THE ORANGE ALABASTER MUSHROOMSpace & Time: A Compendium of the Orange Alabaster Mushroom
(Hidden Agenda)
A former member of the Fiends and the 14th Wray, Kingston, Ontario's Gregory Watson is serious about his 60s psychedelia fetish. A compilation of singles, comp tracks and outtakes originally released on vinyl via London label Earthworm, Space & Time sounds like a long-lost Electric Prunes album. Watson is so fanatical about the period production he'll record with a boombox if he has to, which means that the fidelity of these tracks isn't exactly radio-ready. Get past the murk (you don't really need to understand the words for this music anyway) and you'll find a treasure chest of psychedelic garage doubloons. Tremelo and fuzz guitars, Farfisa organs and eccentric vocals abound, and Watson adds flavorful touches of sitar, violin, accordion and kazoo to spice things up. The obvious touchstones apply, especially Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd, and the tunes are undeniably derivative of their forefathers, but Watson is such a good songwriter and shows such passion for his chosen idiom that it doesn't really matter. "Sunny Day," "Your Face is in My Mind" and "Crazy Murray" are the kind of catchy pop tunes that will be covered in later years by bigger bands who'll no doubt pat themselves on the back for their hip taste in obscurities. "Rainbow Man," "Sydney's Electric Headcheese Sundial" and the band theme song "(We are) the Orange Alabaster Mushroom" trip out merrily and need no pharmeceuticals to aid in their appreciation. There's not a bad trip to be found here. Michael Toland [buy it]
