Saturday 20 July 2019

The Orkustra ‎– "Adventures In Experimental Electric Orchestra From The San Francisco Psychedelic Underground (Mexican Summer ‎– MEX 019) 2009/1967



Bobby Beausoleil actually was involved in a rather interesting group before he murdered someone under Charles Manson and LSD-25's influence.An abstract Free rock psychedelic folk mix up that reminds one of the New York minimalist rock avant garde,such as Angus Maclise or ,from the twenty-first century, The Dirty Three.
It's really rather good for California in 1966/7.Although they played extensively around the Bay Area and at many festivals, they never released anything during their lifetime.
It included David LaFlamme of 'It's a Beautiful Day' Fame whose violin playing gives it that crucial melancholic edge.
This collects everything they had ever commited to tape in their short existence, before fame and infamy befell at least two of its members.A moment in time showcasing a juxtapostion between realised and unrealised potential, fate and fatality.Like 'The Convergence of the Twain',Beausoleil was heading for the Iceberg, while LaFlamme missed the boat and boarded another ship.

Tracklist:
A1 Flash Gordon 4:57
A2 Bombay Calling 5:48
A3 Punjab's Barber 6:46
B Gypsy Odyssey (Performed Live At St. John's Church Christmas Eve, 1966) 25:45
C1 Bouzouki Blues Experiment 3:33
C2 Hungarian Stomp 3:32
C3 Flash Gordon (A Practice Session) 7:38
C4 Freeform Improvisation (While Watching An Experimental Underground Film) 3:35
D1 Flute Player Audition (Practice Jam Session) 5:14
D2 Dancing In The Park 3:16
D3 Gypsy Odyssey (Practice Session) 12:13


3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you Jonny, Loving your musical education. Must admit though I am jonesin for Jandek...

Jungle Clips said...

Love to read this blog. Nice Information
DIY

AmyGdalaGodiva said...

Really enjoying all your commentary - not to mention the music! Having just finished reading 'Chaos: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties' though (fabulous, incredibly well-researched book, incidentally), I'm going to nitpick and suggest that Manson, Beausoleil and co's violent proclivities were driven more by speed than acid though they certainly were fed both by the authorities in San Francisco in the Summer Of Love as well as later, pre-Tate and LaBianca, in LaLaLand. Keep up the good work and, yes, Brexit/BoJo/Election, etc. - what a shambles!