Reviews (page 4 of 7)
It was alright
Improved as it went on.
The 60s. Wow.
I wasn't expecting much as soon as this album began, but for experimental psychedelic music it could have been much worse. Listenable.
3.4 2x solid but nothing noteworthy.
Most of this wasn’t too bad but some of it was really bad. They should’ve picked the one with that millions of peaches, peaches for me song on it.
A PROPER psychedelic freakout
Really crazy, hated the first 10 or so minutes but eventually got it. Gotta keep reminding myself its from 1968, very cool!
I had no idea what to expect. Never heard of this album. I thought it was good. Reminded me of early Jefferson Airplane.
Interesting, quirky. Not really my thing but I enjoyed the oddness of it all anyway.
What was this album supposed to be?
Meh. Ik snap het, maar het is niet écht goed ofzo. Wel te lang
El rock psicodélico sesentero es uno de mis géneros favoritos. Dentro de ese estilo, este álbum es especialmente interesante. Más avant-garde que rockero, tiene una atmósfera como de circo caótico en la que la guitarra eléctrica brilla por su ausencia. En su lugar, su sonido está caracterizado por las voces, el bajo y, sobre todo, por una amalgama de otros instrumentos (clavecín, órgano, calíope, violín eléctrico, y saber qué más) y mucha distorsión electrónica. Los temas son un pastiche de sonidos, en los que a veces domina un collage de temas que parecen sonar al mismo tiempo, mientras que otras veces la cosa se calma y se vuelve más melódica y con un sonido más típico del rock de su época. Aunque incluso en los momentos más tranquilos la voz está distorsionada, o hay algo interesante sucediendo de fondo. Un álbum que, aunque a veces chirría y pueda ser exigente, merece mucho la pena por lo innovador que fue.
++: Hard Coming Love, The Garden of Earthly Delights, I Won't Leave My Wooden Life for You, Sugar, The American Way of Love +: The American Metaphysical Circus, Coming Down, Stranded in Time +-: Cloud Song, Where Is Yesterday -: Love Song for the Dead Ché 6,0/10
I've heard of the Presidents of the United States of America but not The United States of America band. First track so far just sounds like a mess, honestly. Pretty slow and psychedelic. Their background noises very creepy. Very interesting music. Not sure if I can take a full album. But 3-stars
A very different album by a one-off iteration of this band. Requires more listens but on first impression I thought it was good, and a well put record all around in it's sounds and themes.
It may well be the only psychedelic pop album with Gregorian chanting. So there’s that.
Well that was something else. Not terrible for artsy.
lots of good production stuff involving reverb, distortion, etc.
How many drugs were taken when writing this…. I think they might still be high….
Some surprising moments. Innovative and forward thinking, but also lots of strange things that may be there for the sake of being strange. I don’t see myself going back to listen too much of this one.
That was certainly a choice for a drive…I think I need to hear out again to get a proper sense of it, but I think I like it? 3 points feels a bit of a cop out, but I need to sort out my thoughts about it.
Exceeded expectations?
Quite an interesting and unusual album, Jefferson Airplane meets the Doors. Avangard, art, jazz, experimental rock. The music fits into the mould of a band from the late 60s, psychedelic, ahead of it's time, unique and inovative. This band being one the most unique ones of the bunch, and with the most experimental and complex music. They only released this one album and it's a shame they didn't go on in the same fashion as some of their contemporaries. The opening track is straight out of a horror movie, the lyrics and themes would be a great base for a movie. The female vocals are great, very Jefferson Airplane like. If drugs made noise, they would sound like that. Glad I listened to the album, not sure if I will listen to it again, so giving it a 3.
Unavailable on Spotify, but available in its entirety on YouTube Music. Having said that, the album is kinda rad! Very forward looking. AA Milne being the writer of Cloud Song was an unexpected discovery. I wouldn't have thought the Winnie the Pooh author would have written music, too. Overall enjoyed the album, very odd but pretty interesting.
Actually liked the more conventional tracks and can really appreciate what they were trying to do with some of the more avant-garde tracks. Can really tell they liked the old-timey American standard stuff
Kind of annoying
I’ve never heard this band before, so I didn’t know what to expect. The music on this album was not what I was expecting at all. A few of the songs gave me a headache due to how discordant they were (which I understand was on purpose and all, but I just couldn’t handle it), but I did genuinely enjoy some of the music on this album.
I love the hippie dippiness of this and the lyrics and such, but the high treble was a bit much for my ears.
Very surprised with the level. Actually lovely. I was preparing for a weird experimental 60's outfit for hippies. But, the music is actually pretty sweet. Good atmosphere, especially for such early electronic sound. Very good vocals, great drumming, and some excellent songs! Nice nice time
Was iffy about this one at first, but it grew on me. Not my favourite, and a bit weird at times, but overall - pretty good! Really liked the Winnie the Pooh inspired song! I'll give it a 2.5 - round up to 3.
Kinda interesting. It’s okay
Some fun psychedelic stuff
Some snippets of good stuff in here, but definitely a lot of stuff that is just over the top psychedelic noise.
Eka kappale loi veikeen kuvan levystä, mutta lähtikin seuraavalla ihan kunnon psyke rokiksti. Monipuolista ja vaihtelevaa soundia. On kyllä tosi vaihtelevaa. Välillä vaan vähän liian vekkulia. Parhaat: Coming Down, Wherw Is Yesterday, Do You Follow Me
Wow, super cool! It's a shame they did not manage to stay together to make more music. Reading their story on Wikipedia, it makes sense why it fell apart so quickly. Impressive that they managed to make this in their first go!
There’s too much circus music. And it’s definitely heavy on that ‘60s experimental psychedelia. You probably need a lot of acid to love it. But it’s interesting. One of those kinds of projects that needed to happen, in order to inspire others artists. Not bad.
I'm giving this score out of respect for them being true to themselves. At least that's how I felt listening to this. The music itself is not good. But it's honest. And I respect that.
It's a feast for the ears. Nice balance between way out there, zany 60s malarkey and softer songs with understated vocals. It's too long though. You could comfortably shave 20 minutes off this. I Won't Leave My Wooden Wife For You, Sugar was my favourite. Amazing title and reminded me of Bonzos.
Look, I love weirdness. I always give at least one whole point for weirdness. The problem with this album is that Jefferson Airplane exists, and The Beatles, and all those other psychedelic experimenters. I honestly thought (and keep in mind: I love weirdness) that the more straightforward songs on this album were the best parts. Kudos to them for being weird, but this is a meh listening experience.
