Reviews (page 5 of 8)
Not a favourite by any means. I get the experimental part of it but it doesn’t do anything for me.
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.
This is a joke. Right?
While interesting, I just couldn’t get into it. I can understand its place in music history, I just can give it more than two stars.
I can't believe I hadn't heard of this record until now. You can hear how much this influenced later records. Really great album, cool instrumentation. 8/10
++: 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'd heard a lot of people rave about this album over the years, but never got around to it myself until now. i can see why people like this album. i also don't know that i really get it fully. it's good, at points. there's some cool stuff here, but there's also a lot of carnival music. i wish there was more of the cool stuff and less of the carnival music. it does feel ahead of its time, but also i don't know if i think it's all that great ultimately.
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.
Weird, not in a charming way.
Never heard of them. Then I realized perhaps I have but immediately turned it off. Not good still…
Garbage…60s psychedelia at its worst
don’t listen to it right after waking up while handling two pots and one pan at once 1/5 🧃
Well that was something else. Not terrible for artsy.
Well this was an unexpected psychedelic delight It’s wiggy in places, insufferable in others, but when it all clicks there are cracking songs here
lots of good production stuff involving reverb, distortion, etc.
I had to give this a second chance, listening to a few songs again. At first I didn’t like it. But I came to enjoy the playfulness, and the vocals as well. Interesting for sure.
Psychedelic Rock, loopy and experimental. Some weird noisy shit in the background, trippy. Grating vocal. Fucking hate this.
Disclaimer: I only did the original 10 tracks and none of the added ones from the remaster. This album tries to do a lot and tries to be super wacky experimental and quirky. It actually succeeds often but the flops are rough and make the entire project fall apart. Didn't get much of the lyrics and don't care to look it up.
20 tracks of nonsense
Charles Ives! A delight to find some pointedly obtuse and theory-heavy music here calling back to one of the first dudes to approximate the sound of a city falling down the stairs. To top it off, tunes and a beauty in “Love Song For The Dead Che”, blast it at your next inauguration!
Never heard of this before, obviously very influential from Revolution 9 through Broadcast and The American Analog Set. Interesting but not going into heavy rotation here
Don’t like the vocal effects, just kinda boring
A long, strange trip into oscillators and ideology👽. Clever, chaotic, and way ahead of its time. Uncle Sam never sounded so warped.
you guys are fucking horrified
I actually enjoyed this a lot. I’ve said before that there’s actual 60s psychedelic music with soul and then there’s the sort of “hippy scene in Ironside” fake square version of it. Well rarely, you get something which feels like both combined. And it’s a vibe I dig. Like The Monkee’s “Head” film. Similar to that film, this feels like it has some Frank Zappa in it, especially the early Mothers of Invention stuff. It also reminds me of White Noise and Jefferson Airplane. But some tracks almost feel like modern Radiohead to me with the fuzzed out bass and precise drum rhythms. Yeah! Interesting and different. I will revisit.
How many drugs were taken when writing this…. I think they might still be high….
This shit is weird and I like it.
I like it! It has a Jefferson Airplane vibes. Very cool. 4 stars
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.
I like this a lot. Experimental and Avant Garde but not too weird to alienate the listened. I also like the Electronic instrument melodies which give it a "futuristic" feeling.
It’s good but laser beams are my least favorite instrument so that kinda ruins it for me.
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.
The early form of psychedelic music, where discordant noises trump actual music all to often - it's all a bit free jazz for me in parts, not something I'm going to be coming back to.
Exceeded expectations?
I want to like it! Did not finish
Album cover says it all, looks more like five scientists conducting an experiment than a rock 'n' roll band. Almost every song is a car crash of genres, mashed together to...parody them? Is this a critique of American traditional music? Of sunshine pop? Of musicals? Of psychedelia? Just as soon as the band settles into a groove, it often gets sidetracked by some weirdo digression into discordant noise, such as on the first two-thirds of "Cloud Song" (which surprisingly has a lovely outro). I mean, do they even *like* the music that they are playing? The whole album is about as pleasant as twisting the radio dial for 37 minutes straight. Had the band dialed down the nuttiness (like they do on the relatively straightforward "Love Song for the Dead Ché") the album might have been a more musically appealing vehicle for their anti-establishment sentiments. These people are obviously accomplished musicians, just imagine what they could have accomplished if they had chosen to use their talents for good instead of evil.
The more out-there, experimental stuff isn't great, I'll admit. Aside from that, I'd say everything else they tried they hit the spot. The more typical psychedelic rock they nailed, then the slower ballads were just as good if not better. The bass was phenomenal and Dorothy's vocals are great.
328/1001 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑
This weird 60's psychedelia album is the kind of odd stuff I keep hoping I'll discover by participating in this site. At times all over the place, messy and experimental, I still enjoyed it as a whole.
80/1089 - Kinda reminds me of Stereolab. Cool bass-lines, drum breaks, and chords and I thought the canon thing in the middle was quite unique. For sure has a dated sound with the primitive electronic instruments complimenting the 60s recording. I didn't really understand all the found sounds and calliopes but it didn't get too in the way of the psychedelic experiments.
2.5/5. One of the albums that I’m glad I fell asleep to and didn’t have to listen to but still technically did.
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.
Really enjoyed this one! It was a bit long and lost some steam towards the end, but it was all in all an enjoyable listening experience.
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.
I think the avant-garde is the most important aspect of any artistic medium, so I can't completely dismiss this. But maybe I didn't take enough acid to fully appreciate it that day.
Thought I’d like this better.
Good lord.
What was that
Terrible. I think they named themselves "The United States of America" because then you feel guilty saying you hate "The United States of America". Hated it.
Thought this was some folk-y rock album, forgot how wild and experimental this one is. Pretty ahead of it's time, right around the Velvets and the Doors releasing their first stuff. Heard it once before but it was really clicking this time, will have to go back soon as it definitely takes some listens to absorb it all.
Strange band, strange music.
falls under the category of things i’m not really cool enough to like
sonically this was enjoyable, but also what the fuck??????
I really wasn’t into this Sufjan Stevens record.
