II [Import]

H.P. Lovecraft | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 21, 2007)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Radioactive
• ASIN: B0001AV5AS
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #844,879 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Spin, Spin, Spin

2. It's About Time

3. Blue Jack of Diamonds

4. Electrallentando

5. At the Mountains of Madness

6. Mobius Trip

7. High Flying Bird

8. Nothing's Boy

9. Keeper of the Keys

Editorial Reviews

Having relocated to Marin County in Northern California in the spring of 1968, H.P. Lovecraft's second, and it must be said, superior album, appeared later that same year. Clearly most of the band members (with the exception of Jerry MacGeorge who returned to the band's native city of Chicago to be replaced by former Hezekiah alumnus, Jeff Boyan, who was not only a fine bass player, but who also contributed a distinctive vocal style along with George Edwards and Dave Michaels) thrived in their new location, and the Lovecraft became frequent attractions in nearby San Francisco, playing alongside some of the top Bay Area psych bands of the time. Moving south to L.A. later that year, the band recorded their second eponymous album that contained some fine moments of pure artistry. The sleepiness of tracks like "Spin, Spin, Spin," "Mobius Trip" and "Electrallentando" was reminiscent of It's A Beautiful Day's first album, and their fine version of "High Flying Bird" and "At The Mountains Of Madness" captured the band's outstanding vocal style, very much the hallmark of their first album, to perfection. H.P. Lovecraft II was reputedly the first major label album (both records were originally released on the Philips label) where all those involved in the recording were actually high on acid! The band effectively dissolved after this superb effort, and although various former band members tried to regroup on several occasions, it is by H.P. Lovecraft II and its predecessor, H.P. Lovecraft, that the band will be remembered. Housed in a numbered, limited edition of 1000 copies in a unique card wallet. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A lost classic gem from the 60's, January 14, 2007

By 

Elan Bodwick (las vegas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: II (Audio CD)

Easily one of the best and most innovative "psychedlic" albums from the era. Freakout hippie jams combined with classical and electronic(yes early electronic) touches- great harmony vocals ala Jefferson Airplane which H.P. resembles at time but in my opinion much better. This album is truly a lost classic album and has been one of the better purchases ive made in recent years. My only complaint is the short duration- just over 33 minutes and no liner notes in the booklet. It isnt to often that one stubles onto something so good as this- if this album was recorded on acid then the trip was worth it!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars His tick tock muscle measure, May 6, 2011

By 

Dctrpunda - See all my reviews

This review is from: H.P. Lovecraft II (Audio CD)

Through a fluke of random internet musings I foundd myself on a hobby of collecting the obscure (and otherwise) world of pysch rock. I'm pretty early on this road (of which it turns out there is pretty amazing underground following) and this was one of the first albums to surface, so I would imagine this album has bubbled up to the top of the "unknown" heap for a reason.

At first you hear in context of what you already know, I heard some early Floyd effects, heard this strong Creedence Clearwater Revival vocal, heard some folksy stuff that reminded me of Traffic's John Barleycorn. Then you see it in the context of the fact of itself, that this was the first band to be picked up by a major label whose members were high on LSD during the entire recording. Its campy at times, like Moody Blues campy. "Nothing's Boy" seems trippy at first, but the sophomoric lyrical echoes seems to hint they were onto something but stalled into the realm of zero. The follow up and last song "Keeper of the Keys" is so bad you find yourself listening to it just to fully understand what bad music is.

But there is something delightful about this album, overall, it grows on you into this place that you feel is superb. At the Mountains of Madness is amazing, down to the 'could not possibly be faked' laughter at the end. Mobius Trip is equally lysergic but while Mountains took you to that place you wished you hadn't gone, mobius takes you to that point after you've crossed the abyss and everything's just, well, just fine, like I can stop time or fly around the room fine...

Spin, Spin, Spin is a strong piece, as is High Flying Bird. You feel like you've found something that could have been a part of mainstream rock history with many of the songs in this collection but for whatever reason weren't.

Overall, if you like classic rock, concept rock, early formations of progressive rock, this is a must have. It's truly delightful. Yea, these guys were high on acid, it probably didn't show itself at the time but it shows now, which is what makes this such a great piece of work, it is both fool, genius and musical magic all wrapped into one heck of a muse.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Unknown Favorite, June 10, 2008

By 

Aaron Hecht - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: II (Audio CD)

My dad has had this since the late sixties when it came out. I was at his place and on a vinyl kick and he asked me "Hey have you ever heard of HP Lovecraft?" Like the writer? I oh so ignorantly asked. "No, nothing at all like that. Check this out..." So he laid it on his turntable and I was transported into a lost world of crazy electro-organs and wacko voices. It was quite an amazing album. I insisted on digitizing the album and have been making people listen to "Spin, Spin, Spin" the first cut on the album for a while now. Everyone is amazed they've never heard of this truly wonderful album.