The Wizards From Kansas S/T Mercury 1970 (OG)

The Wizards From Kansas S/T Mercury 1970 (OG) CAT #SR61309

Previously discussed this here http://kclawrencevinyl.blogspot.com/search?q=wizards+of+kansas, but that copy is a cheap bootleg you can buy for $12 on eBay.

This copy isn't a bootleg, it's original. I never thought I'd see an original, let alone for the basement price of 49 cents at a local Vintage Stock. I could get into the ethics...maybe I should of told Vintage Stock about the album's value, but if they sold it for 49 cents, that means they gave someone even less to bring it into their store. So, if I should feel bad for anyone, it's the guy or girl who sold it to Vintage Stock.

Either way, I'm fine. I'm going to keep and cherish this LP. Sounds ten times better than the crummy bootleg and it's never leaving my collection.

Full Album

Morningstarr Virgin Lover B/W If I Didn't Want to See You Anymore Lion Records 1969

Morningstarr Virgin Lover B/W If I Didn't Want to See You Anymore Lion Records 1969 CAT# L-45-1003

This is the very same band that went on to become Morningstar and record two albums for Columbia in the late-70s...Well, mostly the same, give or take a few members, or all but one. Initially members were in the KC band, 19th Century Sound Affair, but broke off to to form a heavy psych cover band before coming upon the name, Morningstarr (the pic sleeve of this actually says, Morning Starr) in the late 60's. The group was spotted by former White Sox short stop, Lou Rennau, who took them in to record for his Lion Records label out of Columbia, Missouri. Rennau also had some connections with Topeka band, The Morning Dew, and was a musician himself.

"Virgin Lover" is a pretty bizarre psych nugget and an original by Morningstarr member, Greg Soto. The groove is right, feels 1969 with a bit of British influence. The lyrics and the idea of a Virgin Lover are a bit off putting, though. Like if that's what you're seeking out, you're kind of a creep, you know?

The flip side, "If I Didn't Want to See You Anymore" was actually a song intended for the prior band, 19th Century Sound Affair. It's actually co-written by Larry Sands who fronted the 19th Century. The track features the band's female singer, Melissa Mendenhall. It has a nice baroque-pop sound and not as heavy as "Virgin Lover." Both tracks are solid.

The release earned the band enough attention to open some shows for Led Zeppelin. Due to the travel associated with being in a band, Mendenhall would quit. But, the band trudged on for a decade. Legend states that it was this early stuff that brought them to Columbia records almost decade latter. The Columbia exec that signed the band had seen the band 7 years prior to signing them, which would have been a lineup similar to the one featured on this 45 versus the group that cut Columbia LPs.

Virgin Lover

Truth of Truths Oak Records 1971

Truth of Truths Oak Records 1971 CAT# OR1001

This is a pretty extravagant and ambitious rock-opera, double LP put out in 1971 by Oak Records. It seems the main force behind the album is a Texan, Ray Ruff, who founded a couple of labels and had a few 45 releases way back when. What brings it to this blog though is the inclusion of some of Val Stoecklien's last released work. While he wouldn't take his own life until 1993 and was known to be cutting demos up until that time, none of those demos have seen the light of day. The six tracks featured here pretty much conclude his catalog along with his contributions to Ecology's Environment/Evolution as a songwriter (pulled along by Ruff).

The reason for Val's inclusion on this LP is Ruff along with arranger, Dick Hieronymus. Both Ruff and Hieronymus worked on Stoecklein's solo effort, The Grey Life. Apparently, they believed in him enough to take him along on any release he was willing to work on.

As a whole, the rock opera is surprisingly good. Again, the primary forces were the same that worked on The Grey Life, so you had pros working on a release for a small label, perhaps past their prime and a bit too willing go in any direction, it's a varied release that hops from psychedelic soul, to gospel, to some straight psych freak outs and back to commonplace pop sounds of 1971, but it works and has it's highlights. It is of course over the top religious. The album predictably separates it's story into the "Old Testament" and the "New Testament". Like most things Christian, it takes what it wants from the Torah and the Holy Bible and only sounds focused when going into the Gospels. It also features a deep voice over when G-d speaks on the album which is trite and stupid.

