Oar

A bunch of acoustic folk-rock type tracks. Some were quite country-sounding. A bit of a psychedelic vamp at the end.

Not to my taste, but the story of the album is off the hook

An interesting collection of songs.

Tough life this guy led... Liked the music enough to give 3 stars, for psychodelic music very high mark! Specially liked Grey/Afro song, was humming along the song singing Stone Roses song Fools Gold (-:

A few good tracks here.

Sad psychedelic cowboy

Interesting background. Original album tracks are... Alright.

Meh. Honestly, it wasn't bad. Pretty simple and straight-forward. Maybe it was his minimalist and soft style that made it hard to pick up most of his lyrics but it felt kind of bland. Margaret-Tiger Rug and Broken Heart were a little weird but I didn't mind the sound. Late in the album I picked up more lyrical oddities that might be related to his mental state at the time, like on Dixie Peach Promenade or Lawrence of Euphoria (cheeky, not bad). Grey/Afro was the only real throwaway track - a bit strange for me, but creative and psychedelic, which was his thing. War in Peace was a more conventional psychedelic piece, and I didn't mind it. So were All Come to Meet Her and Books of Moses, and I thought they were great. Overall, I've heard far worse. Maybe I'm in a good mood today. Perfectly average album.

Hat ganz gut angefangen aber nachgelassen. Light 5/10

- Never heard of Skip Spence before - Thought it was pretty good, seems ahead of it's time considering it was released in the 60s - Fav songs: Grey/Afro, Diana, War in Peace

Good if your in the mood for it

A very high 3 - Grey/Afro knocks it down from a 4.

I kept running across mention this album reading about other artists and bands while I've been doing this project - I guess Moby Grape is one of those "6 degrees of separation" bands, at least in the 60s-70s psychedelic scene. Descriptions of the album itself led me to expect something darker, and more harrowing. Maybe I didn't listen closely enough but mostly found it pretty in line with the kind of music it was born out of, mostly straightforward but somewhat slack and sloppy - consistent with its creator's reported intent of its songs being demos for a more finished composition. And its a shame it was left where it was as there's certainly a great album in it - it really shines through in parts - and I can see why it's a revered artifact and don't dispute its inclusion on this list. But on the whole, just in itself, it's extremely uneven.

I love this guy's voice. The song's are pretty calm and nice listens. There's kind of a movie soundtrack vibe here as well. I would definitely consider buying this just to play it as background music. Fave track(s): Tiger Rug, Weighted Down (The Prison Song)

Solid mental-breakdown album. Lots of odd. Guess when he tried to kill a bandmate with an ax it shouldn't have been surprising.

Wow this one gets out there. Had no idea who this guy was until I read the bio during the last song which really gets weird in its 9+ minutes. It's strange and will need another listen at some point

aight

Interesting story, interesting music.

I did quite this as a whole but I found it a bit all over the place, like someone just messing around in a studio.

Knowing how this ends makes it hard.

Hints of Leonard Cohen.

Det var bra men väldigt långt

3.5 Very nice. Better than expected

Wildly inconsistent

Interesting, one song grabbed me.

It was okay. 3 stars.

Oh! I have this I have no idea why?

Without the context this is bad

I recognized Skip Pence name but didn't know much about him and never heard this album. About 3 songs in I decided to read the history of the album. Basically written during a stay at Bellevue after a LSD fueled axe attack on his Moby Grape bandmates and then recorded right after his release. That seriously changed my perspective of what I was listening too and I'm not sure if "enjoy" is quite the world but I really began to understand it.I did bookmark a song to go back to, I'd probably never listen to this again, but was a very interesting piece and story.

This one is pretty weird. But not always in a terrible way, though at times it's pretty rough. But some things on it did resonate fairly decently and it wasn't a complete waste.

Skimmed, this might be swag? Would need to listen closer

Despite the fact that one guy sings and plays all the instruments (and that these are only demo tapes) there is a fair bit of diversity on the LP. The opening two tracks, for example are very different, the only thing they have in common is the super fast fade-out. I like to more haunting tracks like War in Peace and All Come to Meet Her - they sound worthy of a This Mortal Coil cover. A few of the others, especially those added after the original vinyl release are pretty throw-away.