After Bayou Country, we know that I will side with the freaks over the squares. When the square go full square, it's boring, but, when the freaks go full freaky... well, it could always just be my fault for not getting it. That hardly applies here though. For all Joseph Byrd's credentials - an early associate of La Monte Young; kicking off his career in Yoko Ono's Fluxus loft - The United States of America never goes too far out. Released the year after both Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and Surrealistic Pillow, the record vacillates between both. Elements of McCartneyesque corniness sit next to pounding Airplane-style rockers, collaged together via snippets of calliope recordings - George Martin would have done a much neater job of that. Yet, I don't think it is purely imitative of the prevailing psychedelic styles. The primitive ring-modulation and electronics isn't done as masterfully as on Silver Apples self-titled album of the same year, but, then, that album doesn't have any of this cranky violin. Maybe that's cribbed from The Velvet Underground and Nico (also the year before) or Joseph Byrd crossed paths with John Cale at the Theatre of Eternal Music. While it may be a hodge-podge of what was going on in experimental rock at the time, it is obviously not a cash-in. They are having too much fun and are too interested in pushing in different, contradictory directions. I side with the freaks and I have to give them benefit of the doubt. 3.5 This was difficult to judge. I did listen several times but could not get past two ideas that gripped me on my first listen. One is that there is a difference between experimental music (even experimental recording) and perfectly conventional records ruined by the interpolation of funny space noises, however freshly minted those noises may be. The other is that this is openly derivative of Sgt Pepper’s and Revolver - the two most recent Beatles albums when this record was made. Something like Tomorrow Never Knows is a classic example of the integration of experimental recording technique into composition; the loops running in reverse are an inextricable part of the music. On The United States of America I often struggled to make that connection - what I am hearing is conventional musical gestures and phrases occasionally punctuated by loud space noises (Hard Coming Love, Garden of Earthly Delights, Where is Yesterday, Coming Down). In any case - The Beatles thing was much more the fatal issue. The ‘American Metaphysical Circus’ is this album’s opener and it is plainly evocative of Being for the Benefit of Mr K but with none of the lightness and comedy of that track. Ok - there will be fantastic feats of mind-expanding wonder, but who will assure the public that this production will be second to none? No one presumably, because they all know this will be, at best, second to Sgt Pepper’s. Even when the United States try humour - it feels second hand. By the time I get to ‘I Won’t Leave my Wooden Wife for You, Sugar’ it can only feel like Ringo’s track - albeit Ringo’s track if he was in the Velvet Underground rather than the Beatles (in 1966/67 anyway). There is an Eleanor Rigby knock off surely only one rung out of The Rutles’ league. The descending turns of the violin on Cloud Song recall the vocal turns of Harrison’s Love You To and the mood of Within You, Without You. The closing ‘synthesis’ track - ‘The American Way of Love…’ cannot, by the end of all this, feel like much but a tribute to A Day in the Life. If that particular comparison is a superficial one it also raises a lesson that the United States didn’t learn; what makes Day in the Life special is not the stuck-togetherness of it but the haunting unexpected chord substitutions and melody of Lennon’s opening section and the clever, neat modulations of McCartney’s. And the big string bit - which is far better than the string bit in this track. Still. This isn’t exactly bad. 2.5/5
Messy & confused. So bang on point!
I don't mind a bit of hippie music and this was much better than I thought it would be even with the communist undertones. Overall it was worth a listen or two but an ode to fallen communist guerilla leaders are unnecessary. Communism is a failed governmental model.
Definitely the most enjoyable 'experimental' album that I've heard so far. My favourite tracks were "I Won't Leave My Wooden Wife For You, Sugar" and "Love Song For the Dead Che". I really like the psychedelic style and I particularly like the musical interludes where it reverts back to a more typical 60s style - it even sounds like a parody of a particular band/song at points. E.g. The beginning of Stranded in Time sounds like a parody of Eleanor Rigby to me. But, despite it's strengths, it was quite drawn out and there are a few weak tracks. Considering the album and the band are both called 'The United States of America', I feel compelled to slap a 25% tariff on this review.
I don't know. I didn't hate it, but also won't listen again. Overall a meh.
There are like 10 artists on this albums, each with their own musical ideas, some good, some unfortunate. A little something for everyone.
Super inventive music, the album feels a bit long.
What a trip. I would relisten to coming down and stranded in time again. The choice of instrumentation was my favorite part of this group. Very easy listening for it being avante garde 60s experimental pop music.
From psychedelic rock to baroque pop and from being bored to thinking I might want to listen again. Result is I won't.
The countercultural view on the American way of life is best when collaging itself. Reprise after song intertwined with noisy field recordings. Broken Carnival tunes became this haunting element psychedelia cannot get rid of anymore. But hey: this had to be found out at some point.
I was listening while doing coursework; might have accidentally added a killer clown to my program. Interesting album tho fr I think I can hear how its influenced many a future music tings. I enjoy pyschedelic rock n pop n such so actually didn't mind this album. I wish the U.S. governemnt would fund another album :( I liked these two songs: I Won't Leave My Wooden Wife For You, Sugar and Do You Follow Me. pee also poo etc.
First impressions, I can definitely hear the psychadelic influence. Something dreamlike to the quality of the first track. I can imagine psychadelic imagery that's typical to this type of music. This band only released one LP. That's interesting because Byrd is a 6/2 prilfe in HD and that LP was released during his experimental phase. By the sounds of things, he experimented with a lot of things in his early years. You could say they were definitely a little ahead of their time. Where Is Yesterday has a very interesting composition. The repeptitive patterns are rather pleasing. Stranded In Time has a beautiful classical element to it.
just fine
Oke, nog nooit van gehoord. Als ik de naam las, dacht ik een middelmatige highschool-rockband tegen te komen, maar niets is minder waar. Volgens Wikipedia zijn ze voorlopers van elektronische muziek. 't Is niet per se mijn ding, maar het is op een manier wel cool. 2.8
Interesting. Like a ghostly merry-go-round, as my kid said
i don't think they are
Noisy
Another album that was just OK
Some of the songs just sounded like noise! My husband remarked, "I thought your computer was broken with the strange sounds coming from it".
I was expecting Peaches but got a very eclectic set of bonkers songs from the 60's. I love this period and experimentation but not quite there. Best track is the first one.
This was an unexpected album, I'd never heard of the USA. The band, not the country It must have been very ahead of its time particularly the use of synths and other wacky sounds. This is proper psychedelic and experimental Not an album I'd listen to repeatedly but belongs in the book
Late 60s psychedelia is not my favourite genre. It doesn't get on my nerves, it's just not something I'd choose to listen to. Tailor Man was quite nice.
Very experimental for 1968
Well that was a weird ride, felt simultaneously not 60s and very 60s, some elements a little ahead of its time. Not unpleasant but I'm glad it's over.
pretty cool - some experimental aspects worked better than others
really psychedelic but it was good
when i clicked on this i absolutely was mixing it up with The Presidents Of The United States of America. lack of lump nonwithstanding, I liked it. 3.5
I didn't get to this album yesterday because I was trying to catch up on the ones I missed over the TG break. But when I saw this pop up I thought it was Presidents of the USA. This is totally different. So, not sure what to expect but being the 60's I can take a pretty good guess. This Cloud Song sounds a lot like the music on Coraline! Okay I gotta give them credit for having a wide variety of different sounds. Not every song sounds the same. Although it is a bit too experimental. Okay I was only going to give it 2 stars but I'll give it 3. I really wish it was on a scale of 10 stars.
Not what I expected but it was an interesting 60’s vibe.
Its not on Spotify?
This was fun. I work in a record/comi book/ video store. Lately we've been dead. Just 5 or 6 people a day. So I've been listening to these albums there. Just me and the music. Last night it was just me and I was playing this album. Anytime a customer came in (just 2) they walked into the building with no people and couldn't see me with this playing over the speakers. The uncomfortable looks on their faces was priceless.
This got a little weird. Too many psychedelics.
Not for me. Some cool moments but ultimately couldn't get through it without turning it off.
This was interesting. More strange psychedelic folk grooves.