Had never heard of the band, and upon googling discovered they only had this album. Explains it. Similar sound to The Doors or post-India Beatles. Synthy progressive rock
Literally clown music. It’s truly one of my most hated thus far. Every 60’s psychedelic record this list gives me is worse than the previous.
Interesting trippy psychedelic rock. It is very much of its era - heard influences from St. Peppers. Standouts are “Hard Coming Love”. Also liked “Garden of Earthly Delights”. That weird calliope type sound throughout the album was frankly a little scary - sounds like a soundtrack to some clown themed horror movie.
Almost aggressively trippy in places, but I dig it, man.
Fuck this goofy shit
Shit
how dare they call this the United States of America when its so BAD LOL More like united band of people who lost their hearing
I do not like this. It’s giving me a headache.
Did not like this album and couldn’t understand why each song had multiple bad versions.
sort of like if jefferson airplane did more drugs and was worse at making music
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
It's like they made a full album out of the ending part of A Day in the Life
That was super weird and I loved it. Finding out Byrd founded the Yankee Doodle Society has made it even better.
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 was vaguely aware of what this album was meant to be and am happy it does what it promises, it's hard to say immediately but maybe a quick favorite in this era of experimenting with electronic and tape stuff. it feels has lots of layered soundscapes and different passages but it rarely feels disjointed, and the atmosphere on a lot of the tracks is really well done. also some of the songs are just really fun too, i love The Garden of Earthly Delights. the vocals are a highlight too i also found out later that the standard edition of the album is just up to track 10, the rest apparently were bonus tracks, some of which were written after most of the band left, but honestly they still fit pretty well with the rest if having a small quality drop, small enough that it still felt pretty fitting. going for high 4 mainly bc i'd need to listen to it more
I had listen to it, but somehow did not write a review, so here it is: it did not stand out, experimental music
this one caught me off guard in the best possible way. The United States Of America is one of those albums where you sit there thinking, How the hell did this even come out in the '60s? It’s mad experimental, totally off its nut in places, but somehow everything comes together into this weirdly beautiful, psychedelic masterpiece. the creativity on this record is unreal. It’s absolutely loaded with experimental sounds, tape effects, weird synth textures, distorted electronics but it never feels like they’re throwing stuff in just for the sake of it. Every strange bleep and bloop has its place. It’s clever without being pretentious, and I love that. The vocals from Dorothy Moskowitz are lush, delicate but confident, dreamy but sharp. She really pulls you into that psychedelic haze and somehow makes all the weirdness feel approachable. The lyrics are poetic and trippy but not nonsensical, if that makes sense. They paint these surreal pictures that just fit with the soundscape perfectly. The instrumentation is also bang on. There’s no guitar, which is mental for a '60s psychedelic album, but they make up for it with all kinds of keyboards, electronics, and percussion. The bass work is dead clever too. It holds everything together amidst the chaos. The orchestral flourishes and jazz-inspired moments are lush and unexpected, adding so much colour to the whole thing. Production-wise, it’s proper forward-thinking. Everything feels layered and immersive. Even now, it sounds fresh, like something that could’ve dropped this year from some niche indie label. They were so ahead of their time. The only real downside is that some of the tracks get a little too experimental for their own good. There are moments where it teeters on becoming noise for the sake of noise, and if you’re not in the right mood, it can be a bit much. Also, because it’s so experimental, it’s not exactly something you can whack on at any moment, you need to want to listen and immerse yourself in it. But honestly, those are small complaints. I bloody love how ambitious this album is. It’s bold, weird, and wonderfully creative without losing focus. It’s genuinely impressive how they’ve crafted something so strange and made it so listenable. The textures, the experimentation, the lush vocals, the fearless production. it’s all top-notch. This album feels like discovering a secret little treasure chest. Every time I go back to it, I find something new. It’s playful, it’s inventive, and it’s one of those albums that reminds me why I love diving into music in the first place. 4.8/5 stars. Almost flawless, bold as hell, and completely unique. A proper psychedelic gem that still holds up decades later.
9/10 Prettyyyyy insane and lovely hidden gem from the 60s, Experimental Rock wasn’t as common place until the 70s and onwards so it’s pretty easy to miss the weirdo Rock albums from this era that weren’t Zappa, TVU, Beefheart, or some Beatles cuts. This is an essential for anyone looking for some early innovators in the genre, it still sounds fresh today, from the Electronic fusions and Sound Collage methods to the very progressive and outright radical songwriting topics, it’s pretty fucking sick for an album from 1968. It’s really neat to have a random collage of abrasive, psychedelic, experimental, and genuinely lovely songs all be on the same album, like I just fucking adore this record so much and it deserves so much more credit than it gets. Fuck tha brits, USA USA USA
I didn’t like this
Straight ass, im curious tho how many drugs were done over the course of making this album.
I'm really starting to question the credibility of whoever wrote this book. We've had a lot of stinkers the last few days. This isn't the worst I've heard, but it's not good. 1.7/5
experimental, a bit Jefferson Airplane. Not my bag.
You shouldn’t have to be on acid to listen to an album
Why?
I love the hippie dippiness of this and the lyrics and such, but the high treble was a bit much for my ears.
ba-ba-ba-BANGER Oooh is that a harp? Mmm yum It’s so whimsical and so shroomy
This started off as a pretty solid 2.0 for me, but the more I listened, the more I started to appreciate its presence on the list. It's not as much about the music as it is about the experimentation happening. That being said, the album still only makes it to a 2.4999 star rating, so it's getting rounded to 2 stars. I supposed I'm glad to know that this exists—that these one-time studio artists' work isn't entirely forgotten by the universe—but I don't think I'll ever revisit it.
I kept trying to find the good in this, and I kept coming up empty. I guess we can just call it "experimental" rather than explicitly bad, but this was more distracting than interesting to me. The normalish stuff just sounded like mediocre 60's music, and the weird stuff sounded like...fuck, artsy fartsy grad students at the circus or something. I'll give them this: they accomplished what they set out to do. Bully for you if you like this particular brand of weird, but it ain't for me. This is like a Captain Beefheart record. This was painful to get through, so it's gotta get a 1. 1.4
Absolutely loved this - completely bonkers and chaotic, in the best way. This is what I love about this list: getting to hear new-to-me or neglected album. I was aware of this group but had never really listened to any of their work. The mood and style veers all over the place, but tracks like Coming Down and Cloud Song sound so of their time and somehow timeless too. I love Broadcast, and if you love them too, you'll probably know this album already. A masterpiece.
