enough to blow your mind. Country blues, ragtime, avant-jazz, New Orleans gumbo, psychedelia and straight-ahead pop all get play here; one song features lyrics by novelist Thomas Pynchon, while another was co-authored by a 6-year-old. In this reissue's liner notes, Blender contributor Robert Christgau calls the Insect Trust "pluralistic tolerance in action, at once traditionalist, futuristic and entranced with the here and now." In other words, it's what democracy sounds like.

It took me many years to hunt this one down, and it did not disappoint. This was the best record of 1969. Even Christigau liked it. Nowadays, you can snag a copy for a few dollars. Enjoy!

This is an album that deserves more attention. Great to have it available on CD after hearing about the record a year and a half ago. This is good-timey music that should really get a larger audience. Highlights include: Now Then Sweet Man/Mr. Garfield, The eyes of a New York Woman and the happy, groovy closer Ducks. Musically, it ranges from Bluegrass(now then sweet man) to pop (reciprocity) to jazz rock (ducks). All in all, nice cozy music.

The Insect Trust, one of the outstanding bands that emerged as part of a plethora of the sixties wave, had an amazing amalgamation of blues, rock, folk and funk, with an undercurrent of jazz. Truly an American group, this band was probably overlooked by so many listeners when it came out, due to the amazing number of great incipient bands that emerged during this time. Not only the big British and American bands like the Stones, Beatles, The Who, Jimmy Hendrix and Yardbirds, but so many smaller bands, less funded, like Ultimate Spinach from Boston, the Soft Machine, Fifty Foot Hose, Dave Von Ronk and the Hudson Dusters, emerged on the scene within months of each other. Record catalogs and mailorder clubs proliferated, offering new and unique sounds, often reflecting the parts of the country where the band members grew up.

With members from Memphis, New Jersey and New York, accompanied by studio folks, Hoboken Saturday Night is the second of only two albums ever released by this group. The other, released in 1969, is simply titled Insect Trust.

Hoboken Saturday Night has a haunting vocal by Nancy Jeffries, The Eyes of a New York Woman, with lyrics from novelist Thomas Pynchon.

The other songs all have their own unique flavors, my favorite is The Eyes of a New York Woman.

W. Scott Wallace, Ph.D. Cincinnati former announcer on a 60's radio show

Most of the music falls into the category of acoustic 'fusion'. And its all a bit too mature.

The highlights are all in Nancy Jeffries remarkable voice, and in one of the most affecting lovesongs Ive ever heard, 'Our Sister The Sun'. 'Eyes of a New York Woman' runs a close second...

I consider myself to be a child of the '60s, even though I didn't graduate from HS until 1970. I attended KSU the year after the shootings, and fell in love with the sister of the girlfriend of one of the players involved in the demonstrations - very harsh times, indeed.

Anyway, I never heard anything about "Insect Brain Trust", listening instead to Savoy Brown, Mose Allison, Family, James Gang (remember "Funk 49"?), etc.

I bought "Hoboken Saturday Night" because they set a Pynchon song to music. It ain't Pig Bodine singing, but it harkens back to GR, which is my favorite novel.

I'm not sure I hear what all the fuss is about, but I'm always willing to listen to new music ("new" meaning something I have not heard). I have recordings of throat singing from the Steppes of the Ukraine; gamelan music from Bali (which my wife says sounds like Hari-Krishnas run amok) and Glenn Gould playing Scoenberg's piano music (which all of my friends detest).

I'm afraid that besides "The Eyes of a New York Woman", nothing much sticks in my head. Although touted as great psychedelic music, it just leaves me flat. Maybe that's because I just don't "get it", or because I didn't hear it constantly from age 10 forwards. I did grow up listening to Brubeck, Miles, music from "South Pacific", "Oklahoma!", etc., and playing tenor sax in a Dixieland band, so my ear is pretty good.

The best I can say is to borrow it before buying it, if you can.

Two years after making their debut on Capitol, The Insect Trust reappeared with a new album on Atlantic's ATCO subsidiary.

Still unique among performers, the Steve Duboff produced "Hoboken Saturday Night" found the band continuing their unique experiments in merging diverse musical genres. Stylistically all over the aural road map, the album found the band taking stabs at everything imaginable including bizarro folk-rock ('Trip To Me'), Stax-styled instrumentals !!! ('Ducks'), bouncy country-rock ('Reciprocity') and free form jazz-rock fusion. While she still wasn't the world's greatest singer, Nancy Jeffries again displayed a light and surprisingly attractive voice, while the rest of the band showcased a consistently attractive sense of taste and style. You could only wish that BS&T and Chicago had as much imagination and restraint when it came to horn charts ('Ragtime Millionaire'). Elsewhere, 'The Eyes of a New York Woman' featured lyrics written by novelist Thomas Pynchon. Made aware that his words had been 'borrowed' without prior consent, Pynchon threatened a lawsuit, demanding the album be withdrawn. In the end he settled with the band withdrawing the lawsuit in return for the group's commitment not to perform the song live. (In case you cared, the band was supported by a number of all-star sessions players, including guitarist Hugh McCracken and drummer Bernie Purdie.)

