ABUNAI! - THE MYSTIC RIVER SOUND
The conceit behind this album is that it is a compilation of the purveyors of the 'Mystic River Sound,' a mythical sub-genre of psychedelia much like the San Francisco Sound or the Canterbury scene. But whereas those examples were defined by both time and place, that of Abunai! is regarded as a current running subtly through all the underground rock music of the last thirty-five years. Thus, the album's fictional bands include not only those from the classic acid-rock era of the late Sixties, but also Madchester group The Red Baise and the garage punk of North End Molasses Disaster. On one hand, the album is a failure, for although it is always possible to hear the genre Abunai! claim for the origin of each song, you're never in any doubt that it is all the work of a single band. However, they have so admirably succeeded in creating a masterpiece of neo-psych that such a criticism is churlish. The standout tracks are those on which the band adhere most closely to their own style (as exemplified by their previous album, 'Universal Mind Decoder'), which might be described as Hawkwind jamming with Country Joe & the Fish on the songs of Fairport Convention. Meanwhile, the compilation concept is best realised in the sleeve-notes, which gently parody the tone of those found in so many collector's releases and understand the importance of a 'scene' to musical mythology, something which has sadly declined in the age of global communication.

DONOVAN'S BRAIN - THE GREAT LEAP FORWARD
Although Donovan's Brain are primarily a vehicle for Ron Sanchez, an acid rock veteran who was responsible for introducing Man to John Cipollina, the most interesting tracks here come from his occasional collaborators. The songs written by Sanchez himself are by and large weak, and certainly not supported by his anaemic vocals. However, as one would suspect from somebody of his pedigree, his mastery of texture is superlative and it is the instrumental work which maintains interest when the songs are lacking. In this he is certainly helped by the presence of former members of Help Yourself Richard Treece and Ken Whaley, a British counterpart to the Jorma Kaukonen-Jack Casady axis, whose recorded output remains far too small. Treece is a psychedelic guitarist second-to-none and on 'Cloud Maker' he turns out one of the finest solos of his career, quite stunning in its melodic innovation. 'Cloud Maker' also happens to be the best song on the album, and proof that whilst Sanchez' own compositions may be wanting, all is not lost. It was written by guitarist Coltern Langan, who also contributes the effective 'All Over the World,' whilst bassist Jeffrey Arnsten adds the eerie 'Crystal Palace.' It is their raising of the general standard which makes 'The Great Leap Forward' a worthwhile purchase, although anybody with a serious interest in acid rock should own it for Treece's involvement alone.

ERNIE GRAHAM - UNTITLED
Recorded with those great bands Brinsley Schwarz and Help Yourself, the latter of which Graham was briefly a member, this album is almost a distillation of their finest moments. Stylistically, it is that same evocation of West Coast acid country Anglicised with a hint of the bucolic melancholy of native folk. Graham's vocals are a Dylanesque drawl, occasionally straying close to parody, but thoroughly compensating for it with the sheer beauty of the melodies. The standout track, 'The Girl That Turned the Lever,' may have an inauspicious title but it is best described as Guy Clark's 'Desperadoes Waiting For a Train' performed by Crosby, Stills and Nash. A majority of tracks come very close to matching its splendour, particularly 'For a Little While' and 'Sea Fever,' and whilst all are wonderful songs in their own right, they are elevated to true greatness by sensitive instrumental arrangements. Every piece is subtly layered, with new aspects revealed on every successive listening, much as one finds with David Crosby's masterpiece 'If Only I Could Remember My Name.' The guitar work of Richard Treece is wondrous as ever, recalling Haight-Ashbury legends such as Jerry Garcia and Barry Melton, especially on 'Blues for Snowy' which has a very acidic edge. The only false note is the concluding track, 'Belfast,' an attempt to emulate traditional Irish music for a song about the Troubles. As Graham was Irish, you can hardly blame him for trying, but he doesn't quite pull it off. The bonus tracks, meanwhile, although not as interesting as the album itself, are undoubtedly worthy. Taken from a single released in 1978 and including a cover of Phil Lynott's 'Romeo and the Lonely Girl,' by this time Graham sounds to be taking his influence from Graham Parker, but with members of the Rumour as his backing band he has a certain credibility, and it is never less than good fun.