Standard issue 60s psychedelic rock. 2.5/5
3.5
A bit better than marginalia of vintage psychedelia, but not by much. "Hard Coming Love" will make one fantasize about go-go boots and lava lamps and there are quite a few other moments, some of which are related to the very strong vocals (e.g., "Love Song for the Dead Che") and some for other reasons (e.g., The Sgt Peppers-evil-twin tune "Stranded in Time"). Maybe tries too hard at times but A for effort and sprawl. There's a too-much sense at times, and one's sure that it woulda been better had they played it a bit straighter (but sure tell that to commies in the '60s). And one likes the reprisal of the whole record in the final cut (see the Las) but not sure this record 100% merits it.
This is so trippy. This is somewhere between other 60s groups and just noise. I really like cloud song. Ok. This must the ring mod song (garden) it sounds like doctor who. From garden 🪴 n the album finds a groove. I’m enjoying this. Track 13 has great fuzz. This was a pretty good album.
Odd. Challenging. a rock record with no guitar. I enjoyed it and will spin it again. Weed required. 3.5
More jeffersons, kite than aeroplane! It's not that windy, and theirs a hole in the fabric. Interesting moments here and there but overall a noise that didnt move.
This was a wild ride. At times, I almost quit, and at other times I thought I'll definitely come back to this a few more times. Was it a 2 or a 4?? I guess I'll split the difference.
Overall: 6/10 Fhis album was kind of hit or miss for me. I think the electronic elements are ahead of its time and there's some jard rockers on here, but I'm not a big fan of the male vocals and a few of the songs seemed to just drone and drag. Still a good album, not really something I see myself listening to ever again. Fav Song: The Garden of Earthly Delights Least Fav Song: Love Song for the Dead Che
Very psychedelic Woodstock-y 60’s
Yeah there are some killer tracks near the middle, and the experimentation is cool, but a lot of this album was just really underwhelming. I thought it would be a whole lot better considering its reputation. Still not a bad rating, but it's on the lower side of things
I only listened through The American Way of Love as that is the original release. I also didn't like it enough to go through another 30 mins of bonus tracks. Fine enough album. Some of the effects/random instruments were good, but for the most part they just felt chaotic. I don't think I understood this album. Probably a politically charged or satirical album. Maybe it made more sense living during the Cold War.
I thought from the beginning that would be one of those albums that was overly weird and extremely hard to listen to. It turned out to still be a very very weird album but was actually a good album to listen to. Some of those songs were actually very good with the guitar and psychadelic effects. This is on the High 3/ Low 4 line
I feel like Pink Floyd came along in 1967 and really pushed the boundaries on what psychedelic rock could do with ‘The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn’. It was super space-y, trippy, irreverent at times, with just a touch of prog and avant-garde thrown in. They really created something unique and I haven’t come across anything quite like it since hearing it for the first time; as if nothing similar came before or after its release. Then I refreshed my project page here and this near bite sized album popped up today on the list; and it seems I have finally hit on something comparable. Kicking off with the bizarre ‘The American Metaphysical Circus’, with its slightly disturbing instrumentation and use of horror-esque sound effects as backdrops to the gentle, melodic singing. It’s as engaging as it is almost off-putting. ‘The Garden Of Earthly Delights’ puts more experimentation on the table, more rock based for sure with elements of prog in its disregard for typical song structure and use of quick tempo changes. ‘Coming Down’ which feels like the most pure psychedelic track on the album. The dreamy and politically charged ‘Love Song For The Dead Che’ that feels like it belongs in the end credits of a movie. And the album finisher ‘The American Way Of Love’, a 6+ minute compilation track that seems to sum up the LP perfectly in 3 varied acts, ending with a trippy sound collage. Lyrically ‘The United States Of America’ is worth almost studying. There is commentary on many things such as politics, media manipulation, human temptation, and a fairly direct comparison of the almost bogus counterculture movements of the 60’s taking place within the continual unchecked capitalism of the west. Yet despite that, there is much restraint in the poetic lyrics you’ll hear. ‘The United States Of America’ does not feel like an angry record, but it is unapologetic in its observations regardless. It’s an interesting album that I had real trouble applying an arbitrary number to. Because musically I found it had me engaged, yet at the same time it seemed to be pushing me away; as if I was only allowed to view the bubble but not make my way inside to fully embrace it. And lyrically I appreciated the honesty and the raw expression littered throughout the tracklist. So I’m rating it based on my enjoyment; and in this case I’m giving it a 3/5. It’s certainly no “middle of the road” album, like many of my 3/5 ratings. It’s a statement piece through and through, which I can totally respect. And whether it was a commercial and artistic success or not, I don’t think the band particular cared. But it’s worth listening to by anyone, as it will most certainly leave a different impression on many different people.
More interesting than a lot of the psychedelic we've had on here, but I think the genre doesn't really move me.
Psychedelic rock. bah.
Some weird, wacky and fun things here but not a lot that really made an impact with me. I may revisit this.
Hair vibes, some cool songs
Ok, so when this started, I had to pause it to make sure there wasn't an add playing in the background at the same time, because it is literally just 2 different songs playing at the same time. This album is experimental and innovative, but not always good. It has a lot of interesting idea, not all of them pan out, but it is enjoyable at the very least. I am not a huge fan of the female singer, but she is a lot better than the male singer. Some songs do sound a little too derivative of specific Beatles' songs, but I'm not sure which would have come out first.
Psychedelic rock. bah.
hippyish late 60s sound, not terrible
Interesting album. Very psychedelic and late 60s vibe. I'm conflicted about investigating them further since I'd never heard of before last Friday and they never did any beyond this one album. I love other bands of this genre and era but I feel indifferent about this group. They have already begun to fade into obsurity in my little world.
Whoah...this band completely escaped my radar in my hard 60s era. I dig. My cat seemed entranced by Cloud Song - he jumped on my desk and was doing a strange open-mouthed purr. We dig!
Uncle Sam wants you to listen to this album! The United States of America were Insane Clown Posse(ICP) before ICP. With a name like that, it's no wonder they were a one-album wonder. Overall, I enjoyed this in a Juggalo-kind-of-way.
That was a pretty cool album
Far out man.
This one took a few tracks for me to warm up to. I thought that I maybe this would just be one bad ride. But it managed to leave me not hating it all...some interesting sounds for my ears.
Early experimental. Really interesting but im unlikely to replay. Have a *** for your spunk.
Music is a great medium to express political discontent, but I still need a reason to listen in the first place. It got more enjoyable as the album went on, but it came out so strong as overly political without enjoyable music to back it up.
a chill psychedelic rock album, with a few folk surprises like choirs and soft string instruments and almost a Coming Back To Me vibe. Would listen to again.
Trippy. I like the use of violin and cello in place of electric guitar. It definitely makes them stand out.
This is easily one of the more strange albums that I've heard on here lately. It starts out with creepy carnival sounds, and later has a whole song about how tying and whipping his lover is "fine" and "grand", but he can't leave his "wooden wife for you, sugar". Totally ridiculous, pretty fun. This is an American psychedelic rock album from 1968 and it's weird, I'm guessing there were some drugs involved here. Lots of fuzzy electronic sounds in the background, but it also rocks pretty hard compared to what was coming out at the time. If you squint really hard you get the sense that some of the more experimental Velvet Underground songs are in a similar vein to this. I'm not exactly sure what I liked about this, but it was pretty solid. Definitely not my favorite thing ever, but this is a generally positive review for me. I can get on board with weird, and the sound on this was just interesting throughout. I also really liked the female vocalist, I've said it before but that's definitely underrepresented in music from this era. This is probably a 3.5 for me, but I think it falls a little short of rounding up. While I enjoyed it overall, there weren't any songs that really stood out, and a few fell pretty flat. Generally enjoyable though, I like an album that doesn't take itself too seriously. Favorite song: Cloud Song Other: Hard Coming Love, The Garden Of Earthly Delights, I Won’t Leave My Wooden Wife For You Sugar, Love Song For The Dead Che, Stranded In Time 8/3/24
-ok so this is a very interesting album. def a little disorganized and harder to listen to at times but I think it aged suuuper well especially for something that came out in the 60s. Cool electronic experimentation -Favorites are Hard Coming Love, Cloud Song, and The Garden Of Earthly Delights
Quirky, psychedelic. I probably won't revisit it, but it's not the worst from that era. At least it's pretty original.