- Clocking in at under a minute, 'Be a Hobo' left you wondering if you'd stumbled into a drunken Indian hoedown ... rating: ** stars
- Showcasing Jeffries' voice at its very best, the title track was a surprisingly mainstream and rocking number ... Complete with a great melody and some fantastic group harmony vocals, you had to wonder why ATCO management didn't tap this one as a single. What were they thinking? rating: **** stars
- Once again showcasing Jeffries' attractive voice, 'The Eyes of a New York Woman' was a breezy, blues number. The song took awhile to click, but once it got rolling, it took no prisoners. One of the few songs I've heard with a killer flute solo ! rating: *** stars
- Though it had a great chorus, 'Ragtime Millionaire' was simply too period cute for my personal taste. That said, the ragtime arrangement was impressive and Luke Faust turned in a taste electric guitar solo. rating: *** stars
- The first couple of times I heard 'Someday' I absolutely hated it. It sounded frantic and discordant to my ears. Well, the song is both frantic and discordant, but kicked along by Faust's spastic vocal, the song was simply so weird that you had to sit up and take notice. By the way, the horn charts are amazing. rating: *** stars
- Kicked along by a great uncredited bass pattern, 'Our Sister the Sun' was an extended, jazzy-tinged ballad. On the surface this should have been another song that I wanted nothing to do with, but Jeffries gave the song a haunting feeling that was underscored by Elvin Jones impressive, jazzy sax solo. One of the album's biggest surprises ... rating: *** stars
- Luke Faust's sole writing credit, 'Reciprocity' sported a surprisingly enjoyable old-timey feel. Nice horns and Faust turned in a tasteful guitar solo. rating: *** stars
- With Jeffries unveiling her big bluesy voice, 'Trip On Me' found the band again returning to a fairly straightforward rock sound. Just speculation on my part, but in hindsight you had to wonder if the lyrics were inspired by a growing musical and personal rift between Barth and Jeffries. rating: *** stars
- A clear reflection of the group's country and string band roots 'Now The Sweet Man/'Mr. Garfield' was way too country for my taste. Musically it was something you'd expect to hear at a small Irish bar. rating: ** stars
- With a distinctive country flavor, 'Reincarnations' was s curious choice for a single. Faust's lead banjo gave the track a feel-good rhythm and Jeffries vocal was quite good, but it was simply too eclectic to have made much impact.
- I've always hated songs that feature young children singing. I hate the first part of the 'Glade Song'. And suddenly the track shifted gears into one of the funniest songs you've ever heard. I've never figured out who handled the lead vocal, but the male lead sounded like he was completely fried on speed. perfectly encapsulating the band's eclectic stew of influences, this one was simply too bizarre to adequately describe. rating: **** stars
- The second album found the band supported by a large collection of Memphis sidemen and the instrumental 'Ducks' was where their influences finally exploded. (Though technically I guess you couldn't call it an instrumental since Jeffires provided scat and nonsensical vocals on it.) Imagine a Stax instrumental complete with percolating horn charts and Steve Cropper-styled guitar and you'll know what to expect on this one. rating: *** stars

ATCO also tapped the album for a single:

- 1970's 'Reincarnations' b/w 'Reciprocity' (ATCO catalog number 45-6764)

Reading back over this the results don't sound particularly inspired or impressive, but the set exhibited a hard to describe charm that made it a true lost classic. Mind you, it's simply too eclectic for most folks, but if given a chance, it'll grow on you.

"Hoboken Saturday Night" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Be a Hobo (Louis Hardin) - 0:35
2.) Hoboken Saturday Night (Bill Barth - Nancy Jeffries - Robert Palmer) - 3:00
3.) The Eyes of a New York Woman (Thomas Pynchon - Jeff Ogden) - 3:08
4.) Ragtime Millionaire (Bill Barth - Nancy Jeffries) - 3:20
5.) Somedays (Trevor Koehler) - 2:47
6.) Our Sister the Sun (William Folwell - Arloha Folwell) - 7:20

(side 2)
1.) Reciprocity (Luke Faust) - 3:23
2.) Trip On Me (Bill Barth - Nancy Jeffries - Robert Palmer) - 2:45
3.) Now The Sweet Man / Mr. Garfield (Trevor Koehler / traditional arranged Luke Faust) - 3:07
4.) Reincarnations (Trevor Koehler) - 3:15
6.) Glade Song (Trevor Koehler - Luke Faust) - 3:00
7.) Ducks (instrumental) (Trevor Koehler - Warren Gardner) - 5:40

Like the debut, the sophomore album vanished without a trace. Barth began spending more and more of his time focused on recreational drugs. Jeffries subsequently ended their personal relationship and was Barth reportedly handed his walking papers. The band briefly struggled on with replacements, but without a true fan base, or label support, quickly collapsed in the wake of his departure.

Barth went on to a varied career, eventually relocating to Amsterdam in the mid-1980s where he focused on an art career (though he found time to buy a small blues club in Mississippi). He died from a sudden heart attack in July 2000.

Jeffries reappeared on the business side of the industry working for years as a talent scout and A&R person.

Koehler reappeared in the band Octopus before committing suicide in 1973.

Palmer went on to become a respected rock critic (one of the genre's more articulate and engaging members). Sadly, in need of a kidney transplant, he died in 1997.