Well this was weird, right from the opening nursery rhyme through until the Coming Down junkie final track. The late 60's were some seriously fucked up times. You wouldn't sit down of an evening and choose to listen to this to raise the spirits. It made even less sense at 9am on a Tuesday morning. Wikipedia tells me this is the only release from the band. I wonder why?
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.
😑🙄😑🙄😑🙄😑🙄😑🙄
Early on listening to this, I was all set to give this one star, but as I continued to listen, I didn’t mind it as much. Even so, this one gets a generous two stars. Just some real weird sh*t.
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
Pretty dire.
Timeless
Was not what I expected and I didn’t enjoy it.
The fact that there are no guitars could be seen as a gimmick, but you just forget about it after like 10 seconds. It's a really fun and inventive psychedelic rock album.
Yeah this is pretty good stuff! The group, not the country, I mean.
Wild, avant-garde and ethereal stuff! Amongst my favorite albums from the 60s.
I feel like I will have to give this album more time to really sink in. I like what it does because this album both feels of its time and timeless at the same time, the addition of synths, sound collage and just the sudden shifts in sound really make the record interesting and unique. I just think I need more time to pick up on the little intricacies and better absorbing what the music sounds like and how the band weaves these elements into the music, and also because the songs with the female singer rock tremendously, they are great songs!
The right type of Psychedelic rock. Honestly LOVED this album.
A couple good songs, and I like the lead vocalist’s voice. Very original. But the style of music is just mostly not for me.
The first track made me think I had at least three radio stations playing at once. Nightmarish. I suppose it is adventurous. But a really unpleasant listen.
1968, the year of my birth! A year of revolution, a year of hippies, drugs and psychedelia. On one hand this is a bunch of musicians who took too many drugs and made a rock album of the time. But listening in full it's so much more! They got their hands on a synthezer (or two), mixed in brass bands, string sections, recorded samples, sounds from I don't know where! For something recorded so long ago this is awesome in places, just listen to the end of 'The American Way of Love', what a way to close the album. I love the tracks she sings on, especially 'Cloud Song' and 'Love Song For The Dead Che'. There's some real weirdness in here: Alice in Wonderland/Tim Burton/Flaming Lips/6 Music Freak Zone/circus nightmare genuinely off kilter stuff. And more than a touch of whimsy, including 'I Wouldn't Leave My Wooden Wife For You, Sugar'! There are also moments of genuine folky and orchestral beauty in the madness. I really enjoyed this, even on the first listen, once I opened up and entered the world they created. Maybe the most innovative and imaginative album so far. The very opposite of bland and completely unexpected.
This album felt like turning an FM radio dial around slowly while driving through an unfamiliar area, and occasionally tuning into a faint, crackly station that is warning of an imminent apocalypse - then immediately tuning out and back in to a random station, and feeling unsure as to whether you just misheard the apocalyptic warnings that briefly came through your stereo. Haunting and uncomfortable to listen to but definitely effective in it’s efforts to set a mood. Doesn’t mean I loved the listen though…
Terrible
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.
No thanks
The population in the USA in 1968 was about 200 million people. Sounds like half of them played an instrument in this band of their own choosing. Thankfully they kept the amount of people singing to a small handful, but on the flipside of that… sounds like the half of the population that didnt play instruments got to decide the lyrics. Just a load of nonsense sounds to me, no cohesion with sound or what the fuck they’re on about.
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.
There were little snippets of things I liked in here (Coming Down was pretty good and sounded a bit like a Stereolab predecessor), but on the whole this was an unfocused mess and I found it annoying.
This album is truly fascinating—one that takes multiple listens to fully process. On my first two plays, I swung between loving and hating it, unsure where I truly stood. Before this, I had never heard of The United States of America (the band and album, not the country), so I had no idea what to expect. What I got was something wildly unique. It feels like Sgt. Pepper’s meets early electronic experimentation—avant-garde, unpredictable, and at times, completely unhinged. With 20 tracks, some are absolutely brilliant, while others feel like total garbage. It’s hard to articulate exactly what this album is or whether I love or loathe it. For something released in 1968, it feels shockingly ahead of its time. The fact that there’s no guitar on the entire album makes it even more intriguing. Favorite songs: Hard Coming Love and The Garden of Earthly Delights. The album starts strong from track 2 through track 7. Least favorite song: The American Metaphysical Circus—it just felt out of place compared to the rest of the album. Way too circus-like! Album artwork: A really cool cover that perfectly matches the album’s experimental nature.
2.3/5
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.
This is one of a few albums on this list that snuck up on me. The first two tracks are pretty challenging and I thought I was in for a rough hour. But then the tone changed and even though there was some more work to be done, by keeping an open mind I actually ended up really enjoying most of this. Talk about not phoning it in!! It’s very creative. I’m sorry the band broke up after this, their only album. Heads up: The version on Spotify includes about a half hour of added tracks from a later release. My practice is to only rate the original album tracks. I actually haven’t listened to the additions yet, I am on my second listen of the original.
I legit thought that this was the Presidents of the United States of America for a hot second, and I went through a weird mix of excitement and sadness as I prepared myself to critically listen to songs like Lump and Peaches. This is a different band from that. My old man confusion set aside, this is a really cool experimental album. The music is really variable, but comes together really well with the vocals. Excellent harmonies in places. It's rare to hear an experimental album that is this pleasant to listen to. Also, if I didn't know when this album was made, I'm not sure I would have been able to guess within a decade, apart from some of the effects that they use that are pretty restricted to the late 60s/early 70s 4/5
There's nothing there
Listened to the main album, not all the bonus tracks. But I gotta say I really liked it. It’s hard to listen to at certain moments, including right off the top—but really beautiful often. Reminds me of Hair.