Album comes with a pretty nifty insert lyric sheet.

Stoecklein's tracks are interesting. His arrangement on "Joseph, Beloved Son of Israel" is jangly and very Blue Things-esque. His adaptation and arrangement of "The Ten Commandments" is bizarre and more of a filler on the LP. However, the following track, "Song of the Children of Israel (Exodus)" is stunning and beautiful, despite that the song should be a party-track (freed from Egypt, here, man) there's a definite sadness that touches on his work as a solo-artist. The following track, "David to Bathsheba" is centered around a pretty odd Biblical story and it's odd to find it somewhere like this album. The tune dripping in sappiness and works in the sense that a Eric Carmen song is kind of enjoyable, but you sense it was a track Val had put away for another purpose but  transformed into something he found in the Bible, making it a feel awkward. His track, "The Last Supper," is sparse and continues with the melancholy feel of most his tracks found here, it's also surprisingly true to the Gospels, so good job on the source materiel, Val. His final track featured on the LP is entitled "Resurrection," so you know it's near the end of the album. It's a pretty uplifting jam, arranged by someone and only written by Stoecklein, it features a bunch of horns, bells and strings along with a female lead vocalists, so it's not easy to identify it as something Stoecklien would have done, but it's solid.

Joseph, Beloved Son of Israel

Bulbous Creation You Won't Remember Dying Numero Group 2014

Bulbous Creation You Won't Remember Dying Numero Group 2014 CAT# NUM1227

A now legendary story surrounds this release and the first thing to point out when telling it is that this album was never actually "released."

It seems the tunes are primarily the brainchild of Prairie Village, KS native Paul Parkinson.  He returned home from tour in Vietnam, put together this band and they cut an album's worth of dark, boogie-rock in Independence, Missouri's Cavern Studios circa 1970.  The band didn't stay together long enough to put out any sort of private release.  Further, they probably didn't hand out many demos of the group's sound.

Despite the fact that band would have only played a handful of shows and demos were probably limited to a few friends of the band, the gloom and doom of the recordings got heard.  Those that did hear even snippets of the groups work were likely overwhelmed by not only all the dark, satanic references, but the band's adept psych rock arrangement.  The songs were recorded in the Cavern, so there's a echo and basement feel to everything.  The tunes go from the morose, war-damaged opener, "End of the Page", to basic blues-rock based psych and stoner jams.  It occasionally borders on Sabbath inspired proto-metal, but the real surprise is the lyrical themes and content: 1970's suburban Kansas is not the place you'd expect to find a group tackling topics like death and drug use, but this band went one-step further titling a song "Satan."  It's all very war-damaged and serves as a reminder to what these young guys like this were dealing with when coming back from Vietnam.

In 1995, 8 of the Bulbous Creation songs were issued on Rockadelic Records (same label that issued a Wizards of Kansas posthumous release of Cavern recorded tracks).  It was unauthorized release and doesn't sound that great, but it represented Bulbous Creation's first release 20 years after it recorded the material.

The Rockadelic become somewhat of a collector's LP as it soon went out of print and word spread on the band.  In 2001 Paul Parkinson passed away.  It's reported that while going through his belongings, his brother found a complete copy of the Bulbous Creation LP, previously, the Rockadelic material was thought to be it, but 2 additional tracks were unearthed.  So there you have it, 10 songs, representing a single band's short-lived existence, now released officially 44 years after it was initially recorded; that's legendary.

Check out the tunes.

Cavern Sound Local Customs Compilation Numero Group 2014

Cavern Sound Local Customs Compilation Numero Group 2014 CAT #b054

The Numero Group, despite their location in Chicago, is quickly becoming my favorite local record abel.  First, the Eccentric Soul comp for the Forte Label, the Titan box set, several 45s (that I have yet to pick up), and now this amazing collection of fuzzed out, acid drenched, rockers from the Kansas City area all of which were recorded at the Cavern in Independence, Missouri.  Granted, not all tracks are garage rockers, but of the 24 tracks, most are.

