Oar

After listening for a bit, I started to wonder what sort of mind produces this kind of music. I then read his bio. It's still good. I actually enjoyed listening to the wild variations.

The closest thing I can compare this to is Syd Barrett, unhinged, weird and a bit of a delight. It definitely starts off stronger than it ends, but the simplicity and sparseness is doing something for me. This motherfucker is full of emotion.

This was pretty good. It's a bit all over the place and doesn't need to be as long as it is, but I enjoyed it nonetheless with Little Hands being a particular favourite.

Very cool folk/psychedelic stuff! Interesting bio, too bad he wasn't able to do more.

Thoroughly beguiling. But if you find the album feels a little long post Grey/Afro, then you're streaming the bonus material. I was completely charmed by Alexander Spence such that I kept going though. Oar sits somewhere between cult classic and outstanding outsider gem; I'm intentionally invoking a substance that has many facets and shines differently as you spin it. Seems appropriate for a work both fragile and enduring from a multi-instrumentalist working through the trauma of a breakdown.

Konteksten trekker opp

Discovery weekly har pusha han her på mæ gjennom tida. Like det. Morsom bakgrunnshistorie! Dem har truffet klart best på folk og countryrock hittill.

psychedelic townes van zandt and guy clark vibes

Weird for this to make any sort of best-of list. It's certainly obscure! I like the sound though.

Good sound. Good variety. Need to listen again with the lyrics in front of me.

Good opening couple of tracks. Beta Band like psychedelic opener. Then country sound of Cripple Creek. Not so sold on the Dylan / pubsingeresque Diana. But then liked Weighted Down and Broken Heart a lot. Some strange and quirky arrangements and lyrics throughout in a good way. Overall a nice surprise. I think you can sense he was struggling with the drugs. But you can see how he influenced Mark Lanegan and Beck. Incredible he was 22 or 23 when he recorded this and apparently played all the instruments. Will have to check out some Moby Grape. 4.

Skip is in his bloody name. I mean come on. If this album isn't bad, that will be a wasted lay-up of a bad joke. After the opening strains, I am reminded of the 2011-12 Charlotte Bobcats, because it seems that a lay-up will be missed. We've got a mentally ill Canadian weirdo rocking some of the funniest hair I've seen on an album cover since Coolio. I mean how can it get any better? I know! Bizarre vocal changes, interesting lyrics, and fascinating songs from front to back. I thought "Cripple Creek" was going to be that jaunty version from "The Band;" Instead, I was greeted with a morose dirge delivered in a shocking baritone. This is eons ahead of its time and absolutely stands out amongst the multitudes of psychedelic rock records as a true artistic statement. An album that walks the walk and has completely blown me away. Looking forward to revisiting this one. Perhaps I'll bring my world famous DMT/Fentanyl brownies next time. The secret ingredient? Love. 4 HIGHLIGHTS: I can't feel my spleen

Psychedelic folk, folk rock, psychedelic rock.

This album really hits you deep in the soul. Reading the lyrics and carefully analyzing the soundscapes of the songs, you encounter an artist in the midst of an internal meltdown. I came to this conclusion even before reading about Skip. I liked it, 4 stars.

Skip did a heck of a job with this one. I don't know if i'll listen to this again but I probably should. The album had a real flow to it.

Hard one to review - it was an album I feel needs a couple of listens. Certainly a little depressive - some songs I struggled to hear the words - turned it up, but it was actually the music that overpowered the vocals

Very interesting, had heard a bit by Moby Grape, and maybe vaguely knew one of them went off the deep end, but not that this was out there. Shades of Leonard Cohen in the lyrics and singing, and interesting music to be played by one guy - quotes sunshine of your love!

It was enjoyable and worth another listen

7/10

- I was really ready to be disappointed by this; turns out I wound up a bit sad more than anything ....sad that he didn't get a chance to really work this out because his life / mind was in the process of falling apart. At least even he acknowledged that this is basically the equivalent of demo tapes, ideas that were still in process. There are some really good songs contained within this collection. sure at times he's mumbling too much and the music is more just noodling .... but, mostly, I didn't care and still enjoyed it. Maybe he never would have done more with this and that's ok too because "that's what dying is; people leaving stuff unfinished" (Amos Burton). We just have to take the enjoyment we are left with and savor it. Of course it's not perfect so I can't go 5 but it's a damn good place to start ...... 4 -

Psychedelic 👍

Favorite song: Grey/Afro

4⭐️/5 02.01.2026

Top folk album. Got me into a wonderful folk rabbit hole that took me away from this list for a good few days. Weighted Down (Prison Song) War in Peace Grey/Afro Were my favourite.

Kinda good 3.7/5

Groovy shit - toggling between far-out folk rock freak-outs and cryptic Kris Kristofferson country crack-ups.

Heard Before? Nope, only read about it. Notes: - Trying out different vocal styles while high as a kite sounds better here than it could have, but I imagine it's a divisive move. - As I often feel, the shorter songs are more consistently entertaining. - The wild and wooly mixing adds to the charm, but is certainly bad by any conventional measure. - Remember when country music wasn't automatically far-right propaganda? Verdict: Stay away from drugs, kids. Almost the definition of a cult album. Listen Again? Heck yes.

A gem of an album. Really interesting reading about his troubles and hospitalisation before the album was recorded. Maybe my own ignorance but had never heard of him. One of those albums where the beautiful melodies and almost whispered vocals belies the tortured lyrics. Broken Heart and Weighted Socks really stood out. Brilliant lyrics about his wife darning another man's (and his friend) socks while he is in prison and now he's waiting by the river with a gun for him. Incredible - 4 out of 5 stars from me

Great album. Some songs scratch that Leonard Cohen itch. Accidentally had Cripple Creek on repeat and didn’t even notice it had been playing for 20 minutes

I kind of like this. It’s a big like an extended version of the way Curt Cobain recorded “Something In the Way” at the end of Nevermind. But it goes on too long. The initial songs with structure devolve into muttering and bass noodling. 3 stars. …or so I thought. But after listening Mark told me this was the EXTENDED version of the album. If only I’d none I’d have stopped it earlier and left with a better feeling toward the album. Fuck extended albums, man! They suck. At least label them as “extended” so I can go check the original track list and avoid all the stuff they wisely cut before it was released! I’m upping this to four stars which is what I felt before it started tailing off.

The entire process that brought this record into existence is incredibly weird. The guy beat up the other Moby Grape members, went to a hospital, and then recorded demos without the producer even being there because the poor guy thought he was being a distraction. This same producer guy then hands over the practically unedited demos to Spence's label, only for said label to hardly talk about this album and then get rid of it like a year later. I tend to like commercial failures, so this guy at least found his audience at some point. It's a great record and surprisingly psychedelic in some parts, more than what's usual in 60s records, especially with War in Peace and Grey/Afro. I like his songwriting style a lot. I can imagine the fact that every song is a demo adds to that, but a lot of the music feels very personal in the same way that something like Pink Moon by Nick Drake does (really hoping that's on the list too). I'm surprised this one is rated as low as it is.

It's hard for me to separate the album from the story behind it. Do I like it because it's good? Or do I like it because of what it is? I like it though. Nice surprise.

That was a vibe! I was feeling it and didn't care about the while drums on the right side thing =)

Some one I haven’t heard before and I enjoyed their sound

Was not expecting to love this album as much as I did - I read a bit on the struggles this guy had, Clearly a very talented musician. It felt pretty dark in many aspects, but also uplifting. For sure a keeper. It's a very long album with some fillers, Books of Moses for example.

After reading the short Wikipedia write up I immediately drew the comparison with Syd Barret, which seems to be a comparison a lot of people make. While Syd Barret absolutely deserves his place in the lore of Rock music, I actually found this album by Alexander Spence to be a more enjoyable listen than most of Syd Barret's music. I think perhaps by the standard of the time, and given the context of how this album was produced and also released it's fairly unique. But I do think the playing style and musicality sounds pretty relevant, contemporary and not that obscure, actually quite similar to the mid-west inspired indie, shoegazy music I listen to a lot of (Wilco, Dope Lemon, Barr Brothers...)

I knew nothing about Skip Spence coming into this album. Honestly, even Moby Grape has totally passed me by. Reading up about the "fire axe incident" that lead to him writing this album while committed in a mental hospital and his subsequent decline through addiction and schizophrenia is incredibly tragic. I'm sure this comparison has been made a thousand times before, but his story is reminiscent of Syd Barrett. As for the actual album, I enjoyed it quite a bit. Solid bit of raw, warm, psychedelic folk music, which is right up my alley. I only listened to the original track list (first 12 songs of the Deluxe edition, which seems to be the only edition available on Apple Music), but I enjoyed this enough that I might go give the extended tracks a spin.

Weird, haunting, strangely enjoyable

7/10… folk / psychedelic / *1969

This kind of stuff is why you do this list. Totally unknown but interesting and powerful. While I didn’t love every song, the story is fascinating and there were a couple that grabbed me, so I have to rate it overall a good album

3.5

I thought this was a cool mix of psychedelic folk, country, and blues. Kind of a similar vibe the Grateful Dead were going for, weirder and IMO better. It reminded me of a lot of the things I liked about Meat Puppets II. "Diana" and "Cripple Creek" were both really cool. 4 stars.

How does a donkey swim? With its Eey-oars! This guy was seriously an Eey-oar short of a donkey row boat however. It is weird how a guy keen on carrying out exorcisms via axe before being locked away in an asylum and later on becoming a hobo could make an album so ruggedly chill. His voice is grizzled and his songs scrappy and all over the place but overall it is just a genius great assortment of blues, country, psychedelia and even some lofi and slowcore elements. First half is very strong and War And Peace is particularly an epic cosmic highlight. Album does start to get extra frayed in the second half - Book Of Moses sounds like a ping pong game taking place during a wild storm. Grey/Afro is something else entirely and is just this 9 minute doomy jazz rumble excerpt. Foar stars out of 5.

