Rare 1968 Orig KALEIDOSCOPE BEACON FROM MARS PSYCH
  $   110

 


$ 110 Sold For
Aug 22, 2010 Sold Date
Aug 17, 2010 Start Date
$   10 Start price
13   Number Of Bids
  USA Country Of Seller
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Description

1968 RARE ORIGINAL                                                     

                                            

        KALEIDOSCOPE               

          A Beacon From Mars

           

\                                     USA - yellow EPIC Records - BN 26333 - PROMO

 

Original "PROMOTIONAL"  1968 first pressing... a legendary psychedelic gem, the apex of high for the GREAT Kaleidoscope ...

Although Los Angeles-based, one spin of this record is to totally understand why Kaleidoscope were so heartily embraced in the San Francisco ballroom scene of the late sixties. The tracks are all extremely diverse, their sounds an emanation more befitting a gipsy caravan campfire than of that of American ethno-blues acidhead band locked in a windowless New York City recording studio. And what they produced was an album of songs whose only linked characteristics is the complete embrace of each stylistically different genre every song mines so deeply. Whether old-time blues, folk, psychedelia or Turkish instrumentation, they are all about as strongly dosed as the black coffee Kaleidoscope’s vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Solomon Feldthouse preferred at this time. “A Beacon From Mars” was their second album, and already they were getting hassled by their management, label and producers. The album’s intended title was “A Bacon From Mars” taken from a line they had written about ‘pigmeat from outer space’! Wanting none of their freakiness, Epic vetoed its use and it was one of the few demands met by the group. But for reasons unknown, they did provide them with an amazing, George-Hunter/Global Propaganda-ish cover depicting two ancient astronomers casting a beacon on a red and black earth from a few miles off the coast of Mars. It looks like turn-of-the-last-century sheet music, but the only fitting dance to this album would be a Mr. Natural-inspired shuffle down the boulevard, not some stiff-backed Victorian foxtrot.

Kaleidoscope at this point featured David Lindley (guitar), Solomon Feldthouse (vocals), Maxwell Buda (keyboards), Chris Darrow (bass) and John Vidican (drums). But they all switch gear throughout with an array of wonderful and un-rock stringed instruments at the ready. The ellpee opens with “I Found Out,” a “Fifth Dimension”-ish post-acid illumination, all country plunk of folk and fiddles over Feldthouse’s craggy, Ottomaniac vocals. The folk dial gets turned to Appalachia all the way up for the traditional “Greenwood Sidee,” a murder ballad that unfurls a tale of life, death and ghosts, the lyrics returning to the title’s haunted locale over snares that roll in perpetuity. Lindley plays not only his huge harp-guitar but joins Maxwell Buda on fiddle as well. “Life Will Pass You By” is a mass of fiddling and madly picked and strummed mandolins over the cautionary yet almost joyous vocals that warn “all that glitters is not gold.” “Taxim” follows, and is one of two recorded live-in-the-studio-with-no-overdubs centrepieces per side. An twelve-minute plus jammer that emerges slowly at first, and winds up building into an exotic Middle-Eastern patterning trance led by Feldthouse’s caz and oud playing. It’s about as big as all the countries Feldthouse drew musical influences from, and about as sensuous as a full moon harem. Side two is every bit as varied. “Bald-Headed End Of A Broom” is in the vein of Hot Tuna’s early “Keep on Truckin’,” with its goofball lyrics and good-timey guitar, trad arr as hell. The instrumental coda gets all zany and sped up at the end, followed by a cover of “Louisiana Man,” where a clutch of fiddles and down home singing illustrate uncomplicated Delta life, rendered slowly and steadily. After it ends the ethnic instruments are laid aside for the rest of side two. The blues-based “You Don’t Love Me” opens with Lindley’s fuzztone-fried guitar but the following epic, “A Beacon From Mars” takes “Smokestack Lightnin’” on a twelve minute plus, live-in-the-studio odyssey with no overdubs. You really get lost in this one if you’re not paying attention. Tiny guitar feedback squeaks and a Manzarek-like organ line signals for the rest of the band to falls in. Which they do, and no sooner does it pick up speed with high-pitched harmonica tweets, but it falls away far too soon. The “Stranger In Your City” segment is then hijacked by a long Lindley feedback solo and at times, his soaring feedback soliloquy is the only thing that revives the band back from ebb tide. The end features broken volume knob manipulations as the organ is switched between piano, harpsichord and back again. The band continually falls away, but always return when the vibe is right for them, as they’re playing musical chairs in an effort to freak you out. And they do: because when it all fades for the final time, you’re waiting for it to pick up again...only it doesn’t.