THE GRAVENITES-CIPOLLINA BAND - MONKEY MEDICINE
Known by various names in their time, including Nickelsilver and Thunder & Lightning, this is the only official recorded legacy of a band who served as a sporadic medium for Cipollina's talents throughout the Eighties, until his untimely death in the last year of that decade. However, they were primarily a blues rock band and anybody hoping for a West Coast classic is going to be disappointed. Having said that, some concessions are made to his former acid excess. A cover of the Quicksilver classic 'Pride Of Man' so slavishly adheres to the original as to be redundant, but 'Bad Luck Baby' brims over with that unique, quavering guitar. Ironically, the lead on the album's most psychedelic effort, the instrumental 'Small Walk-In Box,' is performed in the majority by Nick Gravenites, although it is none the less interesting for that. Gravenites also possesses an exemplary voice for white blues, but whilst it is satisfying in small measures, the surfeit of twelve-bars throughout the album would all fade into one were it not for Cipollina's soloing. Ultimately, Cipollina's latter day legacy is best displayed on other releases (Terry & the Pirates, for example) but this album will doubtless yield pleasure to all those for whom he remains amongst the most innovative of guitarists.

THE GREEN PAJAMAS - NORTHERN GOTHIC
This is quite possibly the finest album the Green Pajamas have released and those fortunate enough to be familiar with their oeuvre will appreciate just how great an accolade this is. For the benighted souls not yet acquainted with the majesty of this band, there is no better starting point. As with 'This Is Where We Disappear,' it marks a move away from the psych-pop of their earlier albums and the Beatles comparisons with which lazy critics so often tar them cease to be appropriate. The material is darker, perhaps increasingly reflecting Jeff Kelly's obsession with all things Gothic, particularly Emily Bronte and Christina Rossetti. Kelly has also said that it is a loose concept album based on the landscape of the Pacific Northwest, and if my impression of that place (mostly gathered from Twin Peaks!) is accurate, then he has admirably accomplished his task, for I can scarcely think of a better soundtrack to such terrible beauty. Indeed, the final track 'Bleak Are the Bells' even subtly recalls the contributions of Julee Cruise to David Lynch's masterpiece. Yet despite this bleaker hue, it is no less melodic than the Pajamas fan has come to expect, and stands as a fine evocation of what Tom Rapp called 'constructive melancholy.' Again as is fitting for its subject matter, the songwriting takes its example from the traditions of American music and it is possible to hear a correspondence with other artists from the northern reaches of that continent such as Neil Young or the Jayhawks. This is also an album on which Kelly fully unleashes his incandescent guitar work. Neil Young's name springs to mind once more, but so too do those of Barry Melton and John Cipollina, Jerry Garcia and Jorma Kaukonen. For anybody who feels that there simply weren't enough albums to come out of San Francisco in the Sixties, I suggest they seek solace here.

FERN KNIGHT - MUSIC FOR WITCHES AND ALCHEMISTS
Hailing from Philadelphia, currently one of the epicentres of the new acid-folk scene and featuring backing from various members of its foremost collective, Espers, Fern Knight is a venture unafraid of announcing its intentions. If the project moniker itself does not sufficiently evoke an atmosphere of eerie medieval mysticism, then surely the album title cannot fail. Nor is it particularly surprising to learn that the track 'Marble Grey' is inspired by Arthur Machen's masterpiece of weird fiction 'The White People.' This track is perhaps the album's centrepiece, the minor cello riff and insistent vocal refrain haunting the listener as effectively as any supernatural presence. Despite all this, there is an undeniable warmth to 'Music for Witches and Alchemists.' Much of this derives from Margie Wienk's vocals which are certainly less stark than fellow travellers such as Sharron Kraus or Jana Hunter, and is emphasised by the recurrent presence of an accordion. The arrangements on the whole are particularly sensitive and layered, with mouth harp lending a bounciness to 'W. Memphis' and frequent interjections from Greg Weeks' immediately recognisable lead guitar. Meanwhile, the opening track 'A Song for Ireland' recalls touchstones of Seventies folk-rock opulence, Mellow Candle and Midwinter. Perhaps the album does tail off somewhat towards the end, with the melodies growing less distinct. This is a small criticism, however, and 'Music for Witches and Alchemists' represents an essential addition to the burgeoning acid-folk revival.