I've discussed the Cavern before, it's an actual cave in Independence that was turned into a recording studio.  A number of regional labels used the facility to record their groups, Pearce being the main one featured here along with several other labels and few private press items.  It's a cool story, no doubt, but reading Numero Groups extensive liners you'd think the thing was on legendary status.  I think it's more of a fond memory here in KC, but, that's cool, let all the out of towners think our 60's weren't square, we were just a bunch of hippies and stoners recording shit in a cave.

It's an insanely well packaged set, an extensive booklet with notes on all the bands, heavyweight packaging with info on the Cavern on the inside, and two 180 gram discs to enjoy.  As stated, mostly covers on what is now termed garage-rock, from the pop end to the acid psych end of it, but there's a few oddballs in there that don't fit any billing.  Each selected track is worth paying attention to and I've gave my rundown below:

Pretty-Mustache in Your Face  This band is rad enough to lead the set off and also have a double 7" released by Numero.  The original 7" features a crazy label with the center hole as the mouth of a face drawn around it.  It's a legend around town, but does show up from time to time.  The group was highly psychedelic in the vein of 13th Floor Elevators, which given the vast array of teen bands in the 60's isn't surprising, but for dudes from Kansas City, pretty far out.  The song is a scorcher.

Fraight-One Girl  Hey, something from Manhattan, KS, how about that.  Thinking about it, it would have been pretty long trek from Manhattan to Independence as the K7 highway didn't even exist at the time, you had to back road the trip until you reached KC.  The band was probably hot-shit at K-State, but I would think that's like be being the best ice skater from Australia.  Not that big of deal.  Decent harmonies, but stuck in a swamp of 60s pop sounds.

American Sound Ltd.-Aunt Marie  The founder of this band was from Granby, Missouri before gigging in KC, then getting shipped off to war.  Upon his return to KC, he founded this band.  This track is pumped full of blue-eyed soul and horns.  It's a killer track, with a sweet vocal on the chorus.  It's similar to the Chicago's and Blood, Sweat, and Tears of the world but this is such an undeniable dance track, it's a killer.

The Classmen-Doin' Me Right  The drummer of this band looks like he's 12 years old in the photo, but the singer has some definite age to him.  This was a family band of brothers from Independence, MO and dad controlled the show.  It's a nice little blue-eyed, soul ballad.  The singers baritone (or attempt at it) clashes well with the boys in the back shouting out a falsetto chorus.

Jaded-Lovin' You's Blues  Folky-psych sounds from a group of Kansas City Insurance employees.  It's got some tripped out effects on a flute and a dark subject matter, surprising that these guys thought people would be into something this dark around KC.

Larry Sands & The Sound Affair-You'll Know the Words  Kansas City based band, this is a spaced out attempt at country rock, falling in the middle and leaning towards neither.  That's not a bad thing as it just kind of floats in space with light whispered vocals and guitar effects floating all over.

Sheriff-I Don't Really Love You  Cool, upbeat pop sounds.  Singer has a nice Midwestern twang he brings to his vocals.  This could have easily been a hit in any state, just a good pop song.

Tide-I Wish it Had Ended That Way  Lawrence, KS band with a gritty rock sound and a very clumsy chorus.  It's a decent track, but could have had a bigger bottom and maybe some more stoner rock tossed in.

Bulbous Creation-The End of the Page  Extremely dark, psych folk from a Prairie Village,KS Vietnam vet.  Numero Group is re-releasing the sole album by this band...it's so un-Prairie Village I'll have to save my breath and talk about it when I grab a copy.  Very interesting story as the album wasn't released until the group's creative force, Paul Parkinson, was found dead in his home.  His brother found the acetate of his Cavern recordings and was smart enough to let people hear it.

