Visions

Ah, sweet unheralded psych pop magic. Bless the people at Rhino for their continued curatorial prowess. Pulled out this adjunct to the Nuggets series and was charmed anew by nearly every track. I couldn't share just one. 

I don't know what I like more about this first song — the easy grooviness or the fact that it came from a has-been rockabilly guy reconstructed for the psychedelic era. At this distance, quality wins over authenticity, and who really cares if this Baker Knight was cynically cashing in or having his mind blown? As for Kim Fowley's mini space adventure, I cannot bring myself to believe he wasn't laughing all through the session. In both tracks, I sense a wide-eyed wonder that may take several generations to recapture.

Baker Knight and The Knightmares - Hallucinations
Kim Fowley - Strangers From The Sky

Space spirals

Yesterday's tune got us into space. And what with fuel costs being what they are, may as well hang out in the distant reaches a bit, courtesy of Gong guitarist Steve Hillage, who has continued to be terribly under-appreciated. Maybe he should've teamed up with fellow Steves Howe and Hackett to form a less embarrassing supergroup than what they came up with on their own. Actually, it's probably better that he pursued a more cosmically-minded career.

Steve Hillage - Meditation of the Snake

Theme Week - Dream in sound (4/5)

Here's a band that had so many ideas they seemed to stumble over themselves getting to them all at once. The Black Foliage album is kind of their masterpiece, but its dense restlessness makes me a little queasy. Too often it ends up screwing with its ideas before the listener has a moment to absorb them. And then there are the 10+ minute tape experiments, which are...you know. Bummer, because there are some stellar moments, like this track. I had this one in queue, and some recent sleep deprivation has given it extra resonance right about now.

The Olivia Tremor Control - A Sleepy Company

Nicely done

If you're a regular around here, you know that Planet Songblague is populated by two species of songs—those that are meaningful to me and those that I humbly think the world should care more about. Sometimes they crossbreed.

Today's track is one for the imaginary megaphone. To the extent that I'm influencing anyone's tastes, let me lobby for some attention to be thrown Nick Nicely's way. I guess his main claim to fame is that he influenced XTC to adopt their psychedelic Dukes of Stratosphear alter egos. He released a couple a singles that couldn't have been more at odds with the climate of the early '80s, so he packed it in. All of his stuff was subsequently released on a compilation that you can drive home today. It's a wonderland of psych pop, with some nice krautrock elements that are especially prominent in this jam. I'm not sure what Nicely is up to today, but someone should get him on tour with Animal Collective or Ariel Pink or some other bigshot who could get this man his overdue props (and cash).

Nick Nicely - Treeline