Customer Reviews

Puzzle

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

 

 

The Mandrake Memorial came together sometime in the late 60's in Philadelphia. This talented bunch has released three excellent albums between 1968-1970, quite an impressive output in creative terms.

Any collector of 60's Psychedelia will tell you that Puzzle, Mandrake's ambitious third and final album, is regarded today as one of the greatest psychedelic albums.

Stylistically similar to some of the Boston bands of that era (Ultimate Spinach in particular), Mandrake Memorial's digging into complex trippy Psychedelia has in a way anticipated progressive rock.

From the opening track 'Earthfriend Prelude' and throughout this magnificent artistic album, Puzzle blends tripped out orchestral experimentation with quasi-religious music. Fusing drum crescendos, whispers, weird effects and choirs, with a high degree of instrumentation, we're talking about an ambitious early concept album.

Go get this timeless masterpiece.

I have the original on vinyl, but it's been played so many times I bought the CD for the sound (and the remastering is decent). I lived near Philly back in the day and saw these guys live a few times - quite a trip. On their first album they used an electronic harpsichord, the second had a homemade synthesizer, then Puzzle - with rather sophisticated electronic effects for 1970, and used very creatively in my opinion. Guitarist and synth guru Craig Anderton went on play a significant role in electronic music, including writing for Electronic Musician magazine. If you're looking for a different psychedlic experience than the 60's San Francisco scene, give MM a try.

This album gets five stars for innovation, staying power, originality and all around greatness, even though I have a few quibbles with the CD reissue:
* - They colorized M.C. Escher's cover
* - It's dubbed from vinyl, rather beat-up vinyl at that, with a skip at 2:08 and early fade on the last track because noise threatened to swamp the music
* - The back cover, a reduction of the insert that came with the original LP, is solarized from lack of color depth

That said, this is the only CD reissue of the classic gem of psychedelia, with orchestra, chorus, rock band and feedback combined as no-one has before or since. It's unforgettable music that has been a part of the soundtrack of my life for 37 years.

To me this is the american s.f. sorrow- to put it simply a one of a kind slice of psychedelia and almost prog like masterpiece with hints of the moody blues and a vocalist that at times resembles bowies crooning! Part lowkey pop/rock part orchestral avante garde early electronic artrock- well worth the long hard search to get it- i put this alongside joe byrd and the field hippies american metapsychical circus and other cherished sought after psyche rarities- a must own for collectors of the genre- one time member craig anderton became a famous author and tester of electronic instruments and is widely known in the namm circuit. Clearly ahead of its time- still sounds challenging today for the most part despite its obvious psychedelic sound- by far their best album though the others are solid albums

Very gripping keyboard based psychedelia I was lucky to obtain on vinyl--with black and white cover illustrations.

Puzzle by Mandrake Memorial is not totally unique, but is solidly assembled, almost Gothic psych. A soft voice emerges over dark, steamy organ. This album feels like a church service on ring modulators.

Definitely one of the more interesting and daring lost pieces of the era. While other such music falls into stock ideas or sounds compromised by gimmicks to give it accessibility, Puzzle is extremely solid.