Mulligan-Think Before You Leave  This band actually is from Tennessee, story indicates they were kicked out of their studio by Elvis Presley and told to drive to Missouri for a session?  In actuality, not that far, but still, really?  This can't be true.  Not a bad rock sound soaked in Nashville country-soul.

Montaris-7 And 7 Is  This was a Plattsburg, MO band that plow through Love's 7 And 7 Is.  Considering Love wasn't a huge hit almost everywhere outside of San Francisco, CA, these dudes had to be the coolest guys in Plattsurg back in their day.

Stone Wall-Living Today  Not to be confused with the obscure garage rockers from Indiana, these kids were from Shawnee Mission and the surrounding Kansas City area.  Pretty fantastic track with huge high and lows.  Great guitar work, pretty killer mid-tempo garage rock.

Morningstar-Little By Little  Before becoming an unoriginal, major-label, pomp-rock band Morningstar could do some garage rave-ups.  Female vocals with wound up sound, it's the best thing the band ever did.  Granted, only one member from this line-up makes it to crap-Morningstar, but the band's history just got a million times cooler for me.

Baxters' Chat-Love's Other Other Side  Great name for a band from Baxter Springs, KS, eh?  The bands teenage dance garage was released on two singles by the Pearce label, this song isn't killer, but it's got a nice pop-psych sound.

Burlington Express-One Day Girl (Twenty Four)  Decent garage pop out of Topeka, Kansas.  The band photo shows some shaggy hair kids, but they were trying to go at the mod scene (they are dressed spiffy).  Of note, the band once opened for the Who and featured Greg Gucker who later performed in a band called White Clover who later gave way Kansas.  However, Gucker didn't make the cut and was never featured on a Kansas LP to my knowledge.

The Reaction-In My Grave  This is pure garage rock greatness.  Amateur-hour, stagnated guitar solos, organ riffs, and drum banging, it's perfect.  Their band photo doesn't make them look half as cool as this song, but these were Jr. High kids from Rolla, MO, what do you expect?

21st Century Sound Movement-Feelin' Down  Great band name for sure, these dudes were from the Hickman Mills area of KC.  Pretty psychedlized scorcher with some nifty fuzz guitar thrown in.

The Dantes-Any Number Can Win There's a band photo in the extended liners to this comp and these guys look young...but, the liners also indicate some of the members had graduated from KU.  The band was formed at Shawnee Mission High, so from the Kansas side and do some somewhat psychedelic raving, but nothing shocking.

Larry Sands & the Sound Affair-If I Didn't Want to See You Anymore  Pretty wimpy folk-pysch with an out of place heavy bottom that includes a dark organ and some nice vocal harmonies.

Fraight-William Jones  This is dark and moody, a bit boring, but interesting given the time period.  It's slow, but not in a ballad style, just kind of a creepy tune with drawn out lyrics and harmonies.

The Classmen-Any Old Time   It's decent enough garage pop, nothing that really jumps out on the tune.  It's pleasant enough for pop radio and has a lo-fi aesthetic to it.

Jaded-The King Was  Tons of effects and wah-wah guitar.  Heavy into the pyschedelic scene as well.  As with the other tune featured by the band, it was never released officially, only acetates were cut.

The Dantes-She's Part of Me  Yawn, 60's ballad style stuff.  The band's panty dropper and slow dance original.  Does have a nice soul inspired moment though with some blue-eyed yearning.

A.J. Rowe-Smoke My Pipe (The Sign Ain't Right)  Kind of mystery man, but this is pretty awesome.  Sparse, lo-fi, funk work out with off-the-wall lyrics and attitude.  The 7" it was featured on is out there, approximately 1000 exist and was funded and put out by Rowe himself.