There’s more I could say than I wanna write but I hear so many inspirations for later artists from Nirvana to Radiohead to Leonard Cohen to Tame Impala. There’s some real genius and well executed moments that bleed through the deconstruction and looseness. It’s fascinating hearing his talent clashing with his mental state but both combining to create something different than either could alone. Also the fact that he’s playing every instrument in a sort of improvisational way with himself is really neat, and he’s actually good at all of them. Each track is refreshingly new and unique even if it is a take on an established genre. The writing is deceptively beautiful throughout. Production is very interesting and enhances the loose, sparse feel of the album as a whole. His vocals are wildly and impressively varied stylistically depending on the track, making use of his abilities to the fullest extent. Overall, I think this is a prime example of pushing the boundaries of music in an authentic way. It’s a shame he struggled with addiction and mental health so deeply, but it also led to an amazing work of art. I see why the producer released these demos instead of reproducing a more polished version. The scuffed nature is what makes it feel so raw and genuine.

per me ci sta

bizarre plaat van bizarre man... maar wel een pareltje

This album was weird but I though it was pretty good, Lawrence from euphoria was very catchy.

Unhinged This album has got to be the weirdest I've listened to yet. The tracks are almost stream of consciousness, like they let a madman loose in a studio with a drumkit and a guitar and an infinite supply of tape and said "Work your magic." And he did. If I didn't know there was an engineer in there with him, I'd have thought he recorded all the parts himself. There are times where the three tracks don't match tempo. He sings atonally at times and barely at others, the lyrics being whispered or murmured or even suggested. Ending the Spotify version the way they did was just perfect. *chef's kiss* Would I listen to it again? Hell no. Is it weird? Abundantly. Am I glad it's on the list? Oh yeah My Rating: 4/5

I already heard about Skip Spence and this album but I haven't got around to listen to it in full until today - and I wasn't disappointed, as it is a truly fascinating album. Skip Spence was one of the most talented musicians in the San Francisco music scene in the mid-1960s, who played the drums on Jefferson Airplane's debut album and was the founding member of Moby Grape, before having a nervous breakdown in 1968 due to mental illness (probably caused by excess drug abuse, mainly LSD). After he attacked the members of Moby Grape with a fire axe, he was sent to a mental institution, where he wrote his only solo album - after his release he went to Nashville and recorded the songs alone, which he also himself produced. So the back story itself if fascinating enough...And the result was a fantastic album, with deeply personal, raw songs and an interesting musical world that seamlessly blends folk and psychedelic folk. It's a little chaotic and messy in places, but all the more personal for it—we get a glimpse into the mind of a man who has gone through the worst. This album has influenced many musicians and its unique sound is not comparable to anything since then. In some ways, it is reminiscent of the also relaxed, almost cathatonic solo songs of Syd Barrett, who struggled with serious mental health issues just like Spence and whose first solo album was also released in 1969. Favourite songs: Diana, Weighted Down and Grey/Afro. 4 stars, close to 5.

Hard listen in parts but the background story elevates it.

Wow, what a discovery. Folk, blues, country and psychedelic on an album I've never heard of. The quality of the production and performance is mixed, but this is still an album not to be missed. 4/5

New level unlocked! There is some interesting tunes on here, never heard before, would probably seek a physical copy, probably could have been a great album if it had been worked over, as an album a three star, but the first 2/3rds has some really interesting sounds (last 3rd is mostly brain farts), so on balance ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Depressing, but not bad.

Hell yeah. I remember demanding this when Moby Grape came up. The stories surrounding this / Alex are outrageous. Too many dumb fuck teens & boomers in the reviews as usual.

A slower paced album with low and slow vocals. Sad, romantic, I think this one I'd be more keen to revisit.

Not a perfect album, but I did enjoy a lot of the mood and emotion

Weighted Down By Possessions 1001 Albums Generator 90 (08/06/2025) The touchpoint for understanding Alexander Spence is his much more famous, but equally tortured, contemporary, Syd Barrett. Although the music that they produced is quite different (besides Spence doing his best Syd Barrett impression in the vocals of Lawrence of Euphoria), the ethos that drives the music is the same. The story of Alexander Spence has been told a million times. He was a drummer in Jefferson Airplane on their debut, then became a co-founder of San Francisco sweethearts Moby Grape. After attempting to kill his bandmates at the behest of a self-proclaimed witch who gave him LSD, Spence was admitted into a mental hospital and would continue the rest of his life in and out of institutions. After his first release, Spence went to a studio in Nashville and recorded his first, and only, solo studio album, playing all instruments and performing all vocals. Oar is a really strange album from a tortured artist. Most of the album exists in a psychedelic folk realm, but there are bits of rock and even country in here. some of the country inspired pieces don't fit as well as the weirdo outsider folk stuff. Margaret-Tiger Rug feels like a parody of country rock and Dixie Peach Promenade is just not very interesting. However, this album is at its best when it is at its weirdest. That outro, the nearly 10 minute Grey/Afro, is so bizarre and feels unstructured in a very structured way. War In Peace leans into some rock sensibilities, but with a slow, plodding rhythm and a total Sunshine Of Your Love ripoff at the end, but honestly it's kind of genius. It feels like an intentional interpolation rather than plagiarism. Book Of Moses is one that grew on me: a strange, blues-y folk tune with constant waves crashing in the background. Some of the more normal folk songs are really good too. Little Hands is probably my favorite song on the whole thing and perhaps the closest Oar gets to pop. Cripple Creek and Weighted Down are relatively normal country-tinged folk songs, with the former being higher energy and the latter being a really heartbreaking ballad. All Come To Meet Her is absolutely drenched in psychedelic reverb and flange and is another catchy one that could have been from Spence's old band, Jefferson Airplane. Oar is the work of a really tragic figure. Alexander Spence lived to the ripe age of 52, but never got over his addictions or mental health struggles. I saw a quote that described him as a man who "neither died young nor had a chance to find his way out". Hearing this album with that context does make the music somewhat more haunting, although the music itself is pretty consistently high quality. 4/5. Favs: Little Hands War In Peace Grey/Afro Least Fav: Margaret-Tiger Rug

I’ve always loved this album and am very happy to see it here, it’s so cozy and charmingly ramshackle in a way that you just don’t hear very often

You can definitly hear the influence this album had on Tom Waits.

Strange and disturbing, but also has moments of beauty. The story of his life is so sad

Re-listen needed

I do like this it feels like what psychedelic music should be, like a sonic bridge to Meat Puppets II. Definitely indulgent but still chaotically beautiful.

Oooh, I love this guy! He’s so far off, he’s fresh. It’s like Tom Waits had a stroke - and since Tom Waits, come to think of it, is like Leonard Cohen and Billy Joel had a baby and the baby had a stroke, this guys like Leonard Cohen’s piano baby had two strokes!

Nice

I really enjoyed listening to this and then reading more about him. Fascinating.

This is a surprising find! experimental, poppy, fun!

This app right here is great because I discover gems like this. Really enjoyed it!

3.6 I'm going to ignore all bonus tracks as they detract from the album. Enjoyable in parts, got better second time round. Some slightly grating inclusions, Lawrence from Euphoria for example. Can see why it was inspirational to a lot of singers, I thought a few of them sounded very Mark Lanegan-esque so pleasantly surprised to see he covered Skip. Books of Moses a high point. Story behind the album very intriguing, perfectly summarised by a country album made by someone clearly going off the rails.

I'm a sucker for a hard luck story like Skip Spence and Dennis Wilson. For some reason, those with internal struggles that become dramatic external struggles lend some credibility to the artist, make them real, human and ignite a desire to learn more. Joplin / Cobain / Spence, etc. My dad was a big Moby Grape fan. He saw them at the Fillmore, even got one of the posters at the show. The only reason that I'm familiar with SS is due to my dad and I remember when SS died. He was written up in so many papers, it was kinda big news in pop culture. And then came the tributes to him, one of which was Beck, who my dad knew I was a fan of. Tho I don't think I had heard this album in its entirety until now, Skip Spence and this album became common ground for us to connect. And listening to the album it's almost as if you can hear the voices in his head, and the noise of the silence. This is one of those albums that I'll listen to long after 1001 has ended, of which I mostly credit my dad.

I don't believe I hadn't heard of this. This is absolutely in my wheelhouse, I love strange, raw music earnestly exploring uncomfortable emotional states, and Oar fits this description to a tee. Alexander Spence came from the world of psych, and at the time, the dominant culture in this space was optimism and righteous anger and bacchanalian consumption of psychedelics. However, a figure like Spence highlights the darkness running underneath it all. His story (much like the more well known Syd Barrett's) serves as a grim reminder of the casualties of this culture, people who broke down under it all and were left to be forgotten at the fringes of society. This is why albums like Oar and other more formal outsider albums are so important, they provide a voice to their creators who may well not have one otherwise. With that being said, what does this album actually sound like? It is a fragile, occasionally haunted and surprisingly varied singer-songwriter album encompassing folk, psych, and late '60s rock music. For the reputation this album has, the songs are actually very good. If you can get into the kind of performances that are across this album, the music at the core here is well written and consistently interesting, with really compelling lyrics. Some of this stuff sounds pretty ahead of its time too, a couple of songs here sound uncannily similar to the music that Leonard Cohen would later make, and this may just be me, but some of the kind of slanted rawness here almost makes me think of the kind of thing that some lo fi indie songwriters were trying to achieve in the '90s. But honestly, the performances are what makes this come together for me, difficult as they may be. I really feel that Spence is baring his soul across this, and the cumulative result, within the context of his life, is kind of profoundly sad. I have a lot of respect for the list's inclusion of this, placing an album like this in the sort of publication that "1001 Albums..." is works towards legitimizing it in the broader music world and, ideally, will help people to see this as a worthwhile piece of art even without its context. I really love this.

I was not looking forward to listening to an hour plus long album that has been described as "one of the most harrowing documents of pain and confusion ever made". But the shagginess of it caught me off guard and I wasn't prepared for how much I liked enough of the songs as a result to give it 4 stars.

this album was dark, and kind of triggering to be honest. i guess the fact that it sent me into an anxiety spiral is a good thing, in this context

I really enjoyed listening to it. It was weird but beautiful. Nice to discover music like this.

As an album, this certainly seems like a selection of songs that have been recorded... Gave the whole thing a go, then went back to the original 12- track album, which feels more cohesive and less bloated. Lots of interesting stuff going on, with rhythm and that fragile, mumbled voice. A few tracks I can forget, but a few I'll probably always remember. Worth a revisit.

I rate Little hands a 4 star because its like country and I don ´ t really like country but the guitar and the beat is good. I rate Cripeled creek a 4 star because its like country and I don ´ t really like country but the guitar and the beat is good. I rate Broken heart a 4 star because its like country and I don ´ t really like country but the guitar and the beat is good.

Do you want to listen to some music that has some really good guitar? Well in Little Hands you can! I rate this song a ⭐⭐⭐⭐. I recommend this song. Do you want to listen to some music that has a some drums? Well in Cripple Creek you can! I rate this song a ⭐⭐⭐. I kind of recommend this song. Do you want to listen to some music that has a lot of guitar? Well in broken heart you can! I rate this song a ⭐⭐⭐⭐. I recommend this song.

Le même album qui fait la moitié de la durée avec les meilleurs titres et c'est un chef d'oeuvre caché.

custom_rating:7.5

So good

I don't know what I liked about this album, but I really enjoyed it. Easy to listen to and good background music.

Trippy story what a cool dude what a cool album

The artist may have been unhinged but these songs were really good. War and Peace stood out to me in particular. I wish this album would've gotten the production quality it deserved but glad I got to hear it overall.

Circle back

I can’t tell if this is brilliance, mediocrity, or indulgent trash. Maybe all of it? It’s surprisingly good to listen to and you can hear a lot of sounds that echo through other bands when you consider when it came out. But I can see why I never heard of it before this list.

Alexander "Skip" Spence's *Oar* is a singular and enigmatic album, often regarded as a cult classic. Released in 1969, it was Spence's only solo record and emerged from a tumultuous period in his life, including a stay at Bellevue Hospital following a mental health crisis. The album is deeply personal, marked by its lo-fi production, eclectic musical styles, and raw emotional depth. Below is an in-depth review focusing on its lyrics, music, production, themes, influence, and an evaluation of its strengths and weaknesses. ## **Lyrics** The lyrics on *Oar* are introspective and fragmented, reflecting Spence's mental state during its creation. They oscillate between surreal imagery, melancholy reflections, and moments of dark humor. For instance: - **"Weighted Down (The Prison Song)"** explores themes of jealousy and alienation with lines like *"Whose socks were you darning, darling, while I've been gone so long?"* The song feels like a lament from someone grappling with betrayal and isolation[2]. - **"Books of Moses"** uses biblical references to evoke a sense of existential searching amid stormy sound effects[6]. - **"War in Peace"** juxtaposes spiritual longing with haunting imagery, creating an ethereal atmosphere that invites interpretation[6]. Spence's lyrics often feel cryptic or muffled, which some interpret as a deliberate artistic choice to mirror his inner turmoil. This approach has drawn comparisons to later artists like R.E.M., who embraced unintelligible vocal delivery as an aesthetic[2]. ## **Music** Musically, *Oar* is a kaleidoscope of styles, blending folk, country, blues, and psychedelic elements. The album’s sparse arrangements are striking: - Spence played all the instruments himself—guitar, bass, drums—creating an intimate "one-man band" feel[7]. - Tracks like **"Grey/Afro"** feature experimental structures with shifting time signatures and unconventional rhythms[3]. The song’s hypnotic bassline contrasts with disjointed drumming and hushed vocals. - **"Broken Heart"** channels Johnny Cash-like country balladry with slow pacing and echoed vocals[6]. - **"Diana"** showcases Spence’s ability to shift vocal styles dramatically—from a deep bass to a falsetto wail—adding emotional texture to the music[4]. The instrumentation is deliberately unpolished. Mistakes in timing or tuning are left intact, lending the album an organic quality that feels both fragile and raw. This unpredictability can be disorienting but also captivating. ## **Production** Recorded in just two weeks on a modest budget at Columbia Studios in Nashville, *Oar* has a lo-fi aesthetic that enhances its intimacy. Spence acted as his own producer, layering tracks with minimal equipment. The result is an album that feels like an unfiltered glimpse into his psyche: - The production emphasizes midrange frequencies and often buries vocals under layers of reverb or distortion[6]. - Sound effects like thunderclaps (on "Books of Moses") or whispered echoes (on "War in Peace") create an eerie atmosphere[6]. - While the stripped-down approach suits the album’s themes of isolation and introspection, it occasionally veers into murkiness that obscures its musicality. ## **Themes** Thematically, *Oar* delves into alienation, mental illness, love, spirituality, and mortality. These themes are explored through both lyrical content and musical tone: - **Isolation:** The album’s solitary recording process mirrors its recurring themes of loneliness and detachment. - **Mental Turmoil:** Songs like "Lawrence of Euphoria" capture the disjointed thoughts of someone grappling with instability. - **Spirituality:** Tracks such as "Books of Moses" suggest a search for meaning amid chaos. - **Love and Loss:** Many songs reflect fractured relationships or unfulfilled desires. Despite its somber tone, there are moments of levity and playfulness that prevent the album from becoming overly bleak. ## **Influence** Though commercially unsuccessful upon release—selling fewer than 1,000 copies initially—*Oar* has gained recognition over time as a precursor to lo-fi and outsider music. Its influence can be seen in artists like Daniel Johnston and Smog (Bill Callahan), who similarly embrace raw production and deeply personal songwriting[3]. The album has also inspired tribute projects by contemporary musicians who admire its unique spirit. However, these tributes often fail to capture the ineffable quality of Spence’s original work—a testament to its singularity[1]. ## **Pros** 1. **Emotional Authenticity:** *Oar* feels deeply personal and unfiltered, offering listeners an intimate connection to Spence’s psyche. 2. **Eclectic Musicality:** The blending of folk, country, blues, and psychedelia creates a rich sonic palette. 3. **Innovative Production:** The lo-fi aesthetic was ahead of its time and has influenced generations of artists. 4. **Vocal Range:** Spence’s ability to shift between vocal styles adds depth to the songs. 5. **Cult Status:** Its rediscovery has cemented it as a touchstone for outsider art. ## **Cons** 1. **Inaccessibility:** The fragmented lyrics and unconventional structures can alienate casual listeners. 2. **Uneven Quality:** Some tracks feel underdeveloped or marred by technical imperfections. 3. **Murky Production:** While atmospheric, the lo-fi sound occasionally obscures the music’s finer details. 4. **Pacing Issues:** The album’s slow tempos can make it feel monotonous at times. ## Conclusion Alexander "Skip" Spence’s *Oar* is not merely an album—it is an artifact of raw human expression. Its flaws are inseparable from its charm; the imperfections make it feel alive in a way few records do. While it may not appeal to everyone due to its unconventional nature, those willing to engage with its idiosyncrasies will find a deeply moving work that stands as both a testament to Spence's artistry and a poignant reflection of his troubled mind. For fans of lo-fi music or those interested in exploring the outer edges of folk-rock experimentation, *Oar* remains essential listening—a hauntingly beautiful document from one of rock’s most enigmatic figures.

Nothing on the album really connected with me. Nice background music, but I didn't get much more out of it.

First-time listen for me. I like my acoustic psych-folk a little raw. Great stuff!

I’m a sucker for a good backstory. This interested me before I even turned it on. And then, it was pretty good to boot.

the problem with me is that i unfortunately like this kind of weirdo folk bullshit

Woozy and skiffly, this is intriguing and not at all unpleasant record, if not massively compelling (okay, maybe one'll go along with editors on "mesmeric"). First psych-folk record, maybe? Certainly, not urgent to know, its inclusion seems to overrate the obscure and perhaps exploitative of the rich tradition of the mentally-shaky artist (certainly reminiscent of Forster and someone tell Devendra B and N. Cave to start citing this as an influence if they're not doing it already and poor man's Syd Barrett, blah, blah, blah) – like the Picasso scribbly sketches on paper bags. Also, goes on too long to a significant extent. Rounding up because the guy seemed to be having a rough enough time already. Plus bonus points for such a good song title: "Dixie Peach Promenade (Yin for Yang)"

I can see why it is so influential. But it is also hard work I will come back to this at another time.

Pretty solid album

Albums like this is what keeps me in to this project. Never heard of this band and I love it

It's got a reputation as a classic 60s obscurity. It's strangely compelling music with a wasted/anything goes vibe. It appears to be commenting on the end of the sixties dream via a personal stamp that is at times humorous, romantic, whimsical and weird. But the material is uneven and I would say it's half a great album. But 4 stars given because it is so strangely compelling - plus I have an affection for outsider music.

Never knew this one. Loved it. Added to my faves. Poor Skip. A lot of talent and torment.

Ah, Oar. I've listened to this a few times over the years and generally fell in and out of it. Some of it is like nothing else on Earth. I absolutely love War In Peace for example. And some of it sounds morose and sketchy. Hard not to think of Madcap Laughs, although this is far softer than that, largely due to Skip's voice. The encroaching storm on Books of Moses is something else. I'm sure this will get absolutely nailed in the reviews as it's probably one of the worst albums in history to judge on one listen. Oh and the spectacular Grey/Afro (anyone else think the Stone Roses listened to this a bit?) is the last song on the actual album. Some were surprised it took a turn after that. Yes, because you're listening to outtakes from a record made by a man with serious mental issues.

Have heard about this one, never got around to listening to it. This is what you want out of a weird solo album branching from 60s psychedelic. Last bit starts to drag, but I don't care that much. This is rad. music: appreciated. (⌐■_■)

I didn’t have high hopes for a 1969 psychedelic album by the guy from Moby Grape, but hey. Sometimes we make mistakes.

acid folk first try, it was ok, a few are a bit progressive, i liked it.

4.5 starts. What a chilled out, pleasant to listen to album. Like a nice swamp in the South of the States with crickets chirping and rising heat ETC. Just very nice. Light and airy ETC.

Not my preferred music of choice, but I thought the backstory of this album was really interesting. The music was pretty bland 60s psych, but the fact that he was super strung out, mentally unstable, able to play all the instruments, and self produce the album is pretty wild. The production is not great and borderline annoying with the percussion being the only thing on the right side track. I kinda felt sick listening to this, but extra points because the art matches his mental state.

I can't fix him1

Listened to this three times already to try and figure i t out. It is a puzzle for sure. Haunting musical illustration of a man's breakdown. These are demos, I wish Skip Spence could have held it together enough to fully realize the promise of these songs. As it is, very crude. The listener does have to do some work, meaning you have to listen hard and without distraction. Doing so yields an odd experience. It is a struggle to extract the idea from the music, sometimes Spence sounds buried in demons, drunk on a powerful metaphysics unrecognizable by mortals. He is bringing us a message from beyond, but that "beyond" is only known to him. This is a strange artifact, something that probably shouldn't exist. But here it is. Some very cool psychedelic sounds, some rootsy baritone, some neat guitar work. Unfortunately a lot of it is on the other side of broken. I feel bad putting a star rating on this because it is SO different from a normal album, it's like a field recording almost. Too many casualties in music. I wonder why that is, a lot.

This was interesting. From the get go I enjoyed it, although due to quality and recording it was difficult to take in and remember. I saw on Wikipedia that this recording was only meant to be a demo, but was just released as is. In a way I think this is a shame, I would have liked to have heard the album cleaned up, Although I appreciate this outcome has quite a personal feel, and connects the listener to what was going on with Skip at the time.

Don't really feel good about rating an album a 5 after just one listen -- so I'll say 4 and straight to the "to buy" list. Love finding albums like this that I've never even heard of that are great!

This is kind of great, but then again, I like the solo Syd Barrett albums quite a bit, and this reminds me of those. A bit more straightforward perhaps.

Oar is the first and only studio album by Skip Spence, originally released in 1969. Skip Spence got his beginning in the early San Francisco psychedelic scene, playing drums for Jefferson Airplane on their first record. He was apparently chosen simply because he "looked the part". His stint with the Airplane was short-lived, and he ended up co-founding the band Moby Grape. He was a prominent contributor in Moby Grape, both playing guitar and songwriting. At the peak of their commercial success, Spence began drifting into a life of hard drug use which soon spiraled into mental health struggles. I won't detail his mental health episodes here, I just think it's important to understand this story before delving into this record. He was fresh out of psychiatric care when he recorded these songs, or should I say, demos. They were released to Columbia without his permission. I'm honestly surprised Columbia even released these on record. They're obviously very rough. Lots of stream-of-consciousness lyrics and meandering and repetitive instrumentals. It would certainly have benefitted from better production. As it stands, it is a capsule that reminds us of those who were never able to make it out of the first psychedelic era.

A surprise rough cut gem. Grey/Afro was a particular standout. Arguably 20 to 30 min too long.

ok da git glaub trurige scheiss. sis einzige album. erste song recht nice. cripple creek cute ööööh diana chli gestöhne über me meeeeega schöne instrumental. ui im solo hets en herte clam drin gha. aber cool lohteren drin. mäggy tiger teppich au wieder irgendwie cute aber nöd meeega viel meh weighted down isch huuuere schön. biooah es ruibt so schön i love war in peacr isch meega psychedelic aber i like it. sehr verspielt d gitarr und so broken heart au super schön. all come to meet her wieder slowjam dings i liike. bitz simon and garfunkel. books of mösers super lawrence of euphoria chli dumm aber no funny? vlt chli kontrovers aber da album isch e swarz elser kris orten.

Really fascinating. I feel like I have to study this one the next time I listen, but at least it's not dull!

I wouldn’t give this album to a depressed individual, might just push them over the edge. It’s a nice smooth listen tho. I wish I had a camp fire to enjoy this album with.

I suspect this album isn’t well received on here, but I think it’s pretty solid. I’ve been listening to it off and in for a few years and it is quite difficult to nail down, but makes me think “what if Tim Buckley dropped tons of acid with Syd Barrett?”

Pretty good

Given the backstory of this album, which seems to hinge on an "ends justify means" 70s-era lack of regard for human suffering if good art is produced .... I liked this quite a bit. Probably not enough to revisit but it was interesting and I loved the way it sounded.

Oar is the sound of a man whose mental decline I feel I should not be listening to. It is as though I'm partaking in the eavesdropping of one's degeneration while seeing glimmers of hope strewn out in bits and pieces. Listening to Oar by Alexander Spence, commonly known as Skip, is the musical equivalent of coming across a dead-end; the unfortunate backstory in a story already rife with legal fuckery and eventual obscurity. One look at the unsettling album cover tells one everything that's needed to be known, the sight of a man approaching vacancy and permanent absence of thought. This is one of the many sounds that encapsulates the end of the 60s dream, albeit one that many didn't take notice of until it was far too late. Favorites: Little Hands, Cripple Creek, Diana, Margaret/Tiger Rug, Weighted Down (The Prison Song), Broken Heart, All Come to Meet Her, Dixie Peach Promenade (Yin for Yang), Grey/Afro, Keep Everything Under Your Hat.

Goed album, beklemmend. Extra’s kunnen heel hard overgeslagen worden.

On Oar it sounds as if someone woke Skip Spence up out of a deep sleep and had him record the album on the spot. That being said, Skip’s drowsy delivery was endearing in a way, it was an oddly pleasant listen despite the underlying darkness of Oar. Sudden War hits at the midway point and I was all, “oh shit, Skip can rip a bit” I really enjoyed that track. Finishes super weird with the droney Grey/Afro but it was awesome. This was rad 4 stars!

A little like... Leonard Cohen met the Doors?

Oh hey I actually know a song from this album. Our boy Robin Pecknold from Fleet Foxes posted "Weighted Down" on his IG a few years ago. This album is pretty strange. I like the loosely strung together instrumentation (reminds me of early Modest Mouse) and his odd, deep vocals. This doesn't sound like anything else from the time. Seems like the album has a crazy backstory, and he played in Jefferson Airplane, Quicksilver Messenger Service, and Moby Grape. I'll have to give them a listen as well. And I mean, what a great last name. I could've done without the last song, but I enjoyed this otherwise.

Goes to show you shouldn't judge an album by its cover. I'm surprised I really liked this!

Really loved this! Came of out nowhere! I've never heard of this guy or any of his music. This felt like pre-indie pre-Emo psychedelic. Much Enjoyment

got me in the right mood! liked it more than expected. Loooking forwqard to more psychedelic albums

I was quite unsure about this one! I really liked the first half, and it reminded me of Lord Huron. Easy to listen to when writing or working. The second half of the album sounds like someone mumbling with a guitar in their bedroom, but then I checked the Wiki page, and it turns out that tracks 13 to 22 were added at a later date and were in various stages of completion.

I have never heard of this ever. Opening track is fantastic!! This album is fantastic. I love the sounds and the openness of it all.

It's difficult to describe. Musically, I don't think this album is really good. Of course, I'm keeping in mind that these are basically only demos. But emotionally... I never heard something like this. Even though these are not perfect songs, Skip seems to have put everything into them. And at the same time, over the course of the album, it feels like a view into his broken mind, and his mental health seems to even be deteriorating slightly towards the end. The voice at the end, saying "We're out of tape" pull him back to reality, as well as the listener. Can't make my mind up. Interesting listen.

I really didn't expect how strange this album would be. Written during a stay in a psychiatrist hospital and hastily recorded as intended-demos, 'Oar' reminds me in some ways of Van Gogh's final days of life when he was painting frantically. That isn't to say that Spence is the kind of genius that Van Gogh was but there's a similarity in that both men where attempting to do something more conventional than what finally came out. 'Oar' is both uncomfortable and endearing. Unsurprisingly, the record label had no idea what to do with it and it quickly faded into obscurity as a cult classic.

Good

Surprisingly, I really enjoyed this. Great music to have sex too. Very tantric.

Keywords: Warm, Chill, Kickback Notable Song: Little Hands

Well, this won't make it into my New Year's Eve party playlists, but it is a fascinating and haunting document of a musician's rough year. I'm glad to have spent some time with this today.

I think that there is more to this album than met my ear as I listened. Maybe with some additional listens, I can appreciate it more. As it stands now, it is good.

Interesting collection of songs, some quirkier than others, and an interesting back-story. The kind of thing I wouldn't seek out but am glad to know of. Lots to absorb.

I would like some of whatever drugs he was on at Bellevue.

Rough, sketchy, stoned, but still melodic, memorable and brilliant.

I'm so glad I managed to listen to this. It's incredible. I am struggling to find words to put to it.

Oar has enjoyed a degree of notoriety through the years, but until 'Grey/Afro' it isn't half as unhinged as history would suggest. In fact in retrospect much of this works nicely as a precursor to the freak folk movement. There's some lovely guitar playing and interesting vocals approaches - I especially like Spence's deep, mumbled voice on a few of these cuts. Sure, the music is quite stark and takes some odd turns - 'War in Peace' and 'Lawrence of Euphoria' are peculiar - but there's some quality here too, such as the bluesy 'Books of Moses', 'Diana' and 'Cripple Creek'. Nobody said John Martyn was mad when he made music not a million miles from this.

Real solid album, saved it. A lot of songs

Starting off, I didn’t think I’d give this a four, but this was a very enjoyable listen. Spence has a very nice voice and the slow but good instrumentals match it very well.

4.25

This was a great find - very diverse vocally, some tracks sounded Cohen-ish while others were more like Nick Cave, and just a very strong collection of maudlin songs

Haunting. Not into 60's psychedelic, but this is different. Learning the story behind the album while listening made it more powerful. Will never listen to it again.

3.5

good stuff

Perfect for sunday chill

I think a lot of people missed that everything after Grey/Afro is bonus tracks. That probably explains a good number of the low ratings. This is a really interesting and unique album that didn't overstay its welcome, with a really unique story behind it. I'll probably go back for another listen soon. It's not exactly an easy listen, but it's also NOT BORING! Again, my most important metric. And yeah... Y'all should probably try to digest just the album proper before you get lost in the weeds with the whole extra LP worth of bonus tracks hahaha.

very good, unexpected gem. Want to listen some more.

What an amazing array of vocal styling and song writing diversity. Totally left field and enjoyable.

Souvent, les albums folk sont agréables à l’écoute et se démarquent par leur texte. Ici, la recherche musicale est sans faille, les pièces sont équilibrées, la voix est profonde, le tout me happe. Ce qui me retient de donner 5 étoiles, ce sont les pièces plus western, qui m’ont semblé plus convenues

Startling and arresting, a moving and emotional depiction of mental fragility.

Really sad and really good

I had heard of Moby Grape but not Skip. Interesting story. A bit like Syd Barret, I suppose. Funny how this was Columbia House's worst selling record ever, yet people are still listening 50 years later. Good stuff. 4 stars (might be more like 3.75, but who's being nitpicky :)

A surprisingly moving country album depicting a descent into madness, it works surpringly well, even if some songs feel like filler.

What a wild album. The lore behind this is, pardon the word, insane. Spence attacked some bandmates with an axe, was committed to a mental hospital for six months, then got out and released this. It's a long, winding album (the version I listened to was 17 tracks), and it's kind of all over the place sonically. Spence's voice especially, it's impossible to predict what he'll sound like on each track between different styles and registers. But I really admire it, the musicianship is top notch and he did it all himself. The story and everything here reminds me of Nick Drake, but if Nick Drake was schizophrenic instead of sad. It's a very cool album, and I'll be keeping quite a few tracks from this one. Also, side note, when I heard "War in Peace," I recognized the riff at the end as "Smoke on the Water," which I looked up and found was released after this album. I then started scouring google and couldn't find anything talking about this....had Spence secretly been ripped off and I'm the first to discover it, decades later? Well, turns out the riff is actually "Sunshine of Your Love," and that came out before this album, Spence was referencing that riff. For those few moments, I too was insane. Favorite tracks: Cripple Creek, Weighted Down, Books of Moses, Grey/Afro, Doodle, To Think You and I. Album art: Really nothing special, just a portrait shot with a big border. He kind of looks like he's in a hospital gown from the sanitarium, but he could also just be a bohemian kind of guy. 4/5

The highs just BAREly make up for the lows

This goes on a long list of forgotten or long missing music that gets reevaluated years later as works of genius. Don't get me wrong, there is some great music here but Spence's demons and instability are very present as well. I think a separate category for "what ifs" would be a place to group these recordings that have moments of genius but are incomplete.

Not necessarily the kind of music I like but I listened to this while I was having an anxiety attack and it helped so I’m giving it four stars for that alone

8/10

"Weighted Down (The Prison Song)" is beautiful as far as menacing murder ballads go; right after, "War in Peace" is almost euphoric in comparison to the rest of the songs. Reminds me of a country-style "The Madcap Laughs", but what surprises me is how much I prefer the sound of this Last track made me uncomfortable, but I wouldn't say I disliked it... other HLs: "Diana", "All Come to Meet Her", "Cripple Creek" June 2, 2023

Riktigt hemtrevliga tokerier.

I really enjoyed this album. At times, it can be harrowing, but it can also be beautiful and funny.

Überraschend gut und moody

Pretty eclectic and cool.

Kinda nest

it was different in a good way

Es un disco para escuchar de chill, no tiene muchos altibajos. Igual lo volvería a escuchar

The Wikipedia description made the album make a lot more sense. I really liked his sound, and it was good to program to. Would listen again.

Ah wow I hadn't heard of Skip Spence or his band, but reading the story behind this album briefly all I can think is "wow". I started listening before I realised just how much pain is in these songs and that it was after a hospital stint which followed an incident involving an axe!?!? Gosh. LOL then the production just wanted to leave him to it in the studio and have no one bother him so they just released a demo and it's so beautifully raw, creative and experimental. Absolutely love the drums all over this album - it connects somewhere with my soul! A cool album I never would have otherwise heard of.

I felt like this was some mish mash of Dylan, Tom Waits, Jimi Hendrix, Leonard Cohen and I totally dug it!! After Googling can see he was involved in Quicksilver Messenger Service, which makes sense. I preferred this solo stuff to that. A bit easier of the psych stuff.

Well, this was interesting. I had never heard of this artist or this album. In learning more about the artist, I understand he wrote much of this album while in a mental hospital after having a delusional episode, which is heartbreaking. This album starts out with a country twang, and I thought I knew what I was dealing with, but it quickly devolves into something very different - soft, mumbling, almost comprehensible vocals over soft, almost low-fi guitar. The production is very minimal (I understand these were recorded all at once, and it does sound quite raw.) The guitar playing is quite good. As the album evolves/devolves, you can suddenly hear something almost like Elliot Smith or Bonnie Prince Billy emerging from what started out as a country rock/folk album. It's weird, it's sad, and it's interesting. I am not sure I would want to listen to it frequently but I will say - it's not boring. It's hard to know whether this album influenced later indie sounds, given that I had literally never heard of it, but perhaps Skip is a musician's musician and this has been an important album? It made it onto the list. I am giving this four stars for waking me up and shaking me up a bit. It's definitely an interesting selection. I might come back to it.

Interesting, inconsistent some freaky stuff here. Never heard of this guy before - this is what I signed up for

This was a very interesting new discovery for me. Folk music that evolves into psychedelic /experimental rock that foreshadows many of today’s best Indie acts like Radiohead and Sparklehorse. I hear a Not of Nick Drake here also. Skip was way ahead of his time and I wouldn’t be surprised if it was met with a muted reaction when it was released in the 60s.

Highlight: War In Peace

What an interesting album. In parts his singing reminds me of Leonard Cohen, in parts I can't place it! Some of the songs flow in together, some feel like different albums entirely Saved tracks: Margaret-Tiger Rug, Weighted Down (The Prison Song), War In Peace, Dixie Peach Promenade (Yin for Yang), Grey/Afro

I quite enjoyed this one. Pretty raw and unpolished in a lot of places but I think that really adds to the appeal. I love the psychedelic and chaotic nature of quite a few of these songs, and I think I'll come back to this album. Favourite: Grey/Afro

Avery interesting album that quickly draws you in with its relaxed folk vibe, interesting arrangements and excellent, idiosyncratic vocals. Then you read the back story, discover that Skip produced and played every sound on the album and it becames apparent that this is the work of a singular talent. I'm on my second listen and I anticipate many more in the coming months. 4 stars.

To me this is just a normal album

👍

For whatever reason, I'm fascinated by albums created by artists going through some type of mental crisis or breakdown. Syd Barrett's solo work, Big Star's Third, Brian Wilson, Jay Bennett after he parted ways with Wilco. This is one I hadn't heard before, although strangely enough I knew of the album for another reason. I'm a huge fan of the Replacements, who were discovered by a guy named Peter Jesperson, who managed a record store in Minneapolis called Oar Folkjokeopus, which was named after this album and Folkjokeopus, an album by Roy Harper. Having said all that, when I saw this pop up I was intrigued. As expected, it's a really uneven album with moments of brilliance. Not all great, but enough recognizable musical genius and interest here to give it 4 stars.

I like it, though others in this genre I think are better. I need to spend more time tuned in to the lyrics, but overall, a good piece. I wonder how/why I've never known about this record.

I would say this album is very interesting, and I enjoyed listening to it. I feel like I would enjoy something from Skip that wasn't solo, so I will have to check out more work previous to this.

Very varied, moving between country, rock, psychedelic and more. Not heard this before,really fresh sounds

Had been holding off on listening to this one, for fear that it would be too bleak or upsetting, based on some of the description. Surprisingly light and pleasant, definitely one to revisit with a more analytical eye.

Added!

This album was like a rollercoaster for me. Shifting between super melodic, reverby tenor vocals layered on top of one bass note at a time to chanting with a snare drum to almost pre-rock ballads you can picture playing on a piano with a lone spotlight overhead. Overall a beautiful album, interesting to read about 'Skip' Spence's life while playing through.

Surprised by how much I enjoyed this album I had never heard of. Perfect soundtrack for an early morning walk at sunrise.

Very chill album, good for background while working. Song 2 is a banger

Some great tracks and some filler at best

Gostosin

Jhonny cash? are you there?

Very interesting listen and one of my new favorites from this list so far. The sound of an accomplished songwriter...losing his mind.

War in Peace best song. Pretty interesting

Pretty good psych rock album - not exactly my favorite genre/time period, but it was still really good

Cripple Creek

C'est un album C'est tout ce que j'ai à dire

Chaque jour est une aventure où la boussole s'affole, un pèlerinage bizarre à travers les décennies et les obsessions sonores compilées dans l'épais volume du fameux bouquin 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Parfois, le voyage se passe sans encombre, les transitions sont douces, presque logiques. Et puis, il y a des jours comme aujourd’hui, des jours où la playlist s'apparente à un véritable saut dans le vide sans élastique. Ce projet est un grand écart quotidien car passer des papes de l'expérimental rock, les bien nommés Sonic Youth, à Alexander « Skip » Spence est une expérience... déstabilisante. C'est le genre de virage à épingle qui vous laisse avec un sérieux coup du lapin musical et les oreilles qui sifflent. Hier encore, j'étais plongé dans la fureur moderniste, les larsens divins, les guitares torturées et la dissonance magnifiquement orchestrée par la bande de Thurston Moore et Kim Gordon. J'étais dans le bruit blanc, l'asphalte new-yorkais, l'avant-garde pure et dure. Et aujourd'hui, je me retrouve catapulté en arrière, en plein cœur de l'année 1969, face à un homme seul avec ses démons. C'est un choc thermique, un anachronisme brutal qui force à recalibrer instantanément ses attentes. On quitte l'art brut et la fureur électrique pour s'enfoncer dans les brumes d'une conscience isolée, et je dois bien avouer que le voyage laisse une sensation étrange, un arrière-goût de perplexité. Pour apprécier ou du moins comprendre ce que l'on écoute ici, il faut impérativement détacher l'œuvre de sa propre légende, même si c'est presque impossible tant l'histoire de cet album est entrée dans le folklore du rock tragique. En 1968, la stabilité mentale d'Alexander « Skip » Spence est plus que vacillante, elle s'effondre totalement. Le point de non-retour est atteint lorsqu'il tente de fracasser la porte de la chambre d'hôtel de ses propres camarades de Moby Grape, Don Stevenson et Jerry Miller, armé d'une hache. Ce geste d'une violence inouïe lui vaut d'être interné d'office à l'hôpital psychiatrique de Bellevue pour une durée de six mois. C'est là, entre les murs blancs de l'asile, qu'il écrit les morceaux qui composeront son unique manifeste solo. À sa sortie de l'infirmerie psychiatrique, Spence ne disparaît pas dans la nature. Contre toute attente, il récupère une avance de 1 000 dollars de la part de Columbia Records, s'achète une moto et fonce directement à Nashville pour enregistrer ses complaintes. Quand on connaît ce passif, quand on sait qu'on écoute les élucubrations d'un homme à peine sorti de l'asile, on s'attend logiquement à un disque de pure folie furieuse, à un assaut sonore terrifiant, à quelque chose de radicalement inclassable. Le mythe du génie fou est une marchandise qui fait toujours recette dans l'histoire du rock, et Oar se traîne cette réputation de disque maudit depuis des décennies. Sur le plan purement technique et formel, Oar est pourtant une curiosité indéniable pour l'époque. Spence débarque à Nashville, la Mecque de la country proprette et des productions ultra-léchées, avec une approche totalement lo-fi avant l'heure. Il refuse toute aide extérieure et décide d'enregistrer l'intégralité de l'album en solitaire, jouant lui-même de chaque instrument présent sur la bande magnétique. Guitare, basse, batterie, percussions minimalistes, il construit son propre squelette sonore sans aucun filet de sécurité, face à un ingénieur du son probablement perplexe. De plus, l'album est enregistré à un volume extrêmement bas, ce qui lui confère une atmosphère d'une intimité rare, presque étouffante. On a la sensation d'être assis dans un coin de la pièce, dans le noir, à écouter un homme murmurer à ses propres fantômes. Le chant de Spence, un baryton lourd, traînant et profondément somnolent, renforce cette impression de torpeur et de dérive psychologique. Les imperfections techniques sont partout : des accords de guitare qui hésitent, des tempos qui flottent, une voix qui semble parfois s'éteindre avant la fin de la phrase. C'est brut, c'est spectral, mais est-ce que cela suffit pour en faire un chef-d'œuvre ? L'album s'ouvre sur "Little Hands", un titre qui avance avec une étrange énergie portée par des roulements de tambour qui rappellent l'ambiance d'un cirque un peu triste. C'est presque trompeur, car cela laisse espérer une suite dynamique et sur ce point la réalité est beaucoup plus léthargique. Le disque s'enfonce rapidement dans une country-folk squelettique avec "Cripple Creek", "Weighted Down (The Prison Song)" ou "Broken Heart", des morceaux où Spence traîne son spleen et sa carcasse avec une monotonie qui finit par peser. Le seul véritable sursaut de tension survient avec "Books of Moses", sans doute le moment le plus marquant et le plus sombre de l'album. Une guitare bluesy, lourde et résonnante se mêle à des grondements de tonnerre et un martèlement métallique persistant qui évoque une sorte de rituel vaudou improvisé. Ici, on touche du doigt la détresse et l'instabilité de l'artiste car le reste du temps, la musique dérive doucement vers des textures plus éthérées, comme sur "Diana" ou "War in Peace", où le chant se dissout dans des murmures presque sans paroles au-dessus de cymbales discrètes. L'album s'achève sur "Grey/Afro", un long morceau percussif totalement anarchique et instable qui semble se déconstruire sous nos yeux, preuve finale d'un projet qui refuse toute structure logique. Au final, une fois le casque retiré et la fumée de la légende dissipée, que reste-t-il de Oar ? Eh bien, il reste un album de folk rock, voire de psychedelic folk, qui s'avère bien trop classique. C'est un disque en plein dans l'air du temps, celui de 1969. Malgré l'aura de folie et d'avant-garde qu'on s'évertue à lui coller sur le dos, Spence ne révolutionne pas les structures de la folk de la fin des années soixante. Il livre simplement une version ralentie, dépolie et fatiguée des ballades que tout le monde écrivait à cette époque en Californie ou ailleurs. Je pourrais dire qu'Oar est touchant, c'est un document historique fascinant sur la déchéance d'un artiste, mais musicalement, le classicisme des compositions empêche le disque de s'envoler vers des sommets d'originalité. C'est pourquoi cet album s'en sort avec un 3 sur 5, soit la moyenne exacte. Je ne peux décemment pas lui donner plus : les longueurs sont réelles, la monotonie s'installe au fil des pistes et le voyage s'avère parfois plus laborieux que véritablement transcendant. Mais je ne peux pas non plus lui mettre moins car la démarche de Spence, ce témoignage brut d'un homme qui met ses dernières forces dans un magnétophone après avoir frôlé le gouffre, mérite le respect. Un album honnête, profondément ancré dans son année 1969, à écouter au moins une fois pour la culture, mais qui n'a pas la force de bousculer durablement les lignes du genre.

Strangely compelling. Not what I would have expected. I don't think it's good, and maybe not worth listening to again, or even for the entire length? It feels like it should have some kind of cult status, and yet it's more just an obscure and forgotten curiosity. Running it back - the first couple of tracks actually hold appeal, but it quickly breaks down into demo-level chaos. A really tough listen.

Typical late ‘69s, early 70’s songwriter.

2.67

Really interesting and definitely worth a listen and a deep dive, but I wouldn’t necessarily call it good

This is by far the most fascinating story behind an album we’ve had on this list to date. If Spence only intended these recordings as demos, there is definitely potential to work some of these songs on the first half into a decent album. The second half is a hard no. Seems like the record producer is just trying to take advantage and push something out for money, which is shameful. Giving it a 3 because it’s an interesting listen to someone’s creation at a rock bottom point in their life and I think this could have been something better.

How crazy is this? The music wasn't great, very raw and a bit bizarre. The story behind the album and the story of skip Spence is super interesting. This dude overdosed, was put on a gurney in the morgue only to suddenly wake up and simply ask for a cup of water. His biographer described him as a man who "neither died young nor had a chance to find his way out." Appeaerently he was either out and about doing heroin and coke, or confined to mental institutions most of his life. He was out of his mind. This gets a 3 only because i enjoyed the story of Skip Spence so much. The music isn't good, but it's a hell of a trip.

5/10

This is a vibe. There were songs I was into and songs I wasn’t.

felt really sad listening to this. was also surprised that i didn't hate it and that it was kind of interesting in places.

So so.

Wiki says these are demos released by his producer, and that's kind of a shame cuz the bones of some good tunes are here. Margaret Tiger Rug has that kind of McCartney music hall feel that's so polarizing. Diana and Weighted Down (moreso the former) are mumbly and unsure musically, but somehow the emotion conveyed is clear as a bell. Not all are winners, War in Peace is a little to psych for my tastes. Lawrence of Euphoria and Dixie Peach are sort of hokey in a bad way. Regardless of what I think though, it's hard to deny that without proper production, the album is basically the 1969 equivalent to quick, rough musical ideas that you have and record into your phone's voice recorder app to complete later. I mean I'd be a liar if I said that this guy and album's story didn't speak to me in some way. I'm not sure why, I've never been committed for mental issues before. Maybe some of the dread and sadness that's front and center on this thing are hitting me. I've been sad, I feel dread. Maybe it's that. The whole thing is a sound representation of someone with some painful issues, and the hopeless feeling those issues cause is kind of what the album thrives on. It's far from a genius masterpiece brimming with virtuosic skill, but I'm glad I got to hear it and feel something.

I really enjoyed this. Quirky, folky, mellow. Cross between Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan.

Boring at points but overall quite a nice listen

first time listening ..not bad

RATING: 7.5/10 HIGHLIGHT: A Broken Heart LOWLIGHT: Diana

honestly pretty good. i liked war in peace, broken heart, all come to meet her.

"Weighted down by possessions, weighted down by the gun, waited down by the river for you to come." An interesting texture - languid, wounded psychedelic folk. A one-man show evidently, and sort of a precursor to lo-fi (unintentionally, it would seem - Wikipedia says Spence only intended this to be a demo but then his producer just released it as-is). Not going to say it's my favorite thing ever, but I think there's something to be said for its unsettling minimalism.

American Syd Barrett

This will need another play for it to be really appreciated properly. But on first listen I was very impressed with its lo fi sound, strange song structures and its general air of bizzareness. It could be a classic for the ages or a load of crap. But it is sufficient to say I haven't made my mind up yet.

Never heard of this before. Interesting mix. Especially liked “Grey/Afro”

Unhinged, maar toch niet echt? Prima album met een wilde backstory

algunas canciones están bien, igual un poco largo y se hacía repetitivo, igual su voz de ultratumba no ayuda, pero tiene alguna canción que juega mucho con los instrumentos y la voz que están bien como little hands o i think you and i

Sounds a lot like a demo.

Wieso ist das in dieser Liste? Interessant von der Aufnahmetechnik her, er hat alle Instrumente selbst gespielt. Die Musik geht so.

I wasn’t paying attention to this enough when I listen to it. I’d love to put it on and get immersed in it, get lost in it. I didn’t do it justice by listening to it while working

C'était assez original. Il faut avoir le contexte autour de l'album pour comprendre, je pense. J'ai bien fait de lire l'article Wikipédia, aujourd'hui. C'était donc un un album écrit en hôpital psychiatrique par Alexander 'Skip' Spence après un épisode psychotique où il a tenté d'attaquer les membres de son groupe avec une hache. Je n'aime pas la romantisation des problèmes mentaux, mais ce contexte est important pour comprendre cet album. Il a été écrit par son auteur alors qu'il était traité pour ses problèmes de santé mentale, ayant conscience de la gravité de ce qu'il a fait alors qu'il n'était pas lui-même. La façon dont cet album a été enregistré est également fort intéressant. Tous les instruments ont été enregistrés par Alexander Spence lui-même et ces pistes n'étaient censées être que des démos, mais elles ont finalement été utilisées pour faire l'album lui-même. Et si j'ai bien compris, c'est le dernier album de ce personnage, avant son retrait plus ou moins complet du milieu de la musique. Bref, c'est un album qui a de l'histoire, plutôt du genre tragique. Je n'ai pas fait attention outre-mesure aux paroles, mais l'atmosphère est plutôt triste et psychédélique, comme on peut s'y attendre. Il se passe pas mal de choses, c'est parfois un peu glauque et j'apprécie énormément ce que j'entends. Il s'est passé plus d'une demi-journée depuis mon écoute donc c'est plus tout frais dans ma tête, mais il m'a fait forte impression et je pense que je reviendrai dessus un jour. En tout cas, le dernier morceau est dans ma wishlist.

This was an okay album. Not great, but not terrible either.

reminds me alot of "The Madcap Laughs," key difference being that this one has a country twang. the freaked out rumbling psych rock closer is cool

The Good: Guess we don’t need a paddle! The Bad: We are still up shit creek.. The Ugly: This gentleman’s mental health… no joke… This is the first time that I have, on purpose, activated the lyrics option on Apple Music, just to see exactly what Mr Spence is singing about… Still don’t get it. What is true about this album is the sheer musicianship of all the session players who helped out. Boy oh boy, that is some tight playing. Will have to listen to this album a couple more times to really have a good idea what I think… for now, I will give it a 3*

Solid

This is all over the shop. Like a bat shit mental Nick Drake

I was looking to see if this was really an hour plus, and thankfully it is not, but i got a lot of background info while I did. Haunted and shambolic? That's certainly something that could be great or awful! I sort of lean toward the former? It's all very sparse, very rough, but it's ultimately kinda nice mostly? Spence's voice can be a very rich deep instrument, or a very stressed airy higher register. It's not really psychedelic, but it isn't -not-. It has some early western vibes in places, but is definitely not a classic western album. It's not as obviously the product of a mental breakdown as many reviews suggest, but that knowledge certainly informs how disconnected the album often feels. There are a lot of nice gems throughout… with a little polish, Diana would be iconic, and War in Peace feels like it should be anyway. I think the droning Grey/Afro feels like the definer here. It's intriguing and propulsive but also give the hint that there might be something more going on here than meets the ear. I'm leaning to a light 3.5*, with the expectation i'll relisten to this to get deeper in. I don't know if this is something i will love, but i am surprisingly happy to have experienced it. And Whatever the case, i'll certainly sign off on this being the better song about Cripple Creek. You know the other one.

Just couldn’t listen to the whole thing

Not a bad album by any means but it wasn’t a stand out listen. I would brobably listen to it again.

It certainly has its moments. I think it's place here owes a lot to it's story as a lost classic of the sixties, with a good story and Rolling Stone loved a good story and defined "the classic rock" cannon. It helps that the singer was already well-known and from California. The book, this list is based on seems to have lifted that cannon wholesale around 2000 and used that as it's list of 60's lps you must here - then not revised the list of albums before the 90s. I can see someone into the 60's psyche would want to hear this and track it down. But there's loads of rediscovered gems in recent years and many are better than this. So yes this is a album to hear before you die. but only if you live a long, long life.

Tja. Er denne kun interessant pga historien rundt?

Veldig interessant men aldri noe særlig mer en det.

Soft, sad folk ballads don’t do much for me. I can certainly see where the artistic and emotional side are impressive to people. But this feels and sounds like a demo tape that never got finished, which is pretty much what it was intended as. There’s some brilliant and very personal lyrics but the production and style need refinement.

incrivelmente, é menos pior do que eu achei que fosse ser n sei se quero elaborar tanto nesse mas é sujo, soturno e claramente o camarada tava a ponto de compor o elenco do vasco n tem uma sonoridade fácil, e normalmente eh o que eu busco nesse site os momentos q ele cai pro folk realmente são cansativos, mas os que não tá são interessantes

pior que eh bem menos pior do que parecia ser memo. bem triste, né. mto paia o mano ter "perdido" a carreira por conta de drogas simplesmente pq tomou um LSD e tentou assassinar um amigo da banda com uma machadinha. esse disco eh bem o resultado de 6 meses de internação por "esquizofrenia". baixo astral e criativo, até onde os remédios deixaram.

Good

Not even sure how to start this one. The album is a scattershot of the sounds of the time in a way. At least thats how I see the first 2/3rds or so. Its all listenable and even good at times. But I wouldn't say its all that unique. The last third is where I started to really vibe with it. When the only things that are left are the bass, drums, and vocals. Thats stuff was genuinely good. The first parts though I wasn't crazy about. Not bad just nothing to stick in my mind. The real thing about this record is the story behind it. Thats the interesting part. With addiction and mental collapses and just a lost man. I feel like thats the actual appeal. The what ifs and the imagined potential. I feel like this guy could have made some crazy good stuff but no one will ever know. Im interested in his band which I also knew nothing about either. At least the early stuff where the guy was at least present. Could be neat. But in the end I liked some of what's here and I was OK with almost all of it. Just doesnt add up to too much for me. Worth a listen but I probably won't come back to this often if at all. Cool story though

Okay

Not the best album but strikes a chord (pun intended) when going for a morning walk.

Yes, ok!

Don't judge this one by its cover...it's truly a hidden gem of a record. Too bad it's the only solo work we got.

6/10 There's a great album in here somewhere, but this isn't great in itself. Starts stronger, with some more realised songs, but it begins to drift and ramble the longer it goes on. Maybe with some proper production and healthy hacking away of the nonsense, it could have been a contender.

Huh. That was an album alright. I did not particularly care for this one. This album was apparently a massive failure initially, but has seen something of a critical reappraisal over the years since its release. Here's the thing. I can see why people care about this, but I also get why it flopped. This is not an album for everyone. It's very sparse and honestly a little haunting, but in a way that just kinda makes you feel bad for the guy behind it. Now, this actually isn't my first album involving Mr. Spence here, as I got the Moby Grape album just under a month ago. I thought his work there was alright. Nothing spectacular, but not ruining the album. Apparently this guy was a bit of a troubled artist, with this album being made not long after a stay in a mental hospital. See, I feel for the guy, but I'm also not really invested enough in the music for this to evoke strong emotions from me. Compare this to an album from someone like Nick Drake and this just feels a little... dull in comparison. There are some parts here that I respect. Despite me not really caring for the end result, I have to respect the gall that Spence had to end the album on the 9-minute "Grey/Afro." The production is rather empty, but it makes sense given the context. The writing is pretty vague though, and I'm not huge on Spence's singing. I guess I'm happy that some people have found enough value in this album to warrant it not being a total failure, but I just don't really vibe with an album like this right now. Something about it just feels... incomplete. I guess one could say that that makes this is a more accurate look into a fractured mind, but I myself can't help but see this as a bunch of demos. Some decent demos, but still demos. Decent 3/5. I respect it, but I'm not huge on it myself.

First of all, just one album on his spotify page. This is so exciting, this is big for me. And I now know the reason this is such an interesting piece of media what the hell! Such a rabbit hole omg ever so interesting.... Now, what I am getting from this guy and his album is that this is psychedelic rock. Yet again, I love that for me. Also, love the album name, its so not like other girls. So, is the music good? Meh not really, BUT he is so delirious it makes sense.

So this was a listen. It was not until I went and read this notes about it that I found out that it was a demo and dude was in Bellevue before. I still kind of liked it though. This is the kind of shit that makes record collectors cream their pants too. I record that was released and deemed to be so bad of a sales that Columbia deleted it from their catalog. Looking at discogs the most expensive listening for the original one is $1,111.49 with the least expensive that is not a reissue coming it at $300. If Columbia reissued it then someone somewhere must have decided that it was worth it.

Lowkey disjointed.

I'm not the biggest fan of his voice all the time. I can hear that it's the same voice in every song but it feels like a totally different style of singing in a lot of these songs. "war in peace" does sound like Radiohead.

Pretty decent. never heard any of this.

Interesting story about this dude. Album was some decent light folk - I didn't mind it.

Odd album but Grey/Afro was a great piece of music

Couldn't quite pull the 4 trigger despite enjoying the Weighted Down song and the Barretty-Floyd era one that followed it. Didnt really get into the longer 9 minute one which pretty much sealed its fate, condemned to the tree-zone.

What is this? The album starts as what I’d consider to be psychedelic folk, but wanders in some really random and unexpected directions. Strangely enjoyable and a real “grower”’as the album progressed. Not consistent enough and a bit too rambling for a 4 star rating, but a really interesting addition to the list.

It's fine, and quite impressive with the story leading up to its creation. But for my ears, it feels unfocused and ramble-y. It's not bad instrumentation but it's all just... Weird.

The folk-rock sound was pleasant, but the meandering nature and religious iconography, as well as a general feeling of waywardness, gave an underwhelming experience that never seemed to get going.

oddball psychedelic meandering from an apparently troubled soul 3/5

Alright

Well, I liked this album, I read all about him beforehand as I didn’t know the name, I really like the story - country song best

Well..the man is cleary kind of absent...but still some good tunes and fun to listen to, especially when you hear that the band bursts into laughter from time to time. Seems like they had fun recording.

Some fantastically haunting vocals in an otherwise unmemorable album.

started off strong and then rolled downhill with Yin for Yang and kept heading down. He's got a certain charm to his music but I can't help thinking of Sabrina Carpenter's "Manchild" when I hear his voice.

This was alright. I generally like weird 60s folk music, but something about this wasn't really doing it for me. I think part of it was Skip Spence's voice. It just wasn't pleasant to listen to for the most part. I did appreciate the weird folkiness of most of the songs, but nothing really stood out for better or worse, and there isn't a lot of replay value for me.

Reminded me of later singer song writers. Songs were hit and miss for me. One early song seemed like mumbles to me. Overall I think I liked it

I don’t even know what to say about this other than it was just boring. Had it played but I didnt really listen. Nothing grabbed me. I guess it was trippy folk music. Whatever. The guy looks like Garth from Wayne’s world.

There’s actually some really beautiful and sad songs on here, even though they are delivered roughly. Not what I was expecting after reading the reviews.

Ein durchzogenes Album,melodisch gut, gibt aber ausräeiser die mir nicht gefallen

Skip no es un cualquiera, aunque no sea muy conocido por su nombre o por su único disco en solitario, si decimos que fundó Moby Grape, que tocaba la guitarra en Quicksilver Messenger Service y la batería en el debut de Jefferson Airplane la cosa cambia radicalmente. Un canadiense californiano, maestro de la psicodelia que graba esta joya en Nashville después de salir de la cárcel y de un sanatorio mental. ¿Qué podría salir mal? Pues en este caso, absolutamente nada. Bueno en realidad faltó una cosa: promoción. Columbia se negó a cualquier cosa, despreciando un disco que parecía una maqueta antes que un álbum vendible. Ese fue el gran acierto de David Rubinson su productor: dejar a Skip hacer lo quisiera registrar e inventar el Lo-fi antes del lo-fi. En su momento, fue el álbum menos vendido en la historia de Columbia Records y fue eliminado del catálogo de Columbia al año de su lanzamiento Un Syd Barret americano, que naufragó con sus adicciones y salud mental. Nunca recuperó el rumbo, ni siquiera en su vida. Este disco no es ni mucho imprescindible, pero es uno de los que merece la pena descubrir. Doy las gracias a los autores del libro por incluirlo, como Fear and Whiskey de los Mekons o el American Gothic de David Ackles. Las que más me gustan son: War in peace, Weighted Down (The Prison Song), Books of Moses y All come to meet her. Grey/Afro es como estar dentro de una lavadora. No me extraña que Tom Waits o Beck cayeran rendidos por su talento.

I had already heard this album once or twice before. It is really interesting. It is certainly not super accessible, but there is so much going on. It has country and psychedelia elements and haunting vocals. I would say I would have to be in the mood to choose to listen to this, but it is really very good for what it is.

Not horrible, but I’m not a big fan of the mumble singing.

Nothing too groundbreaking. 3/5

3 feels generous. I’m feeling generous.

While I feel this album is probably hailed as a cult classic mostly due in part to the history surrounding it's recording than the music itself, it's still a neat folksy/psychedelic 60s oddity. The songwriting can be very inconsistent at times in both arrangement and structure. Spence sounds genuinely depressed and spaced out for most of his time spent singing, actually a plus given that otherwise the often unintelligble lyrics would just fall completely flat. Best listened to in mono, the stereo mixing is the one part of this album I can say is unequivocally awful. 6.5/10

That was cool

interesting

noise

i liked the first song but i feel like it teetered off for me… i wish i liked it more

This one is interesting, I like some of the material a good deal but some of it reflects the tidbit about it on the Wiki page where the producer just kind of let the tape run the whole time they were in the studio and picked up whatever.

Eh

This album sounds like a crazy person wrote it.

I get it but I don’t get it. I heard moments in this that I liked, and I could see how the production may have influenced dozens of artists I enjoy. But it mostly felt kind of aimless, like a collection of deep cut Dylan songs someone was playing slowed down with weird instrumentation. I did like “Grey/Afro” though… wish the whole album sounded like that.

Manche coole songs

interesting

It's quite difficult to rank this, because it's so bound up in the back story. Considering I hadn't heard of him (I'd vaguely heard of Moby Grape) he certainly seems to have led the archetypal wild California drug-fuelled lifestyle; stories to make your hair curl. I wonder what he'd think about us all appraising it, if it's true that he only thought of these tracks as rough demos. Listening felt a bit intrusive, both for that reason, and because he wrote it whilst, effectively, sectioned. But I have to say, I was drawn in. His guitar-playing was seemingly effortless. Some of the songs were, unsurprisingly, in need of a bit of thinking through, structurally, but I liked most of the musical choices. It went a bit Johnny Cash at times, I thought. I treated Grey/Afro as the final track: hypnotic, weird, and crying out to be used in a film soundtrack somewhere. Interesting, in a good way.

Never heard of this one. Theres some great moments. Getting nick Cave, tom waits vibes. Album on Spotify is not the album, has about 6 extra songs on the end. Not for the betterment of the album either. It feels a bit unfinished, which made sense when I read it was apparently demos, not properly finished songs.

Pretty chill album, nothing too exciting happened, but it's definitely alright having it in the background.

Not bad

It isnt a bad album but i think the story of the artist really puts it into context. It makes it a lot more intresting from a psycological view into his mind and his state. Im glad to have listen to it and experiened it but as a stand alone album i have to give it a 3/5.

i see what he was trying to do

Hearing this album lets me know where beck got his acoustic sounds. Tracks ranged from amazing to boring as meandering.

Haunting but very engaging…

Started good. Too long

Need power

This started so well, just bored me by the end

Álbum de folk interessante e com momentos que apreciei bastante. Tem uma estranheza muito agradável. GK Kunten.

Reminds me in many ways of Syd Barrett’s ‘The Madcap Laughs’. A collection of some strong, some middling songs by a talented musician in the midst of unraveling. I was interested to hear Spence’s work after listening to Moby Dick for the first time months ago and saw he was also in the original Quicksilver Messenger Service lineup, not to mention he played on Jefferson Airplane’s debut. A storied career cut short. I appreciated my listen and much of it was lovely, but like ‘Madcap Laughs’ it also felt sometimes unfinished and a little voyeuristic to listen to. These were originally recorded as demos and you can tell.

This might be the first album on this list that I haven't heard before but think needs a second listen

Oar you fucking kidding me? Just kidding I dunno. I listened to this

admittedly a pretty strange and interesting album... on the wiki it has this line "Described as "one of the most harrowing documents of pain and confusion ever made" and let me say that did not come across at all... i was like am i listening to the right album after reading that lol...

впечатлила история альбома и сам он довольно разнообразный но много слушать не смогла

Un álbum compuesto por alguien mientras está internado en un centro de salud mental por haber tenido un ataque psicótico (?) y haberse lanzado con un hacha a por su compañero puede resultar en cualquier cosa. Ya de entrada, que sea uno de esos 1001 discos imprescindibles, como que no. Cierto es que de la locura y la depresión han salido muchas obras de arte, pero esta no la considero una de ellas. Hay algún tema curioso y hasta podría ser un single, pero su totalidad resulta caótica y confusa. En algún momento me ha recordado a Elliott Smith, lo cual va a su favor.

Some good stuff here for sure but some of it drags a bit, especially the last track