The Helpful Soul • The Helpful Soul First Album (Victor, 1970)

Doppelgangers', perhaps the most misunderstood of whatever deity runs this plane of existence. All they want is to use something original to pattern itself after, then prove that it's just as good - or even better. Sad things, never seem to get it right...A dogs front paws aren't turned inward, no mater how much of an improvement that would be over nature...humans have four fingers and a thumb, where three fingers would be more aesthetically pleasing...with that in mind, let us investigate tonight's LP "The Helpful Soul • First Album" 1970. Where most Japanese rock is colorful for it's taking a western art form and making it meld with a different sensibility, The Helpful are a bar band who just can't get it right. Plodding rhythms, a drummer who isn't paying attention, the bass and guitar not being introduced properly. But best of it is the vocalist. If you thought Lawrence Hammond of Mad River was singing his way through a hot foot, then Junio Nakahara is suffering from shaken front man syndrome. And how The Helpful solder on through what is basically a covers's album. The lone original song "Peace For Fools" starts out in the middle of When The Music's Over, and ends with the main riff from Ina Godda Davida being played over and over! What you get outside of that is over long blues songs, and 3 Hendrix covers. Hendrix, not unlike The Beatles, is so idiosyncratic that covers rarely work. Yet, because the band is so sub par, that saves the performances. There is something fun hearing "Virtuoso" music being knocked down to the masses. One would think from my above words that I don't like the band. Nothing could be further from the truth. It's incompetent, but great! The drums plod away, The guitar player is convinced that he's better than he is, and the bass isn't on speaking terms with the rest of the band. Oh, and that singer, quaking away at the mike! The overall effect if like Idiot Ambiance. I find when I put on the CD, I can't think about anything but what I'm doing at the moment. many an operation was performed quickly, saving the client money and their life...

Thanks must be made to Julian Cope for coming up with a little more information about the band. See his website WWW.japrocksampler.com

Please click on the review title for sample track: Peace For Fools

George Stavis • Labyrinths: Occult Improvisational Compositions for 5+string banjo and "percussion" (Vanguard, 1969)

Not too long ago my office had a visit from two distraught parents. Their little girl had died a few days previous and were convinced that she was becoming a zombie so they held off burial. Sadly it was not transformation that was taking place, but that of common rigor mortise. Sooner than appreciate what they had, no matter how simple, her passing was blown well out of proportion.

And that brings us to this evenings album: Labyrinths • Occult Improvisational Compositions for 5-string banjo and "percussion". A fine wonderful work it is, just banjo and "percussion" stretched out over 5 tracks. If there was any overdubbing, I could not tell. The improvisations didn't come across as self indulgent, giving the impression that there was more composition involved.

The playing is in the John Fahey style, a little Raga, a lot of Jump Blues. This hybrid of styles comes together beautifully on the albums lone cover, "My favorite things". Perhaps the only alchemy that is taking place is the melding of Western style with Eastern playing, as at times Stavis's banjo sounds more like a koto. But surely this isn't a art learned from the occult as professed on the back cover. Then where is the Magick? There is nothing here that suggests anything of the unspoken arts. A good album, one of down home, be it either Virginia or Kobe. Like the above mentioned parents, accept it for what it is, not what it seems to be.

Please click on the reviews title for sample track: Firelight

composed and realized by Ruth White • Flowers Of Evil: An electronic setting of the poems of Charles Baudelaire (Limelight, 1969)

There are many things that one wish would remain buried. The Greater Hairy Clawed Yamutho comes to mind, with it's ability to come back seemingly to life after one severs the head. Of course it's the parasitic male, much smaller than the female, nestled in the females armpit pouch that really controls the body. Then there are others that the injustice of obscurity is being performed on. The album "Flowers Of Evil: composed and realized by Ruth White • An electronic setting of the poem of Charles Baudelaire" falls into this category.

Over a bed of electronics that go from serious to exploitation in the same track, Mrs. White reads the poems of Baudelaire not unlike a dispassionate Dalek. One could do this after all, it was the 60's where anythings possible. It's hard to imagine something like this being released today on a major label, or major label's subsidiary without either the lack of originality style dropping as a healthy tribute or trying to make a ironic joke out of the whole thing.

But I digress from the actual sounds...there are nine tracks where either her voice is the primary instrument (double tracked, with minimal Moog back round) or full, thick electronic workouts. A reference point would be the Fifty Foot Hose song "Cauldron". The Hose were also on Limelight, a label who released a whole slew of avant garde albums, that regretfully have to see the light of legitimate release. Yes, this is a bootleg, but it was made with care. From the accurate reproduction of the record cover, to the mastering off an LP. There may be a few pops and clicks here and there (lightly noticeable when listening through headphones) but you ignore these things.

And what about Ruth White? From what I could find online, she makes children's educational records, not unlike Bruce Haack did. But where he excelled at a sort of Kiddie Concret, she is very much of the Radiophonic Workshop school. There is plenty of 12 tone scale construction, and dentist drill sounds to keep this firmly rooted in spooky atmosphere.

Please click on review title for sample track: Spleen.

From the desk of Dr Lovecraft.

Dear friends,

I bid you a warm greeting.

Many a time I have found myself looking up at the cosmos, with it's planets spinning in chaotic orbit. Their movements perceived as order, but the hinges of the machine built by others who have long left and taken the instructions (if any were ever written) back with them. And at these moments I would look through my collection of music to play, only to come back more confused than when I started my query.

It is at these times I would wish for some sort of guide. Just as one has for what wine to serve with wood louse. Taking the problem in my hands, I have decided to give aid to those who are at a loss as how to add to their sonic experience. You will find in this blog, what I hope will be helpful in sifting through some the music that is available to our terrestrial ears.

There will be links added to the reviews, this will consist of one track for I feel unethical if I give away a whole album. Hopefully the one cut I select will intrigue you enough to search for it's respective sides. All you will have to do is click on the reviews title, and the track will be available.

I remain,

Dr. Lovecraft.