The Morning Dew No More B/W Look At Me Now Fairyland Records 1967

The Morning Dew No More B/W Look At Me Now Fairyland Records 1967 CAT# F-51567

Pretty stoked to come across this at a thrift store.  The Morning Dew were a Topeka group of teenagers caught up in the garage rock scene.  Like other Kansas bands of their time, they weren't reliant on the snappy tunes of the Beatles to fill out their sound, they wanted to be sure to keep their Midwest roots.  This band, at least on this record, focused their sound around Dylan's Highway 61 and fuzzed out guitars.  Similar to what Texas band, Mouse and the Traps, were doing down South.

The result on this 45 is decent.  Both songs were penned by band leader, Mal Robinson.  The record was pressed by a regional label in Columbia, Missouri, called Fairyland.  Apparently, despite an actual deal with Fairyland, the band footed their own bills to put it out.  The band paid for recording and 2000 of these records to pressed.  Fairyland took it to radio and attempted to distribute copies regionally, only 500 were reported to stay in the Topeka area for purchase.

The A-Side, "No More", must have caught onto some extent.  The band was able to tour the Midwest on it's airplay and open some pretty big shows locally.  It's got a crunchy rhythm, but twee in comparison to the Dylan sound they were after, it does have a stellar guitar solo drenched in fuzz and psychedelia thrown in.  The B-Side, "Look At Me Now" is decent, in fact, compared to the crap that ends up on most obscure garage rock singles, it's fantastic.  It's definitely the band's panty-dropper as it's over the top with teenage heartbreak.  It's got a nifty fuzz guitar break and draws heavily a R&B/doo-wop influence that was filtered down to the Topeka natives by the British Invasion.

The 45 is sought after by garage collectors, but not to the extent psych collectors hunt the band's obscure 1970 Roulette full length.  The LP will bring in excess of $500 if you can find a copy.  There's a bootleg out there, though, if it's something you got to have.

No More

The Blue Things Listen & See! RCA 1966

The Blue Things Listen & See! RCA 1966 LSP-3603

This is an original stereo copy of this LP I recently picked up.  I've already talked about it's greatness on a reissue copy I have.  This just kind of displays the sickness of record collecting.  The reissue is fine, it plays clean, it's quiet, but it'll never be as good as finding an original item.  While I'd prefer a copy in mono copy (more proof collecting records is a sickness and not a hobby) I leaped at the chance to purchase this.

Admittedly, the reissue copy I have is nothing to write home about it.  I have a feeling the thing was sourced from a CD rather than the original masters.  The music on this original leaps off the stereo, parts of the reissue seem a bit buried and not as alive.  So despite what may seem like an unneeded investment, I'm pretty happy about it (even with some surface noise in the dead wax and quieter passages).

Anyway, I picked up this legendary Hays, KS band from a kid in Olathe, KS.  He's a pretty young guy (maybe in his 20's), but he runs a booth at an Olathe antique mall called Green Expressions where I've spent some time digging.  Actually, on a whim I picked up the Cole Hunter 7" there and it turns out it's his brother.  My dad has gotten to know the kid and was telling me about how he went to his house once and dug through some stuff.  Awhile back, I had found some really killer stuff at his booth and the store employee told me the guy was talking about 800 records he had picked up and planned to bring in soon.  Considering I was pretty happy with the purchases I made, I called my dad and asked if he could hook up a visit to the dude's house.

My old man came through and we went over.  He showed us what he was willing to part with (there wasn't anywhere near 800 records) and showed us a crate that was "special" for a party at the antique mall and mentioned he wasn't willing to sell those records, yet.  Needless to say, I flipped through that crate.  This Blue Things LP was just staring at me so I had to ask if he'd part with it early.  He sold it to me cheap and explained his philosophy, he'll take the quick nickel instead of holding out for the right guy to show up at an Olathe antique mall to give him the slow dime.

I was stoked and thought I should shout about his spot in Olathe (which my dad would prefer a secret).  He sells some good records, nothing seems to exceed a $20 price point.  He's having a party at GREEN EXPRESSIONS out in the parking lot on May 30th with a bunch of new records to flip through.  If you like records, you should go...seriously, good prices on a lot of things.  He's got an absurd amount of Zeppelin records people should buy.