HORSES - HORSES
It is difficult to thoroughly appreciate this album on initial listening, due to a rather flat production which masks its charms, although it does have value beyond its reputation as a curio. Horses are perhaps best known, in so far as this can be said of an album so obscure, as a footnote in the history of the Grateful Dead. Bassist David Torbert would later play with New Riders of the Purple Sage, and together with guitarist Matt Kelly and drummer Chris Herold, form the nucleus of Kingfish, Bob Weir's mid-Seventies solo vehicle. Certainly the album portends the Kingfish sound, despite the musicians acting, to all intents and purposes, as session men for the John Carter-Tim Gilbert songwriting team, who'd previously found success penning 'Incense and Peppermints' for the Strawberry Alarm Clock. Anybody anticipating a reprise of such pysch-pop, however, will be disappointed. Horses very definitely represent the first fumblings of Californian hippies towards country rock, having much in common with Buffalo Springfield and early Gene Clark. Whilst the album lacks the strong harmony vocals which truly distinguished those acts, there is some fine material struggling against the stale mastering. The more overt rockers 'Asia Minor,' 'Overnight Bag,' and 'Run Rabbit Run' were strong enough to enjoy regular outings with Kingfish, whilst the opening track, 'Freight Train' is as good a train song as you're likely to hear, featuring some beautiful, melodic bass from Torbert. However, the real standouts are introspective tracks such as 'Birdie In a Cage,' and particularly, 'Nothing At All,' which would comfortably fit on many of the more celebrated works of the era. If this album doesn't quite deserve the status of lost classic, it is nonetheless an important and eminently listenable artefact.

JADE - FLY ON STRANGEWINGS
I have never understood the edict that music which imitates an original must necessarily be written off. Beauty does not depend on innovation, and indeed, I can think of several examples which actually improve on the original formula. Jade do not surpass Sandy Denny, of whose work they are undeniably more than a little reminiscent, but that does not mean they cannot be enjoyed on their own merits. Most notably Marian Segal's opulent vocals and a fine corpus of songs. Unfortunately, however, those qualities are all too often let down by an over-rich production, which insists on adding strings to some of the very best pieces. I'm biased against the use of strings in rock to start with, but here it is all the more criminal, overwhelming with saccharine tunes which would have otherwise possessed a sparse beauty. The mistake can be heard most clearly on the title track, 'Alan's Song,' and 'Fly Me to the North.' All are deft examples of modern folk, nostalgic and melancholy, especially the latter, which features some sublime counterpoint vocals. Yet their virtues are sorely tested by arrangements that threaten to drag them down into mere sentimentality. When the such instrumentation is eschewed, however, Jade's glories truly shine out. The opening track 'Amongst Anenomes,' is their very best, whilst 'Clippership,' 'Five Of Us' and 'Mayfly' come close. Elsewhere, there are even attempts to emulate the folk-meets-acid-rock fusion of Trees on 'Bad Magic,' although without nearly as much success. All this may sound as if I dislike 'Fly On Strangewings,' which is not the case. It just had the potential for so much more.