The birth of electronic "sounds" and political dramatism in popular music. Sounds starkly like other politically motivated 60's music, especially reminiscent of Jefferson Airplane's White Rabbit. I wish there was more detail of the production and songwriting on the wiki
Interesting. A few odd bits. A few good psychedelic bits. Probably wont listen again
Started off rough but by the end I kinda liked it.
Interesting, reminds me of Velvet Underground & Nico. It was released in the 60s but it still sounds fresh. 3.5
Alternativo e bem experimental. Bem bacana e underground
The ring modulator on her voice is actually pretty cool! I had begun thinking that this list had two types of 60s rock albums on it: predictable and repetitive. This is neither. This is psych rock that actually sounds experimental and interesting, as opposed to experimental for the sake of experimentation (for which there is a place, but usually, I'd argue that place isn't on record). That said, this is too long.
This is wild. I hate this album but I also kinda like it at the same time. Guess that deserves a middle-ground 3.
It was okay. A little odd/weird.
It was ok
I thought I would like this album more than I did. I've been really enjoying the psychedelic stuff on this list. But this one was just too weird for me. It had some good moments, but it had a lot more weird ones. It's taken me a while to add my review since listening to it, and to be honest I can't really remember much about it now. But I know I wasn't really feeling it. I was planning to listen to it again, but I've got quite a backlog building and it just doesn't interest me enough to try again. 3/5
100th album! nothing too special though
Psych and ambient - probably the earliest example of 'ambient music' I've been recommended so far. The album is relatively 'safe' for what it is, so I'm not sure how to rank it properly. It's nowhere near bad but doesn't "grab" at me and cannot be compared to similar bands of the time, like Jefferson Airplane and Strawberry Alarm Clock. Probably a good thing the band broke up when they did.
I like every song Dorothy Moskowitz sings on, the other songs feel gimmicky even if the techniques and approach is edgy it just feels sophomoric. But som of Dorothy’s songs are worth the listen.
Bueno. Muy raro
Nice. Enjoyable vibes, but the songs aren’t catchy enough to bump up the album to four stars.
A fascinating time capsule which at times reminds me of Jefferson Airplane and at others early Mothers. An enjoyable psychedelic voyage, though at over an hour it overstayed its welcome a bit.
I think these kids were on acid.
Asså psykadelisk rock är min favoritgenre men detta var lite väl avant garde för mig. Det gick att lyssna på och så det är bara det att jag hade lite högre förhoppningar. Det lät som en blandning av Sgt Pepper och Pink Floyds debutskiva. Inget större fel med det. Tänkte bara att det skulle vara en massa bra låtar men istället så skulle det vara ett unikt och udda konstprojekt. Jävla hippies asså de ska hålla på. Jag vet inte vad jag tycker om omslaget. Det är clean och basic på ett positivt sätt, men kunde kanske varit bättre färger eller något sånt.
Ээээээээээээээээээээээээ... А где смеяться?
whoa
Nog meer psychedelica uit 1968. De vaagheidknop wordt nog een standje hoger gedraaid. Het is afwisselend en creatief, soms fladdert het richting de Beach Boys, hier en daar een poging tot iets Beatle-esks, soms een rauw randje. Maar om nou te zeggen dat het prettig luistert, zo ver zou ik niet willen gaan.
Sometimes weird in a great way, sometimes weird in a terrible way. 2.5 stars.
Beatles meets Daft Punk
The word 'interesting' is the damning with faint praise applicable here. A bit Byrdsy a bit Bandy a bit Jefferson Airplany. Electronics are 'interesting' and three stars for an 'interesting' listen.
After the first couple of tracks, I thought I was in for a rough ride. And while I didn't love it, it was definitely better than the opening few songs would have you think. It has moments that are just weird and annoying, but equally many that are playfully experimental, and even a few songs that are really melodic and have some great vocal performances. On the whole, it's very inconsistent, but there is definitely something about this that makes it unique.
Some really weird and wonderful stuff
R L Y experimental 60s psychedelic rock/electronica. The intro track hooks you immediately with a weird collage of old-timey big band/orchestral sounds, which are prevalent across the album Released 1 year after Sgt. Pepper's was released - the resemblance is uncanny. But it strikes its own identity and doesn't mimic Sgt Pepper's
Probably very original for it's time but hasn't age well.
I don’t have enough years in my life to justify wasting time listening to 20 songs of this. I liked Cloud Song. I can imagine the strange movies all of this music would make great soundtracks for, but it’s not for me. Gave it a 3 because I think it’s a good example of its genre—I just don’t like the genre.
Interesting. I liked it better than Frank Zappa’s stuff.
Good stuff. Freaky and fun. I like it. Favourite track: I won't leave my wooden wife for you.
Is this the most patriotic band of all time? No but the name would make you think otherwise. This is a very early band with a lot of variance in their performance on this and most of was before their time. This album wasn’t the most enjoyable but it had that late 60s sound with the experimentation and psychedelic mess that makes it stand out. Wouldn’t listen again but I can respect it. 6.3/10
This must have been Mexico's response to Pentangle
I didn’t mind it but I’m not sure I could listen to them for any length of time
It was fine.
groovy
Albums and bands like this make me question whether marijuana today really is much stronger than it was in the 60s' and 70s'.
Starts irritatingly enough but in fairness the experimentation and electronic instrumentation gradually grows in interest. Hit and miss. Acid is a terrible drug.
I thought this was the Presidents of the United States of America, which it definitely is not. Instead of early 90s American rock it was a late 60s experimental rock. The Garden of Earthly Delights (a nice homage to Hieronymus Bosch) is by far the most digestible. The other songs are okay, but other than tGoED I wouldn't seek out this album.
Not bad. I didn't know this band at all, weird name for a band. I liked it but it didn't blow me away
Interesteting Album. Not my favorite but for sure not as bad as some reviews say. It was something different and I enjoyed listening to it... Even with the circus theme 😁
It's hard for this genre to survive to modern day and be much more than an interesting sideshow. There is definitely an adventurousness in the variety of electronic and psychedelic sounds... which sometimes gets overdone (Earthly Delights, American Way of Love), while there a several more traditional hippie pop/rock songs that are fine (Hard Coming Love, Where Is Yesterday, Stranded in Time). An interesting adventure. I also note that this is definitely not a name that folks could get away with these days... much like the band "Live", this would be an artist that would be very confusing for an internet search.
It's really good for what it is. It's hippie music and it does it really well mixing the psychedelic with some pop sounds. It gets a bit to avant garde for me at some points, but then has some well-written songs like "Stranded in Time" that require talent.
The United States Of America was a really weird case for me. The album left off a rather bad first impression with its weird composition ideas which did make it sound like random sounds at random times. But unlike most albums on this project, This album actually benefitted from its length because it allowed me to get used to all the weirdness. And when it was all past me, the album could have a few interesting ideas. It isn't a perfect album but i have done far worse on this project. Best Song: Cloud Song Worst Song: The American Metaphysical Circus
Trying to be Jefferson Airplane, but never quite gets there. Okay, psychedelic rock.
