Customer Reviews

Nova Local 1

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By 1967 many bands (and their audiences respectively) got fed up with simplicity of early rock and disillusioned with reality, the sunshine pop was over. In a desperate attempt to escape they drifted into psychedelia and acid trips. In 1967 The Beatles released the first concept true psychedelic album - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Remastered), and the same year (1) an unknown act from Chapel Hill in North Carolina, "Nova Local", recorded surprisingly mature masterpiece of sofisticated psychedelia, not only equal but much better than top British acts. The music of "Nova Local" stands closer to the psychedelia of "Yardbirds", than to the pop of The Beatles.

The band started in 1964 as the "Shadows" (nothing to do with the Brits of the same name): Randy Winburn (vocals); Joe Mendyk and Phil Lambeth (guitars); Jim Opton on bass, Bill Levasseur on drums and Cam Schinhan (keyboards). They were very much in demand playing fraternity circuit, and after opening for "Chad & Jeremy" were immediately signed for Decca (US)by talent spotter of famous William Morris Agency.

In 1967 this innovative and well ahead of time LP "Nova 1" was recorded in NY, the label properly released few singles ("If You Only Had The Time" was a minor local hit, which didn't get enough airplay across the country).

Two covers - "Morning Dew" (later by Nazareth) and "Tobacco Road" - are unusual and excellent versions.

The band received a moderate support from the label (it was even advertised through "Billboard"), but soon after this first and last effort they split. Randy Winburn became reborn Christian, and I've never heard anything else about "Nova Local".

This CD is a bootleg re-issue on "Radioactive", and really tempting it is!

Years later, the same Chapel Hill launched another obscure milestone of psychedelia/prog - Between Two Worlds.