IN-A-GADDA-DA-VIDA

"In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" is the essential psychedelic album and a soundtrack for hippies tripping out with LSD; tune in, turn on and drop out as Timothy Leary said. It is noteable of course for the epic title track but there are other songs to boost this to a classic status. 'Most Anything You want' has a sound like The Doors and those mono low vocals of keyboardist Doug Ingle. The psychedelic sound is augmented by Erik Brann's fuzz guitar, and the rhythmic of Lee Dorman's bass, and Ron Bushy's drums. 'Flowers and Beads' is a shocker, best forgotten and a product of its time, with very corny lyrics about a flower girl; "I love you and I need you in my lifetime". After this is 'My Mirage', a better song with great harmonies and some interesting musicianship sounding a bit like Vanilla Fudge. 'Termination' is next and has a good little grungy riff and some time sig changes, innovative lead breaks and consequently is much better than the other songs on side one. 'Are You Happy?' is the last track on side one and is a real belter with sludgy guitar and organ that sounds like Ray Manzarek's style. None of these tracks really prepare the listener for the onslaught of side two's magnificent psychedelic opus.

'In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida' has a killer riff that hypnotises and features perhaps the first extended drum solo. It devoured a whole side of vinyl and not many bands were doing that in 1968. Iron Butterfly were ground breaking in many respects. The LSD lights of the show would pulsate while the band tripped out to freak outs of organ and fuzz guitar solos. I have heard many live versions of this, a Sweden 1971 performance which was introduced by Doug Ingle as "to a lot of people it's been a way of life, the garden of life" and recently in 1999 the band performed it in an outdoor stadium. I believe the band never stopped performing it as it became quintessential to their repertoire. It was mostly improvised and the band originally were to call it "In the Garden of Eden" but try saying that when you are drunk, thus it developed into the iconic nonsense of 'In-a-Gadda-da-Vida'. The lyrics were simple about walking in Eden with a lover and the plea of every flower child "Oh won't you come with me, and walk this land? Please take my hand." The freedom of walking naked in paradise among the trees and flowers with a lover is of course the dream of the psych generation. It was an untouchable dream but it led to the dream of Woodstock, Haight Ashbury, and Monterey among other significant counter culture events.

The song is really a blaster for getting smashed to of course but still has musical merit. Erik Brann's main riff that is revered in the annals of rock is a simple double riff that is merged together and works brilliantly, reminiscent of Cream's 'Sunshine of your Love' riff. Then leading to the second part Brann plays 16 notes in one bar and this then leads to 3 bar chords. Simple, but it blew the minds of the psychedelic flower power generation and every guitarist wanted to learn the riff. The keyboard consists of a bombastic grinding organ by Ingle. Then there is the elongated guitar solo with wah-wah and fuzz effects, leading to Ron Bushy's manic tribalistic drum solo. Later he is joined by some cathedral organ runs, sounding improvised, then there is a tune of 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen' on organ, some scratching guitar string echoes, and Lee Dorman's bass locks back into a variation of the main riff, and then the fuzz guitar launches into a searing lead solo back to the riff, another tribal drum solo, a pulsating bassline, sustained organ sounding Arabian cranks back in, creepy guitar scratches, a hypnotic motif is then overpowered by the main riff again, guitars join in "3,4," and after another verse and chorus it ends, thus rock history is made. It takes some patience to sit through the whole 17 minutes, but it is so essential to rock music that it is a crime to edit it, though it has been available as an edited version for good reason.

Iron Butterfly are mainly noted for the title track and are perhaps one hit wonders in that respect but there is no denying the influence of this album, it even paved the way not only to prog but heavy metal way back in the late 60s. That is commendable and makes this an essential listen.

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