This felt ambitious. There was a lot of cool stuff on this album. The instrumentation was great, some really cool bass lines, and all around interesting choices. Where the album falters for me is in the actual songwriting and the vocals. These are not the best singers and for me it ruined a lot of the songs. I think this would’ve worked better as an instrumental album. Also, while some songs were exploratory, most of them were, at the heart, pretty standard blues rock songs with some zany effects over them. I know that is what a lot of 60s psychic rock was like, basically blues rock with a twist, but for all the talent this group seemed to have I felt like they could’ve done more.
I really liked the trippy psych rock aspects of this one which I wasn’t expecting at all from the name. Also shout out the Chad move of taking that band name, dropping one album, and then dipping (3.5/5)
Solid psychadelic rock. Sounds like Floyd meets experimental era Beatles.
This is probably one of those albums that has cultural merit, but I know nothing about that and I only know the music. Music is fine. It's discordant and ethereal, but I didn't appreciate those features.
Had stuff going for it, but it was very uneven. Some songs I couldn’t stand. Some were catchy. I definitely didn’t enjoy this one enough to revisit.
Pfff - this album is difficult to rate: given its classic status and influence on bands I like a lot, I listened to it several times over the years. The material really switches between 1 star and 5 star and is the ending brilliant or just bit of a gimmick. I am not sure.
Not bad at all
Песни так себе, но женский вокал очень понравился
Album 347 of 1001 The United States Of America - The United States Of America Rating : 3.5 / 5 Interesting album. Psychedelic stuff. Certainly representative of the time. Not sure how well it has held up. A good listen and a good one to share with those who enjoy the genre.
Different. Not always in a good way, but it has its moments. The Garden of Earthly Delights was my favorite and the Mac Miller sample caught me completely by surprise.
Very whimsical
"The United States of America" by The United States of America is a pioneering album in the realm of psychedelic rock. Released in 1968, it features a blend of experimental sounds, avant-garde compositions, and electronic elements that were ahead of its time. The album's standout tracks include "The American Metaphysical Circus" and "Love Song for the Dead Che," which showcase the band's innovative approach to music. The use of electronic effects and tape manipulation adds an otherworldly quality to the music, creating a sense of unease and disorientation. However, the album can be challenging to listen to at times, with its disjointed compositions and abstract lyrics. Some listeners may find it difficult to connect with the music on a deeper level. Overall, "The United States of America" is a groundbreaking album that pushed the boundaries of rock music, but its experimental nature may not appeal to all listeners. It earns a 3/5 rating for its innovation and influence, but its lack of accessibility holds it back from a higher score.
some cool parts some just boring. overall interesting but probably won't revisit
I dig the psychedelic vibe on this album. It kinda reminds me of Jefferson Airplane. Perhaps a little too “spacey” if feels like not much is happening at times. 3.25*
Why are 60's albums so long
freaky and fun, late-60s psychedalia. 3 stars.
If the Beatles are a good acid trip, this was a bad one. So many anxiety inducing songs. Cool sound with a lot of unexpected elements. Not my thing. Standouts for me: The Garden of Earthly Delights Stranded in Time Do You Follow Me
Intriguing.
Honestly a high 3 stars. Songs were so fucking weird but sometimes moments would be pretty good
Meh, too weird
Bizarre, but interesting.
I listened to this while working out. This is not a working out album, this is a getting high album. The Garden of Earthly Delights was wild and Coming Down was fun. It really was a decent psych folk album, I just wish I could have been high today. 3.5 stars but probably 4 if I were high
I quite enjoyed this. Not enough to listen to it a second time, but it was at least interesting and original.
Not half bad. Will listen to "I Won't Leave My Wooden Wife for You, Sugar" again. The Simpsons reference: Genuinely impossible to research given their name, but I doubt it.
This one is completely new to me, and I thought I wasn't going to be in to it based on the first track. But, it won me over. There's a lot of cool stuff going on in here.
3 stars for pushing the envelope, but I can't imagine I'll be coming back to this one.
Interesting album. Not necessarily one that I'll go back to repeatedly, or that I can spin start to finish and enjoy the whole thing, but there are enough interesting moments -- instrumentation, vocals, genre-bending -- to make it mostly enjoyable. Some parts are a bit too acid-trippy/avant-garde for me though.
Weird little psychedelic trip of an album. Ran long and a few songs felt not needed.
Strange album. Electronic sounds seem to be over the top of tracks not part of them. Probably ground breaking for its time
Pretty good.
Embryonic, but the door was opened for psychedelic electronic experimentation. High points include some great song writing and proto-freak out rock. But there was some cacophony.
After reading the reviews, I fully expected to hate this, but it was pretty fun! It could be the soundtrack to a psychedelic space romp or a kitschy sitcom from the 60s.
When I started listening to the album I was convinced it was going to be a 1-star album, but it recovered itself. I think the first half is is pretty messy and not very good. At 'The American Way of Love: Part I' that changes and it actually becomes quite decent! My main issue with the album is that it's generally incoherent and sprawling all over the place. It's also quite long. This album will not stay with me for long, but overall I think it was quite interesting, so going to give it a weak 3-star!
Experimental rock that throws in a calliope and a (at times heavily processed) violin that almost convincingly does substitute duty for a lead guitar, as well as one of the first albums to use electronic sounds, which suits the psychedelic vibe they are going for well. Not quite Captain Beefheart territory, but it's close. Hard Coming Love and Garden of Earthly Delights are the standouts tunes for me.
3/5 there were some potential ones, but also some bad ones.