1. I Found Out
2. Greenwood Sidee
3. Life Will Pass You By
4. Taxim
5. Baldheaded End Of A Broom
6. Louisiana Man
7. You Don’t Love Me
8. Beacon From Mars

      

CONDITION: The cover: Reatins a solid feel, bright colors...has some light shelf wear, gets about a VG+ grade with no split seams, no bends, no writing. The back cover with group photo collage is clean without shelf wear and small EPIC Records promo stamp. The spine is very ledgible and centered, reads well.

The vinyl : both sides are glossy and having only very minor, nothing audible few light top surface scuffs. Visually clean VG++ playing even better, all enjoyable clean and should satisfy ...

       

      A cool addition to anyone's music library!

 

SEE: SELLERS OTher items for similar cool sounds for "head" people...

 

EFFICIENT/CAREFUL GRADING

All imperfections are noted both cover & record

  NOTE: All Items backed by  money back guarantee! IF you have a problem PLEASE let us solve for you BEFORE leaving ANY negative feedback. Thanks!   GRADING SCALE: M, M-, EX, VG++,VG+, VG, VG- M    Completely clean, no marks M-   Carefully used, looks clean, plays clean, shiny gloss, no marks EX   Faint scuff or superficial mark, near M-, high gloss, plays clean VG++ Glossy with minimal scuffing or light mark playing very nice, clean VG+ a bit more scuff or markls still plays well with very minimal surface at worse VG   more marks/scratches only minor, nothing deep, no loud clicks or pops         this grade is abused by many, VG here does not mean "trashed" VG-  surface noise present, will not have skips or jumps   SHIPPING:  (Attention: Items are sent out every Friday of each week)   USA:   $4.00 =  Media Mail = U.S.A / delivery confirmation included (add 1.00 each additional LP/disc)  $8.50 =  Priority = U.S.A. /delivery confirmation included. (add $1.00 each additional LP)   CANADA shipping is $8.50 AIRMAIL ...please add $1.50 for each additional LP MEXICO     shipping is $9.95 AIRMAIL ... please add $1.50 for each additional Lp   NOTE: Please wait until receipt of OUR invoice for proper shipping charges     ***To our international OVERSEAS customers*** Due to the increase in U.S.A. postal shipping rates, we are forced to restructure shipping charges. Please see chart below. It is our hopes to provide you with our best possible service and keeping your shipping costs as low as possible. We have had problems with many international shipping orders costing us more than actual (higher) charges; The more Lp's you get in one parcel, the better the shipping costs, so we urge you to take advantage that we will HOLD your purchases to save YOU on shipping costs. IMPORTANT: Pay each invoice you receive, and, if you wish, ask us to HOLD your order reach lowest shipping costs. We value ALL our customers and will continue to list MANY interesting "rare" 60's & 70's Lp's that we obtain in our constant search and travels over all parts of the U.S. Thank you for your continued interests.   International AIR MAIL shipping charges (all countries apply):   1 Lp   =  $14.00 2 Lp   =  $18.00 3 Lp's =  $24.00 4 Lp's =  $30.00 5 Lp's =  $36.00 6 Lp's =  $42.00 7 Lp's =  $45.00 8 Lp's =  $48.00 9 Lp's =  $51.00 10 Lp's = $54.00 11 Lp's = $57.00 12 Lp's = $60.00 13 Lp's = $63.00 14 Lp's = $66.00 15 Lp's = $69.00   MULTIPLE LP SETS COUNT EACH DISC FOR SHIPPING COST (double Lp count as 2-Lp, etc.)     Items In All Parcels Are Well Protected = The disc of an LP will always be separated from its cover (avoiding seam splits,etc)     ALL PAYMENTS SHOULD BE MADE WITHIN 5 DAYS Of AUCTIONS END Appropriate Feedback Is Left AFTER Yours Is Left   BIDDERS PLEASE = Do Not Bid If You Are Not Serious About  Following Through The Transaction!   ALL ITEMS GUARANTEED FOR WINNING BID - LESS SHIPPING!

 


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