MELTON, LEVY & THE DEY BROTHERS - UNTITLED
This is Barry Melton's first outing post Country Joe & the Fish, and perhaps like many of his acid rock contemporaries, he had the intention of distancing himself from previous psychedelic excesses and concentrating on the songwriting. However, compared to his highly individual and melodic guitar style, this was hardly his strongest area. Therefore, it is a great disappointment to find that said guitar work is barely in evidence on this album. Perhaps if it had been, this collection of songs would have been considerably more interesting. It's not that any of them are particularly poor efforts, merely unremarkable. They could also have benefited from a little ramshackle charm, for the production is overly slick, although the sound does manage to retain a certain warmth. Production was handled by Mike Bloomfield, who in addition contributes some uncharacteristically understated guitar. There are flashes of genius, most obviously on the delicate beauty of 'She Dances Through,' but it is all too short lived. It seems churlish to attack this album too strongly as it is relatively unassuming, but it is disappointing to see Melton squander his strongest asset.

BARRY MELTON - BRIGHT SUN IS SHINING
As a songwriter, Barry Melton has a decidedly schizophrenic personality. On one hand there are tunes such as 'Sing Sing Sing' (from 'C.J. Fish'), typically West Coast in their mellowness, whilst on the other there is the like of 'Love' (from 'Electric Music for the Mind and the Body'), rhythm and blues pieces which tread a fine line between homage and parody. Considering that this album, Melton's first solo outing, is composed mostly of rhythm and blues covers, whilst the single original composition works within that style, there is no deviation from the latter. Whilst Melton's efforts are competent and inoffensive, white blues has been attempted with considerable more success by Peter Green, Mike Bloomfield and their ilk, making this album largely redundant. There is one compensation however. Although it might not live up to the acidic flurry of his work on 'Electric Music...' or the lyricism of that on 'C.J. Fish,' Melton cannot disguise the gloriously idiosyncratic phrasing of his guitar playing, and for many, that alone will be enough to justify a purchase.

THE PETALS - BUTTERFLY MOUNTAIN
The Australian Camera Obscura label just keeps them coming! 'Butterfly Mountain' is yet another classic of retro folk-psych which will undoubtedly appeal to fans of label mates The Green Pajamas or Abunai, not to mention those who've exhausted the possibilities of original Sixties acid rock and are desperately craving more. There are times when you wonder if what you're listening to is authentic, a homage, or a pastiche. So many genres are knowingly referenced - flower power on 'Stone Circle Dancers,' West Coast acid rock on 'Sarsparilla,' space rock on 'Neutron Star' - that perhaps meta-psych would be the best label. Yet the diversity of styles and instruments suggests that they're actually spiritual heirs to the likes of the American Kaleidoscope and the Incredible String Band. The arrangements are all highly melodic and ornate, only occasionally slipping to become arch, whilst the mood is acid inspired, veering between the affirming beauty of 'Rex, Sandra & Jasper,' and an eerie unease on 'Pallid Mask.' The adroit lyrics are also worthy of a mention. Hearing the title track's immortal couplet, "Oh put on your floral dress / Be my lepidoptress' alone justified the purchase!

SAVAGE RESURRECTION - UNTITLED
Although a San Francisco Sound band in terms of geography, Savage Resurrection owe much to the likes of Cream and the Jimi Hendrix Experience, British bands who appropriated and filtered back a style which first cohered out of the chaos of the Acid Tests. They're also symptomatic of the increasingly heavy tendencies of West Coast psych itself from 1968 onwards, embodied by bands such as Blue Cheer, which emphasised the intensity of acid rock at the expense of its more rewarding subtleties. As a consequence, Savage Resurrection sometimes pall in their efforts, for in the absence of a more mellow counterpoint, attempts at mind melting guitar workouts such as 'Jammin'' desperately lack colour. And as any initiate of the acid experience knows, colour is of the essence. However, this is not to disparage the album entirely, for it must be remembered that this was the first album of a band whose lead guitarist had only just turned sixteen, and as such it is positively brimming over with potential. Although opening track 'Thing in E' is musically derivative of Hendrix's 'Foxy Lady,' it's declaration, 'My world's better than your world,' is the sort of strident clarion call to the counterculture of which the 'Volunteers' era Airplane might be proud. Meanwhile, if 'Jammin'' is a failure, the lysergic interplay of guitarists Hammon and John Palmer is shown to great effect on the closing instrumental 'Expectations,' where a hypnotic Bo Diddley beat provides the foundation for angular, Eastern influenced melodies. When such influences are incorporated into the songwriting, as on 'Taihtian Melody' (appropriately enough), it is abundantly clear that Savage Resurrection's premature demise and failure to deliver on the promise exhibited here, is a profound shame.