Whether you "like" this record or not, you have to recognize how original, groundbreaking and extraordinary it is on a purely stylistic "level". It's a psychedelic feat--filled to the brim with elextronic textures and lush vocals foretelling far later acts such as Broadcast--a far-left "situationist" manifesto, and a sixties rock LP all rolled into one single offering. A quite striking association. Is it "good", though? Let's see.... "The American Metaphysical Circus" is a moody opener Trish Keenan or Beth Gibbons could have sung on later on--those sonic collages sounded like no other music during the sixties, and I think the rhythm section here has been sampled or borrowed by none other than Portishead for "Half Day Closing", if I'm not mistaken--a sure sign that The United States Of America were indeed ahead of their time with such an opener. "Hard Coming Love" sounds as if Pierre Henry was covering a Jefferson Airplane song (those crazy electronic flourishes!), and the result are pretty effective. With its eastern-inspired arrangements on violin, "Cloud Song" is a timeless delight--an ambient track that could have illustrated a scene from a sci-fi blockbuster or a historical epic. In "The Garden Of Earthly Delights", the Broadcast impression is stronger than ever, here propelled by a lively compositions that quickly hits the right marks. And what a chorus! "I Won't Leave My Wooden Wife For You, Sugar" is a goofy novelty act recalling similar experiments in *Sgt Pepper* but lacking their charm. It's even pretty horrid and hackneyed at times. Too bad. "Where Is Yesterday" is a dreamy cut carried by entranced vocal harmonies reminiscent of a religious oratorio. Nice way to open the second side of the LP, but more an interlude than a proper song, even if the atonal glissandi on strings create a perfect transition with what comes next. "Coming Down" is a hectic psychedelic gem--its guitar arrangements perfectly complement Dorothy Moskowitz's vocal performance. The starts of the verses, where the guitar goes haywire, are a thing of joy, as short as those moments are. "Love Song For The Dead Che" is a delicate cut, with subtle latin inflexions in keeping with its subject matter. Short "Stranded In Time" starts like an American reply to the Kinks, then quickly goes to more exotic places, and finishes on a sort of question mark--leaving things very unfinished. What the hell happenend here? And the same bum notes affect the three parts of experimental closer "The American Way Of Love". It's just a hot mess--and without the right drug and/or the right melodic touches, such endeavor never goes beyond its "curio" status. The Beatles had "Revolution 9", sure. But there were all the other stellar tunes in the White Album along with that other self-indulgent experiment to make the latter "acceptable" and even "fun" to go through. This is not exactly what happens here. So is thsi record *good*? Not always, unfortunately. The album starts very well but ends with quite dull or even grating moments. Being ahead of your day and age doesn't necessarily mean you're "great"--even if two thirds of those tracks are very close to being so. It's just that the album as a whole doesn't quite exactly gel--its last couple of tracks being somewhat of a letdown. And I won't discuss the bonus tracks, which don't really affect the brush strokes I've painted here (a mix of great tracks and disappointing ones). I'm glad this record is in the list, though. Even if I'm not sure there will be room for it in mine. 3/5 for the purposes of this list of "essential albums". Which translates to an 8/10 grade for more general purposes (5 + 3 ; a large part of those points stemming from the groundbreaking nature of this LP). Number of albums left to review: 339 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 299 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 159 (including this one) Albums from the list I won't include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 212
Trippy, maaaaaan. Part folk album, part sound collage, part acid nightmare, I'm sort of confused by what's going on here. And I definitely didn't love all of it. But it was certainly interesting, particularly for an album from the '60s, predating even the Beatles' White Album. The small segments of pure songwriting sound great, and while perhaps not as interesting to the artists themselves as the creative chaos surrounding them, I'd have loved to hear a less noisy version of this album. But I guess that would have defeated the point.
I debated whether this was a 3 star or 4 star. It was interesting and I really enjoyed it. I can hear how it was Avant Garde for its time. I try to conceptualize the music in its time but 55 years later it kind of sounds like some of the more “out there” psychedelia which is very interest but not really lasting.
Interesting example of 60s studio experimentation with electronics.
It was alright I guess
Psychedelic rock. bah.
Goofy plata enn samt góð
Hlustaði á þessa einhverntímann í kvennó, Cloud Song og Love Song for the Dead Che falleg. Ótrúlegt hvað tónlistarfólk komst upp með skrýtna hluti á major labelum á þessum tíma. 2.5
Þetta hlýtur að vera helvíti brautryðjandi. Mikið chaos, fáránlega early adaptation af synthum og enginn helvítis gítar. Rafmagnsfiðlur for life! Þetta er töff fyrir það að vera experimental og hrátt. Feitur bassinn líka. Ætla samt ekki að hlusta á þetta aftur í bráð get ég sagt þér…
Hlustaði á þessa einhverntímann í Kvennó, cloude song og Love Song for the Dead Che falleg. Fáránlegt hvað hvað tónlistarfólk komst upp með að gera furðulega hluti á major labelum á þessum tíma. 2.5
Pssssychadelic, no big standouts. Lots of sounds you hear in psych rock today which is cool.
It was alright!
Interesting and clearly groundbreaking. I could imaging getting all ganked up on shrooms and listening to this in a catatonic state back in the day lol
I want so very much to like this type of music. I think I'm getting close... however, this wasn't for me.
Some good tunes in there! But a little inconsistent for me
Psychedelic hippie circus. The inventiveness grew on my as the album progressed.
3.5
This made me think of the minstrel shows of old. Or maybe a traveling carnival, complete with jugglers, sword swallowers, men with high hats walking around on tall stilts, and a bearded lady. The atmosphere is chaotic, the music more a cacaphony than a symphony, and everyone is having fun. That last bit is what matters. And just as an aside, there was something about the lead singer, Dorothy Moskowitz, that really stood out for me. She's 83 and still working...Fabulous!
Very avant-garde at a time when that was a term that meant something. The acid trip allusions are a bit much in this day and age but I'm sure at the time very subversive. Some intriguing sounds and themes. Music for musicologists, could be considered progressive Classical if not for rock instrumentation. Worthy of a place on the list but not something I would listen to repeatedly, though I do appreciate stuff that veers in this direction: music you might hear at an academic Art museum retrospective and go "huh!"Sort of surprising this ever got pressed. Interesting
Leuk draaiorgel 🙂.
I'm definitely too sober to fully appreciate this album. It's very weird, but strangely enough doesn't really spark any emotion in me. I have no strong feelings about this album.
Wow, this is a whacked out hippy mess, but kind of in a good way. Seems a shame to give it a 3, because it’s far from average. But a lot of this is cool experimental psychedelia and a lot is ridiculous silly noise. I guess it’s reasonable to expect a bit of overlap with those 2 things.
This one took a while to enjoy. I thought it was pretty bad at first. But, it got better. With more listens I'll probably find it rates a better score, but for now it will have to be a 3.5 because it is still very new to me. I will definitely come back to it again.
Judging by all of the commotion, you'd think this was another Limp Bizkit album. Though it doesn't rise to the Level of Stereolab or some Sonic Youth albums, it is far and away from a Fred Durst release. There are some good roots here and that Stereolab reference was not a mistake. I can here them coming through loud and clear on some tracks. But others are complete nonsense. And the only place for weird forgotten nostalgia in the background is on an album like this (though I still hate it). Kudos for making something weird and trying to tie it to politics ...? No, that's nonsense. Regardless, better than anticipated but still difficult to listen to.
It wa
3.5
Psychedelic, not my fav but I get it
a psych rock theatrical production. religious themes seemed forced in (dont care if it was critical or shining about it). definitely seems like free love drug music, which is cool. over the top soloing gets to be a bit pretentious and overdone. also, fuck. why it gotta be so nearly out of key at times. this seems like a relic.
what the hell did i just listen to
Too long, but pretty interesting
Jedním slovním spojením klaunská hudba. Hlasité, chaotické a nepříjemné zvuky z tohoto experimentu dělají něco, co se nedá poslouchat každý den při běžné příležitosti. Ale zážitek je to zajímavý. Střídají se různé styly, rozhodně nejde pouze o (psychedelický) rock. Můžeme slyšet latinu, folk, tradiční japonský styl, atd. Je to lidský chaos, mix všeho možného i nemožného – což zřejmě vystihuje USA, zemi mnoha vlivů, klaunů a géniů. Texty jsou vesměs dobré, instrumentace je někdy zajímavá, někdy ne. Střídají se dobré a horší momenty, někdy to zní jako parodie na generické písničky, ale pak zas nic nenasvědčuje tomu, že to není myšleno vážně. Celkově se jedná spíše o nadprůměrné album. Slyším v tom energii hodně podobnou Pink Floyd. Nejlepší písničky: Where Is Yesterday (nejlépe poslouchatelná písnička, dobrý text) Nejhorší písničky: nicneříkající písničky jako Tailor Man Hodnocení: 7/10
Weird, experimental, hippy-dippy stuff.
Some really good stuff, but a lot of it was too chaotic for my taste
Best Song: Garden of Earthly Delights. The female vocals are by far better than any of the male ones on the album. Worst Song: The American Metaphysical Circus. I like a weird intro as much as the next guy, but this is just downright discordant in a way that I don't want to listen to. Overall: That ordinary brand of 60s era rock weirdness. Sometimes the weirdness is refreshing, often it gets in the way of itself. A time capsule of a particular time that doesn't really need to be revisited.
