Page 14 - TheGoldBug1972-73

OCTOBER 10, 1972 Record "Obscured by Clouds" Ed. Note: The medium is part of the message. For reasons I do not know, nor care to, Pink Floyd recently did the musical soundtrack for the movie La VaUee. Setting: African jungles. Subject: the short-comings of pygmies. And while a superfluous listening might cause one, if pressed, to envision scenes from a Griswold anthro' flick, this album better capsulizes the feelings of cosmic wisdom and gross inadequacy commonly derived from the use of artificial stimulants. Therefore, let this review be summarized by its subtitle; Coming Down With Pink Floyd. The tiUe cut initiates the album on its surreal journey. While the sustained discordant sub- structure elicits the normally inhibited impressions of other worlds, the driving, and purposely monotonous, rythmic pattern undermines time, tyrant of the "real" world. (An analogy might be made to T-Rex here, but Pink Floyd is hardly as simplistic and insulting). The guitar parts entwine intricately in the foreground, as electric souls Crazy Horse will perform at the \II,MCHomecoming Concert on Saturday, October 21, at 8 :30. making love in a blue sky. From the peak of this cut rips the successive one, building even higher in pitch. tempo, and intensity. Indeed, these first two Friends of NeilYoung slightly, begging from the.listener a moment of and good. tracks are inseparable, Bridges," The third cut, "Burning tones down reflection. Like most of the ablum it is well con- Crazy Horse IS the latest evoruuon ot a group guitarist Danny Whitten began playing together in structed and understated, making repeated which has at various times been Danny and the 1963 in a group called Danny and the Memories, a listenings enjoyable. On the other hand, this song Memories, the Circle and the Rockets, not to vocal group. In 1965 they started playing in- also points to a main weakness of the album: the mention what everybody knows, the rhythmic struments and became the Circle and later the lyrics. These could be used, I am sure, in the Jan. backbone of two Neil Young albums and two and a Rockets. Acoustic guitarist George Whitsell played Term course on "Kiddie Lit." Why are so many half years of Neil Young tours. with one or more of those groups, so his recent good musicians terrible poets? The lines should add Crazy Horse fronted its own overdue Reprise arrival in the Crazy Horse is more like a reunion poetically to the total sound effect, not detract. album in the spring of 1971, an album (called Crazy than a debut. My favorite song on the album is "The Gold It's Horse) which froze the group's development at a Soon .atter the success of Crazy Horse. Crazy In The ...." which 1 feel is the epitome of their moment when it was composed of Ralph Molina, Horse experienced those proverbial changes: Jack unique sound. One guitar part desperately grasping Billy Talbot, Jack Nitzsche, and Danny Whitten. Nitzsche left the group to continue his already for your flesh; the other more delicately tantalizing Since that time it has evolved yet further to become established and flourishing career as producer, you. and the bass and drums always jiving to a touring and recording group comprised of Molina, writer and arranger. Danny Whitten left the group provide a never ceasing energy flow. Also, the Talbot, George Whitsell, Greg Leroy and John for personal reasons. That left Ralph and Billy, music successfully subdues the lyrics on this cut. Blanton. bass and drums; a good rhythm section and Greg This is rather an exception, as well demonstrated Legend has it that Crazy Horse was "discovered" Leroy. In the course of a few months Crazy Horse by the next cut which, it shall suffice to say, is by Neil Young at the Whisky A Go Go at a point slowly re-expanded with George Whitsell and Greg bearable. when he was working on his second solo album, Leroy. the latter am electric guitarist who used to The last cut on the first side, "Mudmen," is good Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere. Through Neil, back Big Marna Thornton. Most recently "Crazy slow Pink Floyd a la Moog, more easily associated Crazy Horse, then the Rockets, met Horse added a pianist! organist, John Blanton. And with their live sound. By moving rythmically back producer/ arranger/ writer Jack Nitzsche, who they started recording and touring. and forth it lulls you into a mood receptive to the joined the group. That manifestation of Crazy The second Crazy Horse album, Loose, was well blended and balanced organ, Moog, piano, and Horse surged through Nowhere electrically, em- produced by engineer/ producer Fred Catero from guitar melodies. I have to admit that my ad- broidering and counterpointing the hypnotic rhyth- San Francisco, who had joined to play lead guitar, miration for record producers has never been very ms of Neil's songs and his compelling guitar work and was released by Reprise in January, 1972, high, but here I believe he succeeded by neither into a richly woven tapestry of rock and roll. almost a full year after the first. diminishing nor exploiting their sound. Discretion Drummer Ralph Molina, bassist Billy Talbot and was shown. On the whole side two is not my favorite, but it contains some fine cuts, specifically "Childhood's End," however, as par, the lyrics reek. Iguess you really do not have to take notice of them if you do The great not want to. "Stay" is meditation music consisting ~:: ~~~I~n~a:r~~~~~d ~nt~~~rt~~n~ r~r~bl~;ummied: of a piano-bass background cleansed by a really original wah-wah guitar part. Quite enjoyable. The Professor Choptank paces at the edge of the site, - big let down comes with "Free Four," the com- Wringing his hands, blinking in the glare of the searchlights; spring position like a butterfly in a dump. The whole town has mobilized; blankets, hot soup, In ending let me say first that this record peaks An9 special C.A.R.E. packages litter the grassy hill. college only after midnight, especially when you feel Even before the dormitories collapsed, the droning cosmically wise (for whatever reasons). Second, if Of sirens could be heard. White official vehicles dormitory you ever turn down an opportunity to see them live Were alerted long before the thunderous crash; it will be a mistake for they are right up there with Physics instructor Dundalk (grader and factotum) disaster the biggies (like the Mahavishnu Orchestra) as Lumbers around, looking into pits, wondering being a truely unique experience in concert. At such a complete anihilation of the young. Finally. try to borrow a copy before you buy it, please. Caveat emptor. Stone after stone, everyone healthy with two hands -- Richard Tucker Uncovers the disaster; their faces are grim, Their postures a perpetual bending and heaving; Their world is catastrophe; no screams, not even A whimper, can be heard; language teacher Copp Hunches on his hams by the hole and gawks. No bodies are found, not even a snatch of hair Or a Beatles album. Could motels have swallowed them up, The lovers? Could they all be out on the golf course, The "seventh green" (the "lovers' lane")'l Unlikely. What explanation for such a total disappearance? Professor Patapsco: "We'll get another bunch next fall." -- Bob Lawler