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
I really don't know what to make of this. People are saying it's groundbreaking and ahead of its time but this type of stuff was not that rare by 1968. 1. The stupidest name for a band 2. All over the place 3. Influences on their sleeve (Beatles, J. Airplane, Beefheart to name a few) 4. Those songs that sound like elves in the woods can go. But I think I get why people would have liked it in 1968. I on the other hand am bored with this type of stuff in 2025. Seriously though, who names themselves that? There are some bad names for bands (Europe, Toto, Foreigner, The Music [seriously?], Kansas, America, The Band, Alabama, Eagles of Death Metal, Them Crooked Vultures) but this is just the stupidest I've ever heard!
You probably need to be on drugs to enjoy this. Even then I’m not sure.
this was a weird one! i really enjoyed the blend of avant garde work with classic 60s vocals. you really can hear how this was an influential album without even knowing who heard it back then. i can dig it
A crazy all over the place record, yet one of my favorite records, which I did not know of. The politcal issues tackled make the record relevant, whilst not being boring. USA introduces their own take on psychrock, more towards that of the Beach Boys, which is totally up my alley, its crazy its all over the place, its ambitious and it shouldn't work, but it does, very impressed by this one. The balance is great, the lyrics are clever and the production is mindblowing at times. Favorite track: The American way of love(OM to "I wouldn't leave my wooden wife for your sugar"). Overall score: 8/10
I love how unapologetically psychedelic this is. They are fucking EXPERIMENTING. And it works really well. Every song feels so different and unique from one another while also remaining mostly true to the albums sound as a whole. This just hits perfect and scratches that itch for me. I really enjoyed it. 4/5
Not my kind of thing. Some of it just sounds bad. I get that they're experimenting, but I can't imagine having a good time listening to this. It's just unpleasant.
Messy & confused. So bang on point!
This was rough. At least they are doing their own thing instead of all the other psych bands from these couple years, but it's too experimental for me. I dont really care for the sedated singing or the cacophony that is the first song. And i didn't want to listen to an hour of this. Also, that's a dumb band name. I'll probably pick something like I Won't Leave My Wooden Wife for You, Sugar, because it captures the strangeness of this album.
calling music "dreamlike" feels like even more disappointingly limited than it is in other mediums because it often just means something hazy and fuzzy and chill/pretty but this is a really, really vivid expression of music taking on a convincing Dream Logic...just structured enough to feel like its pulling from waking life, but floating and abstract enough to be slightly uncanny and enchanting and horrible and beautiful. just familiar enough but u subconsciously know not to prod it in a certain way and overstretch the limitations of the illusion, liking knowing what not to do in a janky video game to prevent it from bugging out. extremely extremely good and cool music, easy to remember for its cryptic qualities but i forgot how flowingly melodic it is as well! among adventurous american music from around this time, id say this is even more forward thinking and beyond its time than the likes of the velvet underground, or maybe any non-jazz music period!
Having one of the worst work weeks in a long time, I put off putting in reviews last week thinking everything I was hearing was the result of bad vibes. Turns out, my review for this album would not have changed. I guess this reminded me a little bit of Jefferson Airplane, but those guys are shitty too. A way too long album with what sounded like circus music piped in every 3rd song is not my idea of a good time. Shit, they called this psychedelic rock, but I'm guessing that would be one bad acid trip. Especially the circus stuff. There were parts in there that weren't terrible, but this album a big no for me. 1.5
Oh man I thought this was the PRESIDENTS of the United States of America. My disappointment is immeasurable and this album shall suffer my wrath. 1
2 Well, this isn’t a searchable band name at all. I came into this all excited to hear Peaches and Lump, but nope, wrong, much worse band. Cool ass album cover though, I’ll give it that. Anyway, I did manage to read that this album is allegedly a symbol of 1960s counterculture what with it mostly being a satirization of contemporary America (hence the name), so I was pretty jazzed to hear some punk-esc diatribes regarding the failings of our government, a topic sadly probably even more relevant in 2025. And maybe that is all buried in there, but… seriously, what the fuck is this? I have nothing against psychedelia, but holy cow, these hippies must have had a hell of a bad trip - and then tried to make us all experience it as well. Nope, no sir, not me, get me off this ride. I don’t even know where to begin with this because, truthfully, I’m not even sure I’ve fully recovered from it yet. For the most part, everything just kind of flows together, because acid trip, I guess? There aren’t really any strong moments to be found as there are just kind of things that happen. Like, there’s some carnival music, some flute action, hell, half the time it sounded overmodulated… idk man, idk. So, with that, I went ahead and listened to this thing again like four or five times. Given its nature, that kind of makes me feel a bit like a drug addict, but I actually think my appreciation went up just a touch because of it. The American Metaphysical Circus actually won me over as an opening track in time, and I even grew somewhat fond of I Won’t Leave My Wooden Wife For You, Sugar, goofy as it is. Though, I would describe it as goofy in a way meaning that I enjoyed hearing it within the context of this album but wouldn’t ever seek it out on its own again. Regardless of any mild appreciation developed, this album is just kind of weird, and mostly not in a good way - I think I’ll stick with my punk rock to get my political angst out.
This is completely bonkers, totally nuts and I absolutely love it! Sounds like it’s from the 60s but doesn’t if you get what I mean? Shame they only made the one album but what an album!
I'm pretty sure I know why this band only had one album. Experimental music, that failed. Horrible album.
Interesting
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.
Awful tuneless waste of time
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.
Some tracks I like. Some tracks I didn't like. And some were very American...
I don't know. I didn't hate it, but also won't listen again. Overall a meh.
No está mal, pero es demasiado jipi para mi gusto. Y larguísimo.
layers of sound, electronics, Beach Boys style harmonies, great variation and depth - a very entertaining and stimulating listen
There are like 10 artists on this albums, each with their own musical ideas, some good, some unfortunate. A little something for everyone.
Hated this so much.
Super inventive music, the album feels a bit long.
For me it was an irritating mush mash of sounds. No my cup of tea. Sorry !
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.
