Music Banter - View Single Post - Psychlub 15: "The United States of America" - The United States of America (1968)
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Old 03-29-2015, 09:34 AM   #2 (permalink)
Psy-Fi
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What were your impressions of this album after the first five minutes?

Interesting but dated sounding late 60's psych featuring a variety of styles blended together.

Did those first impressions change as you listened to the album?

No.

Were the opening 2-3 tracks or the closing 2-3 tracks stronger?

No preference either way.

Did you find you enjoyed this album more or less on repeated listens?

It's definitely the type of album that sounds more interesting to me each time I listen to it.

What was your favourite track?

A toss up between number 4 (The Garden of Earthly Delights) and number 8 (Love Song for the Dead Che)

What was your least favourite track?

Track 5. "I Won't Leave My Wooden Wife for You" The lyrics are quite humorous but I've never cared for ragtime or Dixieland jazz and that tune reminds me of both.

What did you think of the variety of tracks presented?

Quite a bit of variety without sounding directionless.

How would you describe the overall mood?

An unpredictable late 60's stream of cosciousness American psychedelic trip.

Would you listen to it again for purposes other than this club?

Yes, and I have heard it several times before.

How well do you know this band/artist?

This was the only album by this band but I have also heard 'The American Metaphysical Circus' album by Joe Byrd released under 'Joe Byrd and the Field Hippies.'

If you're familiar with this band/artist, how does this album compare to their other work?

N/A

How would you improve this album?

I didn't care for track 5, so I'd probably leave it out and replace it or keep the lyrics and re-record the song in a different style. More of a personal taste idea than an "improvement" though.

Would you recommend this album to a friend?

If they like this type of psych.

Will you be exploring this band/artists' other material?

N/A

What did you think of the vocals?

They range from mediocre to very good with Dorothy Moskowitz providing most of the latter.

What did you think of the instrumentation?

Good to very good.

What did you think of the production?

Sounds a bit lo-fi in spots and excellent in others. Good overall.

Any other thoughts to share?

There are many other psych albums from the late 60's which I've listened to more often than this one but few of them manage to capture a lot of the late 60's psychedelic moods and feelings through sound as effectively as this album does.

Rate the album out of ten. No decimals!

8/10
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Last edited by Psy-Fi; 03-29-2015 at 01:33 PM.
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