THE OPTICAL SOUND: EPISODE 1

 

TRACKLIST:
01 THE CRYAN' SHAMES  "SUGAR AND SPICE" (JUN '66 A-SIDE SINGLE)
02 THE CRYAN' SHAMES  "BEN FRANKLIN'S ALMANAC" (JUN '66 B-SIDE SINGLE)
03 SAGITTARIUS "VIRGO" (AUG '67 B-SIDE SINGLE)
04 SAGITTARIUS "HOTEL INDISCREET" (AUG '67 A-SIDE SINGLE)
05 JEFFERSON AIRPLANE "RUNNIN' ROUND THIS WORLD" (FEB '66 B-SIDE SINGLE)
06 JEFFERSON AIRPLANE "IT'S NO SECRET" (FEB '66 A-SIDE SINGLE)
07 SAN FRANSISCO EARTHQUAKE "SOPHIA" (JAN '69 A-SIDE SINGLE)
08 SAN FRANSISCO EARTHQUAKE "HOLD THE NIGHT" (JAN '69 B-SIDE SINGLE)
09 NEIGHB'RHOOD CHILDR'N "I WANT ACTION" (JUL '68 B-SIDE SINGLE)
10 NEIGHB'RHOOD CHILDR'N "BEHOLD THE LILIES" (JUL '68 A-SIDE SINGLE)
11 GENE CLARK "I THINK I'M GONNA FEEL BETTER" (JAN '67 MONO LP) 
12 THE APPLETREE THEATRE "HIGHTOWER SQUARE" (NOV '67 A-SIDE SINGLE)
13 THE APPLETREE THEATRE "WHO DO I THINK I AM" (NOV '67 B-SIDE SINGLE)

NEIGHB'RHOOD CHILDR'N, 1968

The Neighb'rhood Childr'n were a group of youngsters from small town Oregon, who along with countless others traveled to San Francisco during the summer of 1967 to soak up the happening vibes.  Their extended stay proved to be fruitful as they put together this burner originally released on Acta records in 1968.  The vocals of female member Dyan Hoffman seem to lead the casual listener to comparisons with The Jefferson Airplane or The Peanut Butter Conspiracy, but closer inspection uncovers an entirely different animal.  There's all sorts of ground being covered on this record, from the freakout of 'Chocolate Angel' to the goofy and somehow incredibly fitting rendition of 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow'.  The strange and eerie sound of 'Long Years In Space' is a definite standout for me along with the show stealing 'Patterns', both of which feature a strong lead vocal from Dyan Hoffman.
The rest of the record is filled with enough driving fuzz, 12 string guitar, carnival organ bursts, and hazy mind bending textures to earn it a rave on this blog and a permanent space on the record shelf.  Original copies of the LP are becoming increasingly rare and expensive so of course we turn to Sundazed who provide an absolutely fabulous reissue...