The songs of this album are odd and dark, but somehow also manages to be interesting.

I enjoy the lo-fi psychedelic feel of this more than I thought I would. This kind of thing can get boring pretty quick for me, but this album holds my interest. It’s got a strong introspective atmosphere communicated mainly through the sparse instrumentation. This kind of sounds like Syd Barrett if he wasn’t English and he brought a country vibe to his music.

The lyrics were cool. I found the music mostly uninteresting.

Enjoyed a couple songs and very ahead of it’s time and uniqur

Worth a listen. I appreciated all the experimentation in the second half, but it's not something I'll probably revisit.

I mean, I guess this was an influential album? Its not terrible, but its not great either. 3/5

Boring i didn’t listen to very much of it

Having never heard of of Spence, I was impressed at how his sound serves as an influence for the more popular singer songwriters we are familiar with. 3.5/5.

Lol

Borde kanske lyssna igen...

Wow. Never heard of this before. I could listen to this one gladly for another day (maybe more). 3/5

This was okay, but way too long for not having all that many good songs .

It was okay. Interested reading about the background of the album and definitely makes sense why it's a bit of a rambling, meandering mess.

first listen fascinating listen given the context, an interesting jumbled mess

Extraño. Experimental. Rock, country...

Nothing grabbed me

Congratulations 'Skip', I didn't dislike your album. I'm not sure if I liked it, but I did not NOT like Oar. Alexander 'Skip' Spence is a new artist to me. There was only one song that I recognized ("Little Hands") and I'm pretty sure I've only heard someone else play that song. This album was a mix of folk-rock and hippie, of Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, and... something else I can't quite put my finger on.

First time hearing of this guy. I really like it. I want to hear more of it. 3/5

Fine - didn’t finish yet

This is the first one I didn't quite make it through. There were a lot of songs I liked like Weighted Down, but I also found the vocal affects and left/right split of the recording pretty irritating at times.

Good folk music

Didn't grab me. Kind of boring tbh.

Primordial Jeff Buckley?! But a little too long

Great and curious

It was alright. Like the bass a lot.

The sound of one man losing his mind. This is definitely an album you need to listen to even though it may not be that easy. Sort of lo-fi country rock. Best Tracks: Little Hands; Cripple Creek, War In Peace

from boring to ahead of its time

Ei tarjonnut ihmeitä vaikka ei mitään paskaa ollutkaan. Viimeisen 60v aikana monta tusinaa vastaavia artisteja. 2,5*

Spence spent time in a mental facility after trying to use a fireaxe on his bandmates, and this album came out of it. It's a bit long and self-indulgent, but I guess he's allowed that if it's what he needs. Best track: Diana

It feels a bit like a rough diamond. There is something really good about this, yet there is also something missing. It sounds a bit incomplete. I did enjoy this a lot tho.

-I like the low voice on "Cripple Creek" -Great of the album was just very plain, boring rock

Kings of Leon -aha shake heartbreak

not totally crazy about his voice, nice bluesy guitar

This was an album I’d never even heard about. Listening to the album and reading about its creation, it bears more than a passing resemblance to Syd Barrett’s solo work. Though this leans more on folk/Americana/country as opposed to Barrett’s blues roots. I will listen again

I found some of this really pretty good, I liked the ramblings and the sound and the guitar work. And what a backstory

Hoo boy, this album is real slow and real sad.

Jotenkin tämä levy kuulostaa siltä, että kaveri olisi LCD-päissään yrittänyt paloitella bändikaverit palokirveellä ja sen jälkeen viettänyt sairaalassa puoli vuotta, kirjoittanut biisit sairaalassa ja suoraan sairaalasta päästyään karauttanut studiolle ja äänittänyt biisit ykkösellä purkkiin. Ja ne oli sitten siinä, tulee muuten hiotun oloisia. Näin ainakin tuottajan mielestä, eikä demoja tarvinut lähteä sen enempää uudelleenäänittämään. Biiseissä on joku tietty johnnycashmäinen karisma, mikä pitää otteessaan. Tietty myönnettäköön, että minulla on heikko kohta tällaiseen singer/songwriter ja kitara -musiikkiin. Heti alussa tuntuu, onko tässä kaksi eri laulajaa kuin Little Handsin jälkeen Cripple Creekissa lauluääni on niin erilainen - jälkimmäisessä kappaleessa tumman möreä, hivenen massahtava. Kokonaisuutena vähän liian pitkä ja venytetty levy (sama rikkinäinen radio, pahoittelut), jotta alkaisin keulimaan nelosen suuntaan.