Points for at lyde anderledes end det meste på listen, men nok ikke noget jeg kommer til at finde frem igen. Sjove sang titler. Stor 2’er
🤷
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.
hard to find, kinda weird
Sonically interesting but li found it to be lacking in connecting that with the lyrics. It could be that the actual meaning of the lyrics were the known to this far after the release but I had hoped that the “…approach reflecting an anti-establishment, leftist political stance” would have been more clear. I can see how it influenced some music down the line but that was not enforced my own subjective enjoyment.
20 songs of lava lamps, swirling lights, and Austin Powers look-a-likes dancing on Shag carpet and spinning beds...
this album made me feel like I was high while riding a ferris wheel at a very creepy fairground. the tracks did not really get any better, I just felt like I needed to be looking over my shoulder at all times to check a killer clown wasn't coming to get me??? I didn't mind The Garden of Earthly Delight, that one was quite alright.
I hated this so much. There was nothing likable about it dawg. Trying to draw while listening to this was a nightmare I could not focus in the slightest. It was just an amalgamation of random fucking shit. Like this is the epitome of experimental, what are you guys DOING.
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.
I get the impression this was a product of lots of drugs in the 60s, and I think you'd need an equal amount of drugs to enjoy most of the songs on this album. This is the music equivalent of that bloke who put a urinal in an art gallery and people loved it - I get that it's supposed to be psychadelic and trippy and all over the place but it does make you wonder if the whole thing was a big satirical joke. Some of the more coherent songs like Do You Follow Me I enjoyed and I am glad to have listened to the album even if it wasn't the most enjoyable experience for me personally. Fav song: Do You Follow Me
Fine. Not my thing. I get the relevance of this one. 2/5
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.
I thought I liked psychedelic music, and maybe I do, but I couldn't make it through this. I don't know what you have to be on to make this sound good, but being sober wasn't cutting it. A few songs have genuinely enjoyable sections -- sort of a Beatles meets Pink Floyd vibe if I can be overly reductive and basic for a moment -- but most of them are really repetitive with long sections of what sounds like a circus melting and screaming.
Not great bob
Maybe being in LSD would help this album out, but I doubt it.
I have never done acid. The same, surely, cannot be said of the people in this band.
just fine
Meh
Never heard of this group. So, cool, a new experience. 1st song fires up. It sounds like a really bad cover of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, meh, it's not that good. OK, let's try the next song... hmm, interesting in parts, but again, it's sounds like they're trying too hard to be "psychedelic" with weird sounds and senseless lyrics. Alright, seems the whole album is filled with it. I like it when groups experiment with different sounds, electronics, and whatever, but in the late 60's the technology just wasn't there to make it sound good. Hard no on this album. 2/5 (I give them a bit of props for messing around with electronic sounds before Kraftwerk mastered it)
Track 1: Hit skip halfway through. Track 2: Hit skip within 30 seconds. Track 3 and 4: I was making breakfast. Track 5: Skip. Track 6: That’s enough, hit stop. How in the actual hell is this an album I must hear before I die. There’s a reason this is their own Studio album, and it’s because it SUCKS.
Off the bat, I take issue with this band's name. "The United States Of America" — I'm sorry, but that just sounds incredibly pretentious and up-their-own-ass. It comes across to me way too much like the kind of name someone slaps on their art to make it sound deeper and more important than it actually is; like they're making such **the** definitive statement about America that it can't be titled anything else. I mean, it'd be one thing if this band was making "A Horse With No Name" or "Peaches", but this is Serious, Important Experimental Music™ with Serious, Important Commentary™ and radical left politics! I needa take this as seriously as its name suggests I should! And to be clear, I love me some radical left politics. Just look at how much I dig Rage Against The Machine, Dead Kennedys, Chumbawamba and The Clash. Like, I realize, I'm aware, this is just me taking way too much issue with aesthetics — ultimately, whatever the band calls themselves doesn't really matter. But it's not exactly irrelevant to how I was coming into this album, y'know? Besides, how much I like or don't like someone's politics often doesn't impact on how I feel about the actual music itself. If they're egregious enough, sure, but I'm not gonna act like I don't still listen to and enjoy some people who believe some things I just can't agree with — just look at Frank Zappa, for instance. By that same token, I don't hafta **like** music just because I agree with politically, and... Well, I'm not gonna say I completely hate this music, but it's not like I'm terribly impressed by it. Like, to begin with, experimental music has never been my bag, so that's already a point against this album. At best, it's something I put up with because I like the rest of the music so much. To bring up Frank Zappa again, I'm never gonna say my favorite part of any of his albums are the atonal sound collages. So the stuff here, like the multiple with the five American standards being played over one another — I mean, sure? But especially in 2025, I'm not sitting back in my chair like, "Wow! What a noise!" Then there's all the parts that aren't experimental, and, y'know, I'd be lying if I said there weren't parts I enjoy, mostly on side two. "Love Song For The Dead Ché" is a nice instrumental. The strings on "Stranded In Time" are pretty lovely. And there's quite a few moments all over "The American Way Of Love" I dig, especially that electric violin that sounds a lot like it came from HOT RATS (oh, wow, Frank Zappa again). But besides that, it's mostly light psychedelia that doesn't sound too unique from stuff I've heard on other albums. I just can't hear what I'm supposed to be so impressed by. So... I'unno. Ultimately, I'm not left very enthusiastic about this project. I might even say I'm **un**enthusiastic. I mean, given that the longest paragraph in this review was the one where I bitched about their name — what does **that** tell yah, huh? Like, all it comes down to for me is the arbitrary idea of whether or not they've "earned" the name; if they can back it up musically. Green Day does, I think, and that's why I don't have issue with AMERICAN IDIOT — nor, for that matter, Rage Against The Machine calling themselves Rage Against The Machine. But this, to me, slides closer to... I mean, it's not **as** egregious as Madona's AMERICAN LIFE or CSNY's AMERICAN DREAM; I didn't dislike it **that much**, or even really much at all. But still, this is closer to those on the spectrum than not, so... I'unno. I'm feeling a 2, honestly. It's probably more a 3, but I really don't care enough to bump it up that extra point. "This is my United States of whatever," I suppose.
Psychedelic, while short lived in terms of mainstream popularity, certainly was a trip when still relevant, and this album shows that to a T. Solid 5 Stars.