SHIVA'S HEADBAND - COMIN' TO A HEAD
Hailing from the Port Austin scene in Texas, one of acid rock's more unlikely outposts, Shiva's Headband are the missing link between the Thirteenth Floor Elevators and the Sir Douglas Quintet. Although active from 1967, this is their second studio album dating from 1971 and like many of their counterparts, they have followed the example of Bob Dylan, the Band, the Byrds, et cetera in returning to their roots. Whilst for the Grateful Dead this led to the country and bluegrass stylings of 'Workingman's Dead', Shiva's Headband's direction reflects their origins and 'Comin' to a Head' is best described as psychedelic western swing. It is undoubtedly a product of its age, and a decidedly rough and ready artefact at that. The production leaves much to be desired, and Spencer Perskin's vocals are strained throughout. However, the music is so joyous that you're entirely carried away by the spirit of the venture, which is basically the sound of hippies getting high and having fun. No connoisseur of acid rock could possibly be disappointed. With this being such an obscure release, comparisons are inevitable in attempting to describe it. As Perskin's violin acts as the lead instrument, It's A Beautiful Day and late Jefferson Airplane are the most obvious points of reference, whilst certain tracks are even reminiscent of Dr. Strangely Strange. Ike Ritter's guitar work meanwhile, recalls that of the Elevators' Stacy Sutherland, especially on one of the standout tracks, 'Hungry Ghost.' None of this is ever derivative, however, and Shiva's Headband are one of the more idiosyncratic bands in an idiosyncratic genre.

TERRY & THE PIRATES - TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT
Whilst they are probably only remembered today as one of the many bands graced by the guitarwork of John Cipollina following his departure from Quicksilver Messenger Service, and as a footnote in the career of Nicky Hopkins, Terry and the Pirates deserve much greater recognition. Whilst Cipollina's feral guitar is undoubtedly essential to their charms, the work of Terry Dolan himself should not be underestimated. His voice is an acquired taste, a strange mixture of David Crosby and Captain Beefheart, but as such, it's impressively distinctive. Meanwhile, his songwriting mines that same rich vein of American folk which yielded 'Pride Of Man' (so memorably covered by Quicksilver). The best songs on this collection of various live and studio recordings are certainly Dolan's own. Whilst a version of Jackie Wilson's 'Higher & Higher' might be entertainingly audacious, covers of 'Mystery Train' and 'Don't Do It' aren't going to make anybody forget those by The Band, despite some impressive sparring between Cipollina and second guitarist Greg Douglass on the latter. In this context, tracks like 'Inside and Out' and 'Inlaws and Outlaws' distinguish themselves as fine examples of original Californian rock n' roll. Even if none of this is especially original or epoch-defining music, it's played with spirit and any fans of West Coast rock who might have easily overlooked it should be sure to seek it out.