Blue Things-Girl of the North Country

Mystic Number National Bank Self Titled Command/ABC/Probe 1969

Mystic Number National Bank Self Titled Command/ABC/Probe 1969 CAT# CPLPS 4501

Oddly obscure Kansas City heavy psych band.  Very blues based, riding in on the style of Cream, with tons of pedals and effects to make up for the fact that they didn't feature the same level of talent.  Apparently, outside of some super obscure local 7"s, this is the entire output of the band.

Kind of head stractcher.  The whole package is strange.  It was put out by ABC's Command label which was mainly an output label for Enoch Light and released tons of easy listening and lounge albums throughout the 60's.  The label was heavily focused on recording techniques which might explain a the absurd amount of studio effects used on this album.  They weren't really known to release rock records.  They were also thrown on ABC's Probe label, which was focused on International success and progressive groups.  The gatefold LP also has a die-cut feature in which you can open up the vault to see the band.  Overall, it just seems like a lot of money to dump into a debut LP.

The inner gatefold does have some liner notes written by John Arnoldy of the band.  He says what everyone knows about the Kansas City area growing up, "Childhood was boring."  But, there's a brief KC history of the band, some members joined the army and others attended the Kansas City Art Institute until the band was signed and tried out San Francisco.  But, outside of that, there's not a lot of info out there on this band.

The album isn't bad.  It isn't great either.  Between 1969 and say, 1971, there was a ton of bands doing this sound.  The LP hasn't gone unnoticed, there was a German reissue done and people champion some of the tunes that are into obscure heavy blues rock from this era.  However, the production isn't as raw and threw in some horn arrangements as likely bid for radio play.  It doesn't blow you away with heavy psych sounds.  There is a few tunes though that are worth checking out, namely "Beautician Blues."  Apparently the lead singer, Glenn Walters stuck around in San Fran, gigged in some other bands and made a career singing for commercials and movie soundtracks.

Blues So Bad & Beautician Blues

The Wizards From Kansas S/T Mercury 1970

The Wizards From Kansas S/T Mercury 1970 CAT# SR 61309 Repress

Very cool, hyper obscure LP from a Lawrence, KS, college band that headed West in the late 1960's for fame only to break up.  However, before doing so, they were able to record their sole album and despite disbanding before it came out, Mercury still released it.  Of course, with no band to promote the album it faded into hyper-obscurity only to be discovered years later and hailed as a lost psych classic.

The band first formed in Lawrence, KS as college students from the KC area.  They were first called the New West then a Californian joined the band and they became Pig Newton which was followed by Pig Newton & the Wizards from Kansas.  As Pig Newton, they gigged locally and were able to tour the East Coast landing a gig at the Fillmore East.  That show put the band in front of major labels, most of which they turned down for lack of funds and control.  Eventually, they agreed to sign with Mercury under the notion the they would have almost complete creative control.  However, Mercury was able to convince the band to drop Pig Newton from the name.

With Mercury footing the bill, the band went to San Francisco to be at the epicenter of the American psych scene and record their debut album.  The album feeds off the likes of Jefferson Airplane, Quicksilver Messenger Service, A Beautiful Day and the Grateful Dead.  With the exception of Quicksilver, they album is far more country orientated than contemporaries.  The Wizards excelled at using the spatial aspect of country music, the drawn out phrasing and "high lonesome sound" are used to great affect.  Other bands took the twang only, the Wizards had plenty of twang, too, and they combined it almost effortlessly with the psychedelic sounds of the time.

It was a strong debut LP, promising original material with well thought out covers.  There are genuine highlights like "Hey Mister" and "Misty Mountainside", which are just as classic as any gems from their psych contemporaries.  There's also the hippy-dippy track, "912 1/2 Mass.", which is clearly a reference to the band's college town of Lawrence, KS.   Mass. St. being being the  main strip for both college kids and townies.  At the address named now sits a large bank building, not sure what would have been there in the 1960's, early 1970's.

912 1/2 Mass.
Hey Mister
Misty Mountainside