It’s a rather strange 4, and I think I admire it because it’s so strange. For the record, I only listened to the first 10 tracks, like the original release. I dunno, I just found myself really mesmerized by this album – the vocal effects, the vague electronica work, the early synths, and the innovation that comes as a result of all this new tech that nobody’s really had time to play with yet, creates a super ethereal experience unlike any of the other 60s psychedelic rock albums we’ve gotten so far. It’s immediate from the vocal filter on “The American Metaphysical Circus” that this is way beyond the scope of casual listening, and I suspect that’s partially why this has such a low rating on the site. It’s not for everyone, and the true entry points into the album don’t come until much later. This album starts weird, asks you to trust where it’s going, and then eases into a better blend of familiarity, normalcy, and this album’s specific brand of avant garde. “Hard Coming Love” has the first real sense of normalcy after the 90 seconds of harsh guitar noise (the worst part on the album by far), but it immediately sort of eschews it – the production tricks from 3:20 onward are the real tipping point of this album’s production, because if you dig that part, and how it all sort of melts around and falls apart, you’ll dig the rest of the album. If you think it’s just noise, the rest of this album is going to rub you the wrong way. “Cloud Song” is kind of sweet, though it has a bit of a “first minute = whole song” thing to my ears. “The Garden of Earthly Delights” has a sort of electronica sitar feel to it, with some nonsensical lyrics and average vocals, but remarkably cool production tricks that create an interesting vibe. “I Won’t Leave My Wooden Wife” has an oddly space-y / transmission feel to it, which culminates in a sort of old-timey radio broadcast effect that swaps between the vocals and instrumentation that clicked really well for me. It’s also just kind of a weird track overall, because the production really has no rhyme or reason to it, but I kind of like the manic feel of it all. “Where Is Yesterday” feels like if The Who (in their Tommy era) did a track for The Shining with a hint of Pink Floyd, and that’s a blend that feels super cool to listen to. “Coming Down” starts off with the sickest intro to the weirdest ‘Yes’ song ever – it’s definitely got elements of prog rock in it, but the production tricks & soundscape carry it more than the vocals / lyrics do. “Love Song for the Dead Che” is an Eno-esque ambient cut with a really lovely feel because of the vocals / lyrics. “Stranded in Time” is the most normal track on the album by far, with a very Beatles-y feel. “The American Way of Love” starts the same way, before going into an even harsher version of the meltiness featured on “Hard Coming Love”, and ending on a weird ethereal rewind / medley of the entire album. As an entire front to back project, its lack of coherency (save for the occasional smooth transitions between tracks) is oddly coherent, and in line with the general vibe the album is trying to give off. It doesn’t always succeed, and it’s certainly rough around the edges at points, but I think what’s here truly is admirable, especially for 1968 – some of the production tricks here are really innovative for the time, and would come into vogue much later. From a pure musical standpoint, I’m at a 4; I don’t think this does enough to get up to a 5, nor does it quite come close, but I enjoyed it a lot. It’s a very strange album for its time, and I respect that they were willing to take big swings at stuff that would later feel much more commonplace. If nothing else, their innovations make each track feel compelling and worth listening to, and I never really got bored (save for Cloud Song kinda biting at me). It’s a unique experience that won’t appeal to everyone, and I can understand why people might give it a 2 or even a 1, but I think it’s a 4 that deserves no less than a 3.
I think it's interesting that there are no guitars on the album. Underground music is tricky, having music be subversive and all. The problem is, if it doesn't have a groove or anything to it, it seems to weird. To paraphrase Spinal Tap, "there's a fine line between weird and good". I just didn't think the band crossed that line to have music that was any good. NEXT.
I really dislike psychedelic rock. That first track, The American Metaphysical Circus, was an assault on my senses with its calliope of instruments to start, its distortion and feedback, and far off sounding vocals. Like everything I hate about The Velvet Underground with none of what I like. Hard Coming Love was just as bad, though with that more abrasive screechy guitar sound of psychedelic rock and campy sound otherwise. I resisted the urge to skip through just about every track. But ugh. Side 2 was a little better (Where Is Yesterday was ambitious, Stranded in Time reminded me of Elanor Rigby with the violin), but not by much.
Super dated 60s pretentious psychedelia with a fair share of cool moments to offset the 60s cliches. Was interesting to hear primarily as a historical capsule. I went back and forth between a 3 and a 4, but settled on a 4 because I kind of dig the weirdness. Favorite tracks: Cloud Song, I Won't Leave My Wooden Wife for You, Sugar (amusing track), Coming Down, Stranded in Time, The American Way of Love (except for the shrill electric violin solo - but there were some rocking moments, especially the heavy part at the start of Part III: Love is All).
2/5
Not sure about this one.
This was weird af and very outdated imo
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
2.5. When it's good, it's good. The problem is when it's not, it's the kind of music that makes me feel like I need to take breaks in between songs.
Strange!!
I greatly enjoy a lot of this (mostly the tracks with the female singer.) Some of it is a but too goofy sounding but it’s psychedelic music so that comes with the territory.
Got better towards the end, but too many time it sounded bad. Like 2 bands trying to play over top of each other
Interesting. Like a ghostly merry-go-round, as my kid said
i don't think they are
Noisy
What an amazing surprise. I love weirdo music but never gave this a listen (the cover is familiar), and I'm only sad I've waited this long. Odd, but catchy and psychedelic in all the right ways, along with what sounds like krautrock, old times jazz and protopunk at times. Fucking brilliant.
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.
United States of America. More 60s psychedelic adjacent stuff? Fuck off. I swear everything recently is also specifically from 1968, so that year can do one to. This isn't anything we've not had before, it successfully avoids some of the worst of the genre but that's a low bar to clear, doesn't do anything interesting, 2.
This is pants. Seems to be trying too hard to be weird and quirky, succeeds in that (to an extent, it sounds weird and quirky in a very similar way to the other fifty million weird and quirky albums we've had) but at the cost of making anything half decent. Yet another 60s folk-psychedelia offering, this one doesn't bring anything interesting and won't be listened to again. 2/5.
This album was quite a trip. Every time I started getting into it, it came in with overused sound effects or something that I just found off putting and it took me back out. The parts I did like had a Jefferson Airplane type of quality.