Had never heard this but really liked it. Got weird! I'll throw it on every once in a while.

Fine

Psychedelic album; alright

I really wanted to like this album but I was kind of bored.

J’ai bien aime mais plus psychedelique vers la fin. Quand meme surprenant pour une petite balade dans le bois. 3.90

I wanted to like this more than I did. Kind of reminded me of Syd Barrett but not as good.

It was OK

I really enjoyed most of the songs, but I wish the record would have been a little bit shorter. It got too repetitive after a while

A very interesting psychedelic album.

So odd. I can hear the mental illness. Wrenching and interesting.

Cool folky/blues/spacey/jammy music from an artist I had never heard of. The second half of the album is very experimental, almost like studio outtakes. Caught a "Sunshine of Your Love" tease in "War in Peace". Highlights: -Little Hands -All Come to Meet Her -War in Peace

This is some legit Can-con. Very cool record.

Again, alright.

Didn’t finish it . Not for me . Maybe if I was at a ranch and sitting on a rocking chair on the porch basking in the moonlight . Nice vibe

Very off-putting at first, but it grows on you. The end of the album is the best part. Spotify has the expanded edition with snippets of "unfinished" songs (even if most of Oar proper is full of songs that could have used a little polish.) Not sure if Oar is essential listening, but it has its moments.

Two songs in and I am liking it. Lou Reed loves this album. Margaret-Tiger Rug is like his Maxwell's Silver Hammer...parallel thinking since Abbey road was recorded the same year. Leonard Cohen also has to be a fan of this album. Psychedelic Folk>Psychedelic Rock. Actually, Donovan was probably a big fan too, War In Peace has a similar vibe to Season of the Witch. I like the songs that lean into the really heavy psychedelic vocal effects less. The sound effects on Books of Moses are a nuisance. The songs get worse as the album goes on. Closing with an almost-10-minute song with vocals so manipulated they are almost incomprehensible. Opened stronger than it closed.

Man he really sounds like when I do an old man voice. 4/10

I wish we had “skipped” this album and just moved on with our lives. Unlike a bottle of wine, this music did not age well and is mid at best. To top it off, I don’t think Skippy has a very good voice. This collection would have been better as an instrumental only album. I can’t say I enjoyed this.

Upon the debut in 1969 … “ It was the lowest-selling album in Columbia Records history and was deleted from the Columbia catalogue within a year of its release.” The photo of Garth from Wayne’s World on the cover pretty much answers any questions that might remain. There’s no doubt this guy is nuttier than squirrel shit, but I think it’s cruel to take a guy who just got out of Bellevue after serving six months for trying to kill his bandmates with a fire axe and go out of your way not to give any help or guidance to him, lie, and then release the unedited version of what happened. Sounds like exploitation to me.

coulda skipped this one, eh?

Sort of odd not incredibly interesting

2 - not great

Album is a bit long with a lot of different styles. I would not say that I don't like it but its not something I will remember. 2.5

This album picks up slightly at the end. The majority is just a kind of acoustic guitar singer songwriter style (which is not my favorite genre) that is often unintelligible and hard to hear

A lot of nothing

1.5

1.7 This was not a crazy game of poker. I think I am going to have to go back through this one again. My initial go through, I thought this was a total piece of shit. There was one song at the end that kinda caught my attention enough to give it another try

In the "Diary of an Artist Losing His Mind" category, I like this better than Piper at the Gates of Dawn, but just by a smidgen.

