Mad River/Paradise Bar & Grill

Mad River/Paradise Bar & Grill Artist: Mad River
Label: Collector's Choice
Category: Music


Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1


UPC: 617742017229
EAN: 0617742017229
ASIN: B0000584UQ


Release Date: 2001-02-13

Mad River/Paradise Bar & Grill


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Categories | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
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Tracks:

  1. Merciful Monks
  2. High All the Time
  3. Amphetamine Gazelle
  4. Eastern Light
  5. Wind Chimes
  6. War Goes On
  7. Hush, Julian
  8. Harfy Magnum
  9. Paradise Bar and Grill
  10. Love's Not the Way to Treat a Friend
  11. Leave Me/Stay
  12. Copper Plates
  13. Equinox
  14. They Brought Sadness
  15. Revolution's In My Pockets
  16. Academy Cemetery
  17. Cherokee Queen

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Product Description

1. Merciful Monks
2. Amphetamine Gazelle
3. High All The Time
4. Eastern Light
5. Wind Chimes
6. War Goes On, The
7. Hush, Julian
8. Harfy Magnum
9. Paradise Bar And Grill
10. Love's Not The Way To Treat A Friend
11. Leave Me Stay
12. Copper Plates
13. Equinox
14. They Brought Sadness
15. Revolution's In My Pockets
16. Academy Cemetary
17. Cherokee Queen


Format: CD

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Well, real 'sychedelic man, real far out stuff.......2006-10-28

Whenever I listen to the recorded legacy of Mad River, the words "psychedelic", "acid rock" and "drug induced" always spring to my mind. Drawing from a wide range of influences including country, bluegrass, ragtime, blues, eastern and avant-garde music, the band was able to fuse these elements into a starkly attractive "electric" sound, which is on a par with the best productions of the time. This sound was unique too, maybe hinting at contemporaries such as the Quicksilver Messenger Service or Country Joe & The Fish. Soon after their arrival on the West Coast, Mad River released an EP [re-issued on CD on "The Berkeley EP's"].

Later in 1967, Mad River released their magnificent, eponymous LP that was produced by Nik Venet. The music is dominated by the intertwined, heavily sustained electric guitar wailings of David Robinson and Rick Bockner and by the high-pitched voice of singer Lawrence Hammond going through dense, elaborate arrangements at an often fast - nay frantic - pace. Dissonant elements and stop/go rhythms are integrated in the mix. Combined with oblique lyrics, this gives the LP a kind of disquieting - some would say sinister - quality. The record attracted neither public nor critics in the USA, though. The critics were somewhat more attuned to the band in England from where I bought my (still mint) LP in 1968 based on a review, which appeared in the "Melody Maker". Discographical note: it has long been said, not least by the musicians themselves, that the tapes had been speeded up after the recording took place (this was, actually, a common practice with rock records). On the CD, the tracks originating from the first record have the same length as those included on my own copy of the LP. This suggests that the original production mixes have been used.

Their sophomore LP ("Paradise Bar and Grill") was put out in 1968 and produced by ex-Youngblood Jerry Corbitt. While the level of craftsmanship is ably maintained, this record sees the band unexpectedly shifting away from the psychedelia of their debut LP (and EP) to a much more relaxed, sometimes countryish sound with only a couple of tracks reminiscent of their earlier work. On this LP, there are also a couple of cameos by Jerry Corbitt, "Banana" Lowell Levinger, ... Although I feel that these tracks work quite well individually, the whole album is less easy to get into as a result.

The mastering is good but not to the point of bringing some added clarity to the sound when compared with the original vinyl. It appears that no remixing or extra tape research has been performed (nor is this implied in the liner notes). I wholeheartedly recommend this reissue to anyone interested in quality sixties West Coast music. I rate this CD **** (***** for the first LP and ***1/2 for the second LP).

4 out of 5 stars

Music Album:

  1. Rock On: 1982 ~ Various Artists
  2. Second Street ~ Back Street Crawler
  3. Astor in Paris ~ 3 Leg Torso
  4. Magic Shoemaker ~ Fire
  5. Push ~ Flying Blind
  6. Come & Gone ~ Mason Proffit
  7. Provisions, Fiction and Gear ~ Moth
  8. Mummydogs ~ Mummydogs
  9. Sedated in the Eighties, Vol. 6 ~ Various Artists
  10. The String Quartet Tribute to Saliva

Music Album

Music Album

Music CD

In Concert ~ Dave Burrell & David Murray

Mystery Bag ~ String Zone

Midnight Sax ~ Various Artists

HARD CORE LOVER

South Frisco Jazz Band ~ South Frisco Jazz Band

At the Bottom Line ~ Mingus Dynasty

Prymityw ~ T Love

Mañana Vendras ~ Conjunto Casino

Canto E Encanto Nativo ~ Various Artists

Scotland's Pipes & Drum ~ Various Artists