It wasn’t what I expected and threw me off a little bit as I started to listen to this. So I got through about 5 songs…waited a few days and started over. I didn’t like the first try at listening but enjoyed it much more once i gave it a chance. I can’t exactly tell you why I liked it, but I did.
What? terribly boring and on album 1010 I finally can say, I have no time for this.
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
Its just too wacky for me
hard pass on this
Hippy crap, possibly one of the worst albums on this lost. The 60s were a shrill and pointless decade. Should have sent a lot more of these spoiled boomers off to die in Vietnam.
Often weird, occasionally actually unpleasant to listen to.
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.
I see its rated high - - -it was OK, I feel I may have needed to give it a couple of listens, but just couldn't.
messy
Weird
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
This felt like if you were making a movie about the music of the 60s but somehow couldn't get the rights to any of the big songs you wanted so you pulled together a group to make song *similar to* the obvious choices. Some Beatles, some Simon and Garfunkel, a dash of Doors, some Jefferson Airplane? But sounding kind of bad? Truly not for me.
This was almost impressively miserable!
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
my spirit cannot endure this
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.
Was not the vibe.
Sigh. I'm at a point where you could tell me this psychedelic rock album is literally the greatest album in the world. You could tell me there are religions that consider this album their messiah; that upon listening, women become pregnant and men's muscles instantly grow...and I still wouldn't care.
Possibly one of the worst things I have ever listened to
Veldig psykedelisk. Som en virkelig sær sgt pepper. Bittelitt mye klovneri for min smak, men ellers veldig vakkert. Flott bass. Ok det er ganske kult
One part Jefferson Airplane, one part Primus. This album is boldly experimental and reminds me of a lot of music from decades later. Lyrically many of the songs rely on irony and have strong leftist themes. I really like Dorothy Moskowitz's vocals. Some of the tracks are very experimental, in that they're actually tough to listen to because of the sharp electronic riffs. That's the only thing holding this album back from being even higher. I thoroughly enjoyed it. 8/10.
Simply could not grab me on this particular day. I saw potential but it never latched
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.
Hard Coming Love wasn't bad (had a weird falling down a rabbit hole sound). The second half just became a little too much, and for me their message got muddled into all the weird sounds and musical tangents. Their message and meaning was good and I appreciate the lefty lyrics, but it just gets so mixed into a circusy acid trip that I am no longer paying attention to what they are saying.
I LOVE late 60’s psych rock. This band is new, excellent discovery for me. Their sound is experimental and wide. Not every song is a win, but they are interesting enough to keep an open mind to them. I will absolutely be coming back to this.
Dangit, I had a whole rather long review written out that didn't save. Sigh. The summary: this was bizarre but I kind of liked it. The end.
Wasn’t expecting to hear calliope music today?
I quit early in the first track when it sounded like John Philip Sousa urgently defiling a calliope. I mean it can only go down hill from there.
Really weird and not a great road trip album, which is how I listened to it. Also way too long. Maybe if I gave it more attention I'd like it better. 4/10
Well that was something
I've heard this before and have to say this is right up my street. Absolutely bizarre, unsettling and a one-off. It's totally groundbreaking and experimental. I guess it had to be unique - nothing this weird would have lasted.
This got a little weird. Too many psychedelics.
01) The American Metaphysical Circus - 5,0 02) Hard Coming Love - 5,5 03) Cloud Song - 5,0 04) The Garden of Earthly Delights - 6,5 05) I Won't Leave My Wooden Wife for You, Sugar - 5,5 06) Where Is Yesterday - 6,5 07) Coming Down - 6,0 08) Love Song for the Dead Ché - 5,5 09) Stranded in Time - 5,0 10) The American Way of Love - 1,0 TOTAL: 5,15 (52/100) Current ranking: 343/372 Ok, I admit that the sound is avant-garde for that time, but that doesn't mean it's anything particularly good. The sound effects can be irritating, the melody got lost somewhere in the excessive desire to be different, and I am especially irritated by these various circus like sounds.
Not for me. Some cool moments but ultimately couldn't get through it without turning it off.
Really glad I learned about this album. Not sure if I really like it or whether I find it "interesting" more than anything else. Either way, it is really a must listen album. One of the albums that really has a concept and it works. It is mostly psychedelic rock with lots of experimental stuff going on and use of electronics. Reminiscent at times of The Velvet Underground, Pink Floyd, The Beatles. Not quite as good as either of them, but that's no shame. Some songs are just really catchy though ("The garden of earthly delights"). The lyrics are very good and paint a picture critical of bourgois American holier-than-thou attitudes (I loved "I won't leave my wooden wife for you baby"), and bitter family situations (loved "Where is yesterday"). Excellent as a concept album, OK to listen to but it's not for every day.
This was interesting. More strange psychedelic folk grooves.
This album gave me a very patriotic first impression but then it was just awfully out-of-tune sounds in the beginning of the first song (very much like the current state of that country right now, or in the past several years, the main issue being clown being leaders in this whole thing). Then the songs became relatively alright, but were very weird, sometimes circus-sounding (which again - perfectly matching the name) and then things turned a bit chill, it was all over the place. Overall, not too bad, I am sure people on drugs would mainly enjoy this in the late 60s and early 70s before more intense music started getting released.
psychedelic fun. lots of different sounds mixed together.
This was hard to listen to but there are some interesting aspects to the music. It was disjointed and not very coherent to my mind. Overall, can't recommend.
This is a little strange. Also hate the band name
Standard issue 60s psychedelic rock. 2.5/5
3.5
I was a bit nervous going into this because psychedelic music is generally a miss for me, but this was surprisingly cool and varied. There were moments that didn't work for me but they were over and done with quick enough that they didn't spoil the album for me.
This was interesting. Some songs were really odd and some weren’t too bad. Not for me. Weird 60s early rock songs.
I think I'm just high enough to enjoy and find a bit of brilliance in this album. For this to be released in 1968 I think is the biggest surprise. Parts of this particularly the vocals on "Coming Down" sound very 80s/90s New Wave/Pop. The psych is very 60s, but there is a surprising amount of complexity and clarity to the mix, something not super easy to achieve in 68. Overall I am fairly impressed. Probably not a sober 4, but weed does wonderful things.