TREES - THE GARDEN OF JANE DELAWNEY
For all his reputation as an 'expert' on folk-rock, I really do wonder if Richie Unterberger knows shit from sugar. This album is a case in point. He variously describes it as 'too drawn-out, even bombastic,' 'taking on Fairport Convention and losing' and 'in the mainstream of 1970s British folk-rock.' Every one of these statements is arrant nonsense and probably condemns the Trees to languish in undeserved obscurity still longer. I think his critical error lies in regarding it as a folk-rock album. It is not. Granted, it employs the structures of British folk for its starting point, but nobody calls Quicksilver Messenger Service a rhythm n' blues band simply because they use Bo Diddley as a launching pad. The accurate assessment of the Trees regards them as an acid rock band in the West Coast lineage, with far more in common with Jefferson Airplane than Fairport Convention. Take, for instance, their covers of 'The Great Silkie,' 'Lady Margaret' and 'She Moves Thro' the Fair.' Traditional songs all, but reinvented as slow-burning, psychedelic epics. They start gently and usually acoustically, with Celia Humphrey's spectral voice soaring above, and melodic leads burbling away in the very background. Until suddenly they erupt with a peal of guitar that could have could from John Cipollina himself, and forge ahead along modal paths leading ever upwards, whilst the bass does not so much underpin the lead as dance around it. Meanwhile, this excess is balanced with quieter, but no less acidic pieces such as the title track, a seminal classic of the wyrd-folk genre. The only possible criticism is that sometimes Celia Humphreys overestimates her vocal prowess, as on 'Nothing Special' and 'Glasgerion,' but these are fleeting moments and it seems churlish to mention them in the light of the incandescence which prevails.

TREES - ON THE SHORE
That 'On the Shore' is a more mature album than its predecessor is certain, but paradoxically, it is also marginally less interesting. For much of the joy to be found in 'The Garden of Jane Delawney' lies in its spontaneity and wild abandon, so whilst 'On the Shore' is more measured, it is concomitantly a more typical folk-rock album. On the whole, the instrumental work is subtler and notably, the bass of Bias Boshell is less prominent, a great loss for those who were convinced his work was the finest this side of Jack Casady. However, this isn't to say that the album fails to tower above much of the competition, not only as an exemplary folk-rock album, but one of the very finest instances of its sub-genre, acid-folk. Where it succeeds, the Trees' earlier glories are instantly recreated, now with extensive use of piano adding further texture to the already rich tapestry. The lengthy centrepiece, 'Sally Free & Easy,' is perhaps the best vehicle they found for Celia Humphreys' occasionally over-stretched voice, whilst 'Murdoch' recalls the triumph of their first album's title track. And with 'Fool' the band turn out their finest original song, setting memorable pseudo-traditional lyrics to a magnificently lysergic rush into the stratosphere. Its searing, melodic guitar leads also find release on 'Polly On the Shore' and the finale, 'Streets of Derry.' Ultimately, despite the presence a couple of run-of-the-mill folk-rock tropes, 'On the Shore' deserves to be regarded as one of very the finest albums in its milieu, if not the finest, a title which undoubtedly belongs to their original outing.

WOODEN WAND & THE SKY HIGH BAND - SECOND ATTENTION
There is a sub-genre dubbed 'loner psych,' an appellation used primarily by collectors of 1970s private pressing psychedelia and epitomised by Gary Higgins' recently canonised 'Red Hash,' or more famously, Skip Spence's 'Oar.' It would not surprise me to learn that James Toth is intimately familiar with such curios, as 'Second Attention' is an album unashamed of its influences. You are immediately struck by the fact that the cover is a direct homage to John and Beverly Martyn's 'Stormbringer' and the music contained within is sometimes in danger of falling into the realms of pastiche. The religious imagery of the lyrics has been criticised for just that, aping the Dylan of 'John Wesley Harding' or 'Slow Train Coming' but without the same conviction. Yet I think that is somewhat disingenuous. Whilst they certainly lack the earnestness of such works, you get the feeling that Toth is aiming for some personal reinvention of Christian symbolism, akin to what William Blake achieved in his poetry. There is also a profound optimism to his vision, with frequent celebrations of salvation. The Dylan similarities do not end with the lyrics, however. Toth's adenoidal vocals, combined with his phrasing and tendency to cram as many syllables to the bar as possible, continue the trend. It is certainly a more song-orientated album than many of the releases under the Wooden Wand moniker. The dominant form is folk and country-gospel, with a low-key backing occasionally offering hints of his more psychedelic adventures through eruptions of reverb-laden fuzz guitar. A certain over-reverence to one's roots is ultimately nothing to complain about, and whilst the album is a little on the brief side, I doubt anybody would feel short changed by such a literate and beatific work.