Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Saint Steven - Saint Steven (1969)


Η αγάπη μου για τους Ultimate Spinach ( ο Steven υπήρξε για ελάχιστο διάστημα μέλος τους) με ώθησε στο να ψάξω για το λεγόμενο Boston Sound από το οποίο θα ανεβάσω αρκετούς δίσκους. Κάπου εκεί ξετρυπώθηκε ο Saint Steven, του οποίου το cd ( από την Do Or Die records 102) απόκτησα πριν αρκετά χρόνια. Ομολογώ πως δεν φανταζόμουνα ότι θα είναι τόσο όμορφο ψυχεδελικό Lp. Ήταν μία τυφλή αγορά που εξελίχθηκε κορυφαία. Ξεχωρίζω το Grey Skies το οποίο είναι καταπληκτικό κομμάτι.

Κάποιες πληροφορίες…
Saint Steven is actually Steve Cataldo, who had previously been the guitarist and singer/songwriter for the minor late-'60s Boston psychedelic band Front Page Review. His 1969 album, also called Saint Steven, was similarly period psychedelia, not as underground as some, more pop-oriented than some others, and at the end of the day not too distinguished. Pop/rock and folk-rock sensibilities were sprinkled with bits of odd sound effects (animal roars, 1968 Republican Convention soundbites, etc.) on two pseudo side-long suites, never to either terrible or good results.
Each side of the album was a suite, "Over the Hills" on side one and "The Bastich" on side two. The cover features "Saint Steven" hugging his guitar floating up in the clouds as the sun radiates around him with a drawing of a sea monster slithering down at the edge of the ocean. No musicians were listed inside, just the producer, engineer and cover design folks.
Each of these songs balances the innocent with the darker forces that we all must confront. Saint Steven uses his own mythical figures, "Gladacadova" and "Ay-Aye-Poe-Day", to add magic and mystery to his little tales. In the middle of "Poor Small", the song stops and we get an excerpt from one of the Presidential elections in which some old woman is reading the tally of states and hitting a gavel. The song continues and so does the tally in the background, it still reminds me of sad realities of life that we try to escape from with music.

Tracks:
1 Over The Hills
2 Animal Hall
3 Gladacadova
4 Poor Small
5 Ay-Aye-Poe-Day
6 Grey Skies
7 Bastich I
8 Over The Hills
9 Voyage To Cleveland
10 Sun In The Flame
11 Bright Lights
12 Louisiana Home
13 Bastich II

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

An ki exoyn perasei kapoies copies ap ta xeria moy se pazaria, h katastasi tous den itan ikanopoiitiki!
Opote tha to katevasw apo sena!
S eyxaristw!
Kostas (Elton)

Zealot Ape said...

Το βρήκα σε απέστευτα καλή κατάσταση, σχεδόν καινούργιο... εννοείται reissue :S
Έξοχο όπως και να έχει