Trying to hard to be 60s rock. Very screechy. Nothing super compelling or anything I'd listen to again
Great social commentary, okay music
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.
Not my jam really
Odd. Challenging. a rock record with no guitar. I enjoyed it and will spin it again. Weed required. 3.5
Fav: The Garden Of Earthly Delights Least Fav: The American Metaphysical Circus I’m scared
There are flashes of brilliance scattered here and there but there's also a fair amount of self indulgence, guaranteed to annoy most listeners. It was pioneering in 1968, but today it's hippy vibe a bit of a relic of a bygone era. I quite like it, but it's appeal is limited. I do wonder if 'Silver Apples' (also 1968) would have more appeal, with it's electronic techno dance vibes.
Mostly falls flat, more noise than music. Feels like they are trying too hard to push a square peg into a round hole
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.
Tha comedy doesn't quite work, I'm not surprised that there was no second album. Some tracks were ok but I doubt I'll give this another listen.
Yeah, hmmm, contrived to be bonkers, and I imagine at the time it sounded novel, but it's a bit tired now. According to the internet, the lyrics are good, but I didn't really make them out.
Only God knows how much I tried to like this, alas, I did not.
Dorothy Moskowitz cannot carry a tune.
One of the worst things I've ever heard. I couldn't finish even three songs.
This was just.....ugh. Not a pleasure at all.
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
Won me over and then it lost me
The weirder a belief is, the higher the likelihood that the person actually believes it. I wager this crew really believed in what they were doing.
It was alright but it was very long for the kind of music
Very psychedelic Woodstock-y 60’s
吵得要死
Some songs are too chaotic for me, other are far too boring...but at the same time I was excited what comes next. But at the and of the day I didn't really enjoy it.
Tää levy menetti mut jo ekan intron sirkusmusiikilla. Vuoden 68 peruskuraa, ei sentään Intia-hypnoosia vaan keskiaika-/kirkkolauluflirttiä. Mutta se ei oo kiinnostavasti tässä…
Sekoilua. Ja sirkus on vasta alkua.
The 60's were a crazy ass time. Favourite Songs: Hard Coming Love, The Garden of Earthly Delights, Stranded in Time, The American Way of Love. Least Favourite Songs: The American Metaphysical Circus, I Won't Leave My Wooden Wife for You, Sugar.
Weird but talented
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
Off to a fucking excellent start with The American Metaphysical Circus. This plays with the same lopsided dourness as Portishead. The vocals keep pushing ahead as if they are being delivered through molasses with effects/distortion bleeding across periodically, while the instrumentals trudge around uncomfortably. Hard Coming Love opens on a tear with a tight-grooved instrumental and fuzzed out noise in the left monitor. The drum work is fantastic. Cloud Song floats at 30,000 feet where it should. The plucked strings make me think of the prettiness of some songs from Four Tet's later albums. When Is Yesterday is fucking great. Was loving it during the eerie opening, but when the drum kicks in it takes on a whole new life. This album is a trip in the best way possible. Perfect balance of experimental and boundary pushing, while retaining solid structures and elements of quality songwriting. I'm floored - 5 / 5
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
That first song was a psychedelic journey I loved it. About halfway through and loving this. This must've been so much fun to listen to in 68. There's a very distinct female voice of the 60's ala Mama and Papas and Carpenters and this chick fits right in with it. This was a high ass 4 super close to a 5 but couldn't do it.
Well that was something... These guys clearly looked at all of the most experimental music of the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Velvet Underground, and San Francisco psychedelic scene and decided it was all conformist, capitalist garbage. 'United States of America' is a very reactionary album in multiple ways. Clearly, the message is a far left rallying cry, disguised as a patriotic Trojan horse. I do wonder if anyone bought this based only on the name of the band and were severely disappointed. Musically, it's kind of all over the place. Certainly experimental and very psychedelic, owing a massive debt to some of the top bands of the late 60s. But it also blends in a large amount of traditional American styles, like Dixieland Jazz. Electronic sounds (not exactly music) are layered throughout the album. It's easy (maybe too easy) to be put off by the over-the-top barage of styles, which sometimes comes across as overly silly. It has some genuinely good moments, but most of the album is challenging, and probably by design. But I really can't call it a good or bad album exactly. It's like a storm of different music that doesn't belong together and would be boring on its own. But as a montage, it has the ability to awaken some creativity. It's possibly more fun to think about than to listen to, but it's still fun.
Another reviewer of this album said this: ------------ My wife while listening to this album: “ This sounds like the music that would play when a clown comes to murder you” ------------ That is quite possibly the most accurate review I've seen so far on this site! The reviewer: https://1001albumsgenerator.com/shares/61c15673ca7fbc6002dd9db0
I didn't find this very interesting at all
Trotos
Not my sound overall, although I loved clouds.
Fastest turnaround from a 1 to a 4 I’ve ever seen
Why do I crave a corn dog and smell elephant shit after listening to this?
These guys did a ton of psychedelics
No es para mí, pero estoy seguro que hay quienes lo aprecian.
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.
Too experimental/funky to my ears, like a circus and Sousa concert put together. 1* I wonder if it sold well because of the band's name.
Impressive. A combination of a number of great styles, and a very avant garde style for the time. The vocals and instrumentals were great. All around not a perfect album (some of the songs ran a bit similar) but still very good. 3.5/5 -> 4/5
Not my kind of thing unfortunately.
This album made me cry.
As is often the case, these artsy and avant-garde productions are missing an important point, at least for me: it is simply impossible to listen to that stuff for long. It starts to be annoying after some time.
I was skeptical at first, but it ended up being pretty cool
Certainly interesting album, and not at all what I was expecting after reading some of the reviews.. much better than I was led to believe. Quite strange, and quite a wide variety in sounds. 3.5/5 rounding up as it’s too low globally, however not sure I’d seek it out again. Thanks to the 1001 project for bringing it to my attention, wouldn’t have found this otherwise
Psychedelic rock. bah.
A little tepid for my tastes. Didn’t love this