This was a disjointed mess. Another one of those joke albums that are on here. Painful! Sounds a bit like Johnny Cash/Nick Cave but not as good.

Rather calm and sleepy album.

Messy, unkempt, rough-around-the-edges... however you want to describe it, Oar is clearly not the finest output of the 60s. Generally, the textures are pretty thin – an attribute that's fine by itself, but less so when it perseveres for 64 minutes. This sort of music is what I call "coverable". Other artists would certainly perform it to a higher standard, but I'm thankful the songs exist so that they can even be covered at all. Spotify calls this guy "a rough, more obscure counterpart to Syd Barrett." Mmm. I think not. The hairstyle and tired, out-of-it expression remain the same, but Spence lacks that creative, psychedelic, whimsical-fantasy spark that makes Barrett so compelling. All Come to Meet Her maybe sounds the most Floydian, but even then it's more reminiscent of Rick Wright's stuff than Barrett's. I hear more of Leonard Cohen if anything, but Cohen has markedly better, more memorable songwriting, so the comparison ends there. The opener, Little Hands, has to be the strongest song here by a wide margin. Satisfying melody that happens to be delivered with a bizarre, unattractive vocal. Cripple Creek is also decent, melody- and harmony-wise. Really the performance, the enthusiasm (or lack thereof), acts as the main factor holding these songs back from superstardom. But then Diana... oh, Diana. You poor soul. I wouldn't be surprised if the woman this was named after spiralled into a deep depression after hearing how Spencer chose to emulate her in musical form. Limply and drunkenly repeating the song title doesn't make it a classy joint. Margaret-Tiger Rug (huh?) is also lacklustre and difficult to really groove with. Weighted Down (The Prison Song) is fine – completely inoffensive and uninteresting – and avoids being "bad" mostly because the guitar part excels compared to any other instrument in any of the preceding songs. As long as they don't do that same weak, meandering folk again... Well, shoot. Broken Heart is exactly that. Bleh. Books of Moses, despite being pretty much one chord, still has a pretty compelling acoustic guitar part. And importantly, it sounds different to that of other songs! (I like my albums diverse, yo!) Dixie Peach Promenade is also pretty good. Grey/Afro mainly acts as 9 minutes of wasted time, and I tuned out after the first couple minutes. As another reviewer wrote: "What if every single folk album from the 60s except maybe slightly more dull? ...It seems like Skip was just noodling around, thinking about maybe writing a few songs, and someone accidentally recorded it." Skip. 2/5 Key tracks: Little Hands, Cripple Creek, All Come to Meet Her

Odd album. Thought it was something I'd like going in, but it was a bit too experimental for me.

Dont really get the hype - just kinda normal for this era. But not bad or anything

No sé por qué tenía que escuchar esta wea antes de morir

Interesting background and clearly very influential, doesn't actually make it good though. The sort of thing you'd hear one track from on John Peel.

The singing is bad and so bland. The instrumentals aren't good either. The only decent track was "Books of Moses".

Een plaat met goede lore. Jammer dat de plaat niet zo goed is. De vocals varieren van dronken kroegmuzikant tot grating en ik werd halverwege al helemaal gek van de hard panning van de instrumenten. Er zitten ergens wel goede ideeën verstopt in individuele liedjes, maar die zijn door omstandigheden goed verstopt gebleven ook.

*I tried to keep an open mind as this album went on, and I have come to appreciate folk music more than in the past. However this just bored me at too many times to appreciate.

This was okay! Not a bad listen at all and there are some interesting tunes and melodies on here. It's a cool psychedelic record. My issue is that is was very long and it needed to be cut down a bit. It got boring and sluggish in the middle and the end.

I liked some of the songs but a lot of them just sounded like the worst parts of Bob Dylan songs and they just droned on and on. This album was far too long as well. Not a fan.

4.5/10

Proof that an album isn't a masterpiece just because it was made with the influence of serious mental crisis

Yeh it did have a certain reason for the guy to quit. And this only album is the proof.

Man I was relieved when that was over. Realised I'd been listening to a whole song with the radio also playing and had no idea. Shares very little of the melody or good vocal hooks that their later music has. Alive Alone a decent example of things to come for them though.