Haven’t really heard anything like it before
Sounds good
Interesting but not something I would want to hear again
I will give it some acknowledgment, this album is very progressive for 1968. However, it’s overall nothing special for a rock album, especially compared to other artists at the time. Low to mid three.
this had its moments. Some interesting stuff. Some cool 60s psychedelia. Some lame 60s hippy shit. Overall, decent.
The album that the Mother's of Invention wished they could make. It's weird and very sixties but it hasn't got the try hard "Look at me, I'm weird" that the Mothers had. Best Tracks: Hard Coming Love; I Won't Leave My Wooden Wife For You, Sugar, Coming Down
Doses de piscodelia agradáveis que provocaram a vontade de escutar mutantes e principalmente Jefferson Airplane.
Inte så tokigt.
They threw everything at the wall and some of it stuck.
everything and the girl
Bit too all over the shop at points but they were certainly doing some interesting stuff
This album vacillates wildy between, "yeah, I can dig this" and "Oh no, what are you doing. Often in the same song. If you know anything about music in the late 60s, you already know what this album sounds like.
This was weird! But I also kind of enjoyed it? Solid psychedelic experimentation and some fun instrumental bits. 3/5.
Interesting. Very very interesting. Was never bored. Was mostly having a good time. Here's where a 3.5 rating would be absolutely accurate.
Pretty tough to listen to but at the very end I found myself slightly endeared to this album. 5/10
Did not connect with me
This is an interesting album, especially since it’s the only one the band released, and yet it’s highly regarded. Harsh in some parts and playful in others, this album maintains a strong psychedelic feel throughout. The weird spoken samples that break down the end of the album are a collage of sound that was envelope-pushing in the late 60s.
what a fucking rubbish name for a band and album. good amount of freaking out though.
This was interesting. I didn’t love it but it definitely kept my attention. Curious what they would have done if they had made more than this one album. 3 stars.
very intense, like the beatles on quaaludes.
Avant Garde and weird. Def a lot of influencing happening here also - the singing esp is so Jefferson Airplane/Grace Slick (Surrealistic Pillow came out before this record did so....) There was some good stuff on here and it was an enjoyable listen but I doubt I'll ever feel the need to come back to it.
A very cool psychedelic record with sounds that were way, way ahead of their time. This is not an album I like in full, but the songs I like are very cool instrumentally! Vocally, this does nothing for me, even Dorothy's vocals are a bit grating to me. A very out there record with a lot of nonsensical stuff, but I can dig it! Favorite lyrics: - All you see of yesterday is shadows in your mind. Key tracks: The American Metaphysical Circus, Cloud Song, The Garden Of Earthly Delights, Where Is Yesterday, 7 out of 10
The intro to the first song was utter cacophony but further in the album had quite a few enjoyable songs.
3/5 It was a bit to much flashback for me. Too hippie dippy. It had some good parts, but also I fell asleep during it so it couldn't have been that exciting.
This album sounds like a sound engineer who was really into avant-garde bullshit got ahold of a record that was specifically engineered to sound like it came out of Liverpool. The best tracks sound like Jefferson Airplane rejects. Best track: The Garden of Earthly Delights
Pretty far out there, but cool.
Very weird album that I strangely liked. The singing didn't do a whole lot for the album, but the instrumentation was really cool. Favorite track: Where is Yesterday
Only one song on Spotify. Interesting song thought.
A really interesting album by a band I had never heard of. Not something I'll revisit any time soon but I feel somewhat more musically educated.
I'm not the biggest fan, but i bloody love how much experimentation went into each track. somehow each track sounded unique, yet its tellable from the same minds. for listening its a 2/5 imo, but for i greatly admire its experimentation so i'll give it a 3/5 xoxo
Interesting! I quite enjoyed listening to this, thinking of it in the context of Sgt Peppers and the White Album. Not sure if I'd hunt it out again, esp as I couldn't listen to it on Spotify but had to use YouTube (which gets fiddly in relation to my speakers/headphones). But some really engaging compositions and sounds nonetheless - 3.5 stars.
In the late 60’s I picked up a Columbia compilation from the 50c bin at Ashwoods In Pitt St, Sydney. Called Aquarius Revisited, it featured John Kay (pre-Steppenwolf), The Great Society, featuring Grace Slick (pre-Airplane), The Rising Sons (Ry Cooder & Taj Mahal, pre-solo careers), Tim Rose (with the version of Hey Joe that Hendrix covered soon after), etc. Track One on Side Two was The American Metaphysical Circus by this band. Until today that was the only track I remember hearing from this band. I really enjoyed this. Especially I Won’t Leave My Wooden Wife For You, Sugar & Hard Coming Love. It covers many styles but does it well. I still have that album, water-damaged & all, from the xmas break from uni when I was living in my parents’ laundry & mum let the sink overflow. A lot of good covers came to grief that day.
3/5. A fun collection of psychedelic songs with unique instrumentation but nothing to write home about.
Begon net te heftig voor me, maar rest voelde ik al meer. Ben over algemeen wel fan van psych rock maar denk dat dit net iets te heavy was voor nu
Intéressant, clairement précurseur dans le monde de la musique prog/expérimentale
A hodge podge or perhaps cornucopia of pop and psychedelic 60's sounds. Not horrible but seems to be trying to hard to be different.
A mixed bag of disjointed psychedelic sounds. Like trying to be the TV version of whatever was groovy at the time.
Interesting. they tried a lot of different ideas with this.
This is the late 60's. Some experimental sounds, mostly good but overall not my jam.
some decent tunes as early 70s genre, although recording quality is not great
Listened to it a few times. Never really captured my full attention. Never compelled to skip a song but no song really stands out as excellent and worthy of repeat listens, (maybe The Garden of Eartly Delights). 3 stars
Love the cover art. First track was a disaster but much better after that. The sort of psych I can deal with.
Canciones con un marcado carácter de los años 60, rock un tanto psicodélico, abundancia de guitarras y batería. Rock clásico. Bien para escuchar, pero le faltan matices
I enjoyed the bits that weren't weird.
This was like a wild trip. Parts were terrifying and parts were enjoyable. The 60s were weird times.
Real wacky one here. I enjoyed the variation and unpredictability of it, but sometimes the vocals or just overall structure gets awkward. Interesting listen tho! Wasn’t expecting to find a Mac Miller sample from this as well! 5/10
Decent
weirder than i was expecting
This was weird. Bizarre. Not bad, but... well... odd...
Really ahead of its time
Swings between being really quite good and being completely ruined by its own pretension.
Beetje aparte rock'n'roll. Ik houdt wel van die creatieve muziek, en dit album heeft ook wel een paar interessante nummers. ***
Pleasingly chaotic psychedelic pop. The Garden of Earthly Nights and the Eleanor Rigby-esque Stranded in Time were my favourites. The fact they only made one album gives this a bit of a mythology too: they came, they made weird music, they split up. Job done.
Crazy hippies. It was ok. Sounded ahead of its time in places.
-"Hard Coming Love" has a pretty cool bass/synth/drum intro Great kick in during "Stranded In Time" -Overall okay experimental rock. Lots of it was only kind of interesting
é bem experimental. impressionante que tenham feito algo assim nesse ano. é um album que eu provavelmente nunca mais vou ouvir, mas gostei.
Far out, man. It's fine enough when it's on, the use of synthesizer is a pretty big step forward. Aside from that, most of the record is in the vein of Jefferson Airplane, the Beatles, or the Doors (the last song of which is so Doors it hurts my teeth). Favorite tracks: "The Garden of Earthly Delights", "Where is Yesterday", "Stranded In Time"
I have a soft spot for old-school 60’s psychedelia so I got a kick out of this. They’re clearly a band that enjoys goofing around in the studio with sound effects as much as they do songcraft. Which is not to say the songs aren’t good - they are! But a lot of my enjoyment of this comes from the little production surprises and oddball choices. Funny that such an experimental band decided to name themselves something so mundane. I’m guessing that’s the joke? Highlights: - “Hard Coming Love” (I love that ripping guitar that opens the song) - “I Won’t Leave My Wooden Wife For You, Sugar” (This one cracked me up - I think it’s a good example of sound effects enhancing the song by bringing out the humor) - “Coming Down” (Great fuzzy riff) - “The American Way of Love” (Nutty, druggy chaos but there’s some great hard rock mixed in here. Also, I thought the very end of this suite was kinda beautiful)
Interesting experimental Sgt. Pepper-y stuff going on, and I'm here for it. There are some solid pop songs in there, but then they layer on the silly sound effects in a way you just wouldn't expect!
What a weird opener track. It sounds like alien rock. I both love and hate the drums being panned so harshly in the right ear. God damnit the drumset is panned again in the second track. It's a pretty dynamic album. The 5th song, "I wouldn't Leave My Wooden Wife For You, Sugar" is totally Beatles-y and shows how experimental the band is trying to be while also sticking to common songwriting structures and forms. The following song shows more of the dynamics, as it is a weird chordal drone piece which totally contrasts the one before it. I liked it more as it went on and I'm definitely intrigued by the band.
highlights: the intro slaps -stranded in time -cloud song (sample sounds familiar) least favs: -the americal metaphysical circus (alternate version) oh god, what do you even say to this load liked: partially, the album is all over the place, so i'm mostly indifferent
psych rock
This was a weird one. 60s psychedelic but with early electronic bits! Some of it is gimmicky but also some really cool stuff
Who gave these cats a record contract?? That's what I want to know. It is THOROUGHLY weird, but thankfully vibes with my specific brand of attention- and hyperactivity-related deficits. I will be returning to this a few times. I feel like they took Sgt Pepper's a few steps into another dimension. Also sounds GREAT for being recorded and mixed 50 years ago. The bass, drums and voice are clear and deep. Could really do without the pipe organ cameos tho. Circus music doesn't belong anywhere.
Interesting in parts
**5/23/2022 - ALBUM #116** https://open.spotify.com/album/328gsq5mObioXj2TcD8AED?si=301bkd6cSCiHraUkHiwdUA Today's Album: "The United States Of America" by The United States Of America - This album is sort of a hard one to figure out. Being pretty much the first example of art rock or noise rock aside from maybe Sgt. Peppers, it shows a lot of musical talent and wit. The album flows as a sort of musical acid trip with every song being interrupted quite frequently by strange and disorienting effects and noises. I think that for it's time, this is truly a work of art, showing the really early sonic experimentation that was going on in the late 60s and early 70s and it really does lend itself to the psychedelic era it was created in, but once you realize it's just an album to fuck with druggies for an hour and 6 minutes and you start to get deeper into the track list, it becomes obvious that it doesn't hold up today. However, I kept having to listen to track after track to figure out why. After all, the instrumental playing is great, the production is obviously stellar, the songwriting is pretty consistent and easy to listen to, but the reason it all falls apart is that the sounds that keep interrupting the otherwise decent music are just too dated. The first time I heard Revolution 9 by the Beatles, it was one of the most insane experiences I had with music because it was just so uneasy and disturbing. Then I listened to To Be Kind by Swans and was blown away by what noise music could really be. My problem with this project is that no matter how hard they try to create this really disorienting and trippy experience, it never actually crossed over into being anything that actually surprised me or made me feel uneasy. Annoyed and disoriented, yes, but never actually tripped out or uncomfortable. Maybe this is just me being used to this genre and therefore being less surprised by this kind of experimentation, but considering A Day in the Life was apparently the inspiration for this, it just starts to become really underwhelming as the gimmick of this album becomes more clear. I really like a lot of aspects of this project, but the songwriting is almost too tight and enjoyable to allow for these interruptions that just don't hold their own within the bigger noise rock genre. I think many of these songs are really up my alley but they all end up getting marked down a point or two because of this glaring flaw. Overall, this could be a really cool introduction for someone who like tighter songwriting into the world of sonic experimentation and noise, but it just didn't really impress me and I don't think it holds up very well today. Give this one a listen if you want a decent entry point into this style, but honestly just listen to Sgt. Peppers instead. Highlights: N/A Score: 5.5/10 Psychedelic art/noise that just doesn't impress me
Plenty of creativity on this groundbreaking album, but there are also a lot of oddities that make it hard to recommend or go back and listen to regularly. On balance, 3 out of 5.
Weird but cool
never heard of this before, obviously very influential from Revolution 9 to Broadcast and The American Analog Set. interesting
Another of the psychedelic rock albums from the 60s. It was okay, but not particularly memorable and it doesn't surprise me that it isn't first in line of the albums that are remembered.
More interesting than it is good. The first track had me intrigued but I kind of started losing interest as the album went on. I could see myself maybe enjoying it more if I spent more time with it.
Awesome
I liked this. It has an obvious 60's vibe but also some of it sounds very contemporary and some interesting use of mixing and cutting. glad i listened to this.
2.5/5 Interesting album. I liked it, but none of the songs really jumped out for me. It was all okay, maybe I will listen to it again. Favourite song: - The American metaphysical circus
Good rhythms kept me listening.
What. The. Fuck. This was so weird, but also fun. Having never heard of this band before, I did not know what to expect, and having listened to the album, I'm still not entirely sure. The United States Of America, much like its namesake, ran the gamut of sounds and influences, with lots of simple but groovy drums, era appropriate B3 Hammond organ, womp-y bass lines, and vocals that are equal parts spacey and fuzzy, with the sporadic instrumental breaks that deny structure or genre; what sounds like a Theremin features heavily, but subtly in the album, alongside accordion, sitars and other instruments that sound would sound more fitting a 70s animated feature (Yellow Submarine comes to mind). As a matter of fact, Stranded In Time sounds almost like Eleanor Rigby, with its playful strings and poppy vocals, right before it breaks into full organ flourishes. While it might not be something this writer would enjoy, exposure to this album sounds like a glimpse into the nascence of experimental music, with all the limitations and innovations of its era. Not something I would revisit to enjoy, but rather to break the aural monotony.
Honestly, I almost bailed after the first song. Glad I didn’t! While still weird throughout, definitely got better for me.
Yikes. This is trippy stuff. Can't deny their prognosticating either. We are definitely living in the American Metaphysical Circus now. This album claims to have no guitar (other than bass) on it, which is crazy after listening to "Hard Coming Love." "The Garden of Earthly Delights" could use less laser beam sounds, but it's a decent song. "Where is Yesterday" and "Coming Down" are wacky little experimental songs. I like them enough. They push this thing to 3-stars.
Disc arquetípic de la contracultura dels seixanta. Psicodelia a tope, lletres subversives, fet i dissenyat per disfrutar sota l'efecte de drogues alucinògenes. Importa més el concepte que les cançons. Molt del moment, d'un estat d'ànim