The Mystic Tide - Solid Sound (1965-67)

Personnel:
JOE DOCKO gtr, ld vcls A B
PAUL PICELL bs, vcls A B
JIM THOMAS gtr, vcls A
JOHN WILLIAMS drms A B

ALBUM:
1(A/B) IT COMES NOW (Distortions DB-1 006) 1991
2(A/B) SOLID SOUND/SOLID GROUND (Distortions ?) 199?
NB: (2) is an eighteen track CD compilation, including all single tracks and an unreleased acetate of their first song from 1965. Seven songs are not on (1) which is now out of print.

45s:
1 Stay Away/Why (Esquire 4677) 1965
2 Mystic Eyes/I Search For A New Love (Esquire 719/720) 1966
3 Frustration/Psychedelic Journey Pt 1 (Solid Sound 156/7) 1966
4 Running Through The Night/Psychedelic Journey Pt 2 (Solid Sound 158/9) 1967
5 Mystery Ship/You Won't Look Back (Solid Sound 321/2) 1967

Out of the Woodbury suburb of New York City, this band made some outstanding recordings. They started life combining their own compositions with Them, Searchers and Zombies originals. They went very much against the tide of most Long Island bands, who were heavily into soul. By early 1966 they were becoming more adventurous. For their second 45, they covered a Them song, Mystic Eyes. Indeed, this slow punk ballad was party responsible for their name, as their leader Joe Docko liked it so much. Their third 45 was their magnum opus. Frustration was a haze of dementia with superb guitar leads from Docko. They played 10 minute versions of it live and each was different. The flip, Psychedelic Journey Pt 1 was a stunning psychedelic instrumental which once again contained some superb guitar playing from Docko. The song continued on the flip to their fourth 45, which featured fine discordant clashing guitars and a striking ending. After this Jim Thomas left and they continued as a trio for one final effort:- Mystery Ship, another punk ballad - a tale of death and the futility of life, backed by the more optimistic, You Won't Look Back. This lacked the 'fullness' of sound of their previous two, now they were only a trio.
The band are well represented on compilations. You can find Psychedelic Journey Pts 1 & 2 on Endless Journey - Phase One (LP) and Endless Journey - Phase I & II (Dble CD); Frustration on Acid Dreams, Vol. 1 (LP); Mystery Ship and Mystic Eyes on Sixties Archive Vol. 5 (CD) and The Finest Hours of U.S. '60s Punk (LP); Psychedelic Journey, Part 1 on Son Of The Gathering Of The Tribe (LP); Mystery Ship on Glimpses, Vol's 1 & 2 (CD) and Glimpses, Vol. 2 (LP); Runnin' Through The Night on Ear-Piercing Punk (LP) and Pebbles, Vol. 2 (ESD) (CD); You Won't Look Back on Boulders, Vol. 11 (LP); Stay Away on Psychedelic States: New York Vol. 1 (CD); and finally You Know It's True on Psychedelic Crown Jewels, Vol. 1 (Dble LP & CD). The band also appear on Eva's E-Types vs Mystic Tide 1984 retrospective with the following tracks:- Frustration, Psychedelic Journey (Pts 1 and 2), Running Through The Night, Search For A New Love, and You Won't Look Back. All tracks were written by Joe Docko.
The recent Distortions retrospectives include all their 45s plus an early effort, I Wouldn't Care, a gentle Merseybeat-influenced song. The later CD release includes seven extra tracks. Forget all the compilations and get this excellent legitimate collection of their 45s.
An absolute 'must' for connoisseurs of psychedelia, they were at the forefront of experimentation and ahead of their time.

Tracks:
01. Wouldn’t Care
02. Why
03. Stay Away
04. I Search for New
05. Mystic Eyes
06. Frustration
07. Running Through the Nigh
08. Psychedelic Journey pt.1
09. Psychedelic Journey, Pt. 2
10. Mystery Ship
11. You Won't Look Back
12. You Know It's True
13. It's Simple Sistero
15. Frustration
16. Silver Rails - Going Home
17. See the Light
18. Solid Ground
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