I feel sad now having read this guy's story, but it didn't really increase my enjoyment of the album either.

I can see why this album has less than a million streams on Spotify. It is not good. Definitely one of those albums from the past that deserves to be forgotten.

Described as "one of the most harrowing documents of pain and confusion ever made" Nou, dat klinkt alsof dit een gezellig albumpje gaat worden!! De wiki voor dit album is echt WILD. Man word opgesloten in recording studio nadat hij geprobeerd heeft zn voormalig bandgenoot met een bijl aan te vallen. Kan niet zeggen dat ik eerder zo benieuwd ben geweest naar een album. En het is prima I guess? Vind het wel funny dat er veel afwisseling in zit. Beste voorbeeld is het duo 'War in Peace' en 'Broken Heart', waar de eerste een super psychedelisch nummer is. Super trippy en vreemd en daarna Broken Heart het meest standaard country nummer is. War in Peace klinkt wel echt unhinged, meer nummers die wel een beetje zo klinken. Ik had denk ik iets meer gehoopt op nog vreemdere muziek. Of dat ie gewoon een uur loopt te krijsen ofzo. Had me funny geleken. Grey/Afro laat dan wel weer iets vreemds zien, is weer nauwelijks een nummer te noemen. Dikke Flanger effectje op de muziek. Pff, ik denk dat hier best een interessant album in zit van 40 minuten. Maar momenteel is het gewoon uitgebracht, niet echt gemixed of gemastered of enige quality control. Weet je, als de artiest zegt "Dit is shit, breng het niet uit", het label zegt "Dit is een demo we brengen het niet uit" Misschien moet je het dan niet uit brengen... Ja nee, hoe langer ik luister, hoe meer ik ook gewoon denk dat de gene die dit heeft uitgebracht echt een lul is. Deze man heeft duidelijk hulp nodig. En dit was ook duidelijk nooit bedoeld als album. Om dit dan toch uit te brengen... Tsja, ik word er bijna een beetje naar van. Alsof je die ene vriend ziet die veeeeeel te lam is uitdaagt om nu een salto te doen terwijl ie een beetje dronken op een balkon staat. Ja het zorgt vast voor een grappig moment, maar zou je hem niet beter naar beneden helpen? FAVO:

somewhere between Leonard Cohen and Johnny Cash. I like folk rock but this doesn't feel like good folk rock to me

It sounds nice, but I don't like the songs much.

Dirge city. But with acoustic guitar.

Little Hands - 2.5/5 Cripple Creek - 3.5/5 Diana - 2/5 Margaret-Tiger Rug - 2.5/5 Weighted Down (The Prison Song) - 2.5/5 War In Peace - 2.5/5 Broken Heart - 2.5/5 All Come to Meet Her - 2.5/5 Books of Moses - 2/5 Dixie Peach Promenade (Yin for Yang) - 3/5 Lawrence of Euphoria - 2/5 Grey/Afro - 2/5 This Time He Has Come - 1/5 It's The Best Thing for You - 2/5 Keep Everything Under Your Heart - 2/5 Furry Heroine (Halo of Gold) - 2/5 Givin' Up Things - 2/5 If I'm Good - 2/5 You Know - 2/5 Doodle - 2/5 Fountain - 2/5 I Think You and I - 2/5

Lovende åpning, de to første låtene føles interessante og ekte, spesielt i lys av fyrens nylige erfaringer. Men dessverre glir det fort over til å bli et soloprosjekt som det burde ha blitt jobbet mer med. Det er ikke alltid det er så lurt å bare å gi ut demoene og ta tidlig helg.

He poured his soul out for this, but I’m not buying. Boring enough to make me mentally ill.

Meh. Just like every other 60s album that wishes it was written by The Kinks or The Beatles.

На фоні деяких фолк-альбомів в цьому списку його було досить цікаво слухати через сильний психоделік вплив. Проте я не можу сказати, що ця музика подобається.

Не сподобалось. Якийсь такий психоделічний фолк, але нецікаво було абсолютно. Ставлю 2.5

Len tak prešