JOYRIDE

When talking about this LA based band who recorded but one album before moving on, you have to mention PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS. The four musicians on here were all from that parent band. In fact they left that band and formed BROTHERHOOD, then the boys decided to go all SILVER APPLES and FIFTY FOOT HOSE on us, and do a freaky psychedelic album with no hope of being commercially successful. There's a lot of collage stuff and experimental noise along with some melodic pieces.

These guys were older too. Paul Revere's band formed in 1958. In the liner notes which is credited to BROTHERHOOD they mention "The idea for FRIENDSOUND came to us when we were in the early stages of creating our first album. We rounded up all our musician friends in the area and headed for a recording studio to have musical free-for-all. This was the first spontaneous jam session we ever staged. It was also the first time that we employed the control console as a musical instrument.

"Joyride" and "Lost Angel Proper St." were recorded the first night. The second night, Don Nelson, our multi-faceted friend and advisor, overdubbed flute while the rest of us added various sounds and dailogue. And on the third night we mixed the eight-track tapes onto stereo, utilizing our "eight-hands-at-the-control-board" method. "The Empire Of Light" was recorded at 4am the third night. As Ron played organ, Phil plucked the strings of the piano while Drake and Michael played the console. It was recorded and mixed onto stereo tape-just as you hear it-in one take!

"Childhood's End" is an experiment in musique concrete resolving into triumphal guitar chorus. "Love Sketch" involves the use of new recording techniques... featured soloists are Don Nelson and Chris Brooks. "Childsong" could be called an electronic tone poem as well as musique concrete. We've intergrated the children's voices with the sound of celesta, wind chimes and flute recorder". I get the high praise for this one but I have a hard time with it being legit. I keep thinking of PAUL REVER & THE RAIDERS and all those pictures of them in matching outfits. Playing the game as it were with the record labels and whatnot. So un-krautrock-like

I just feel that this is not Krautrock, nor does it have that true Krautrock spirit in my opinion. And besides, this is as hit and miss as it gets. Not an easy listen.