Issue No. 3

MagnaPhone Lost Classics

Creme Soda-Tricky Zingers (Radioactive) This gem came out on Trinity records in 1975. Hailing from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as listeners 30 years later we are blessed to catch a band at this time standing on these crossroads. One of Crème Soda's feet is planted firmly in the garage, as evidenced by their legendary underground hit '(I'm Chewin' Gum) and their Yardbirds cover "The Nazz is Blue". These guys have that great punk-rip-it-up-in the garage spirit that is usually reserved for late 60's bands on the Nuggets and Crypt collections. Their other foot is heading towards the spacier 70's sounds ala The Dead on Wake of the Flood or Captain Beyond. You can hear is plain as bong water in tunes like "Deep in a Dream" and "Roses All Around". The thing is, they get them both right and do them both incredibly successfully. Nobody ever heard from these guys again after this record. Which is sad. Who knows? They may have created a new hybrid of garage jam music that could have changed everything after. Highly recommended. -Greg Trout Stained Glass-Aurora (Radioactive) Open up any comic book from the late 60's and early 70's and you'll see a lot of repeat images. The stars and stripes in the shape of a hand making the peace sign, the Woodstock bird, the pollution man, the keep on truckin' trio etc. Whenever I see these images a certain hybrid of music enters my head. A sort of Blood, Sweat and Tears or Rare Earth meets Moby Grape. I have never found that sound on an actual record until now. From the kick-off "Gettin ons getting rough" which features a very soulful rhythm section, way ahead of its time, through "The Necromancer" this record has a groove. Like the images I mentioned it's not a dangerous thing, it's a mellow thing. It's an afternoon in a field in the country with some buddies, some beer and a Frisbee. This has become my favorite summertime record. Although these guys from San Jose started out doing a Beatles-esque Mersey beat thing, they evolved into this, and like so many bands that had one or two underground records and split on us, I cant help but think, "What if?"-Greg Trout Salem Mass-Witch Burning(Gear Fab) In 1971 four buddies entered their favorite bar in Sun Valley, Idaho and recorded a piece of low-fi progressive nostalgia. Possessing all the starry-eyed wonder of Yes and Emerson, Lake and Palmer, but without the Major Label and state of the art studio, they recorded a very unique bit of history. Progressive rock does not lend itself to the same lo-fi conditions that garage rock and metal do. It's just a fact. Yet I am ecstatic these guys tried it. Why? Because somehow in the midst of this confused (albeit entertaining) record they pulled out a bona-fide lost classic: "The Drifter", the last song on side two. It's a great prog rave-up worthy of Deep Purple or Uriah Heep and reason enough this should be in your collection. -Greg Trout Footch Kapoot(Radioactive) It's tough sometimes to write about forgotten records. You find them, you love them, but there is so little info out there about them that you always feel you may not be speaking with authority about the music therein. Footch Kapoot is a case in point. So in lieu of hard facts I am going to make up my own back-story. Footch Kapoot are six people who really dig challenging progressive music, like Beefheart, King Crimson, and Gentle Giant, but have a soft spot for the pop structure as well. They are all excellent musicians with day jobs, and judging from the name of the band and they cover art they are nerds with no care or worry for commercial success. When this came out in 1978, the cold cruel world probably scratched its head and moved on. I wish I would have been there to tell them how cool I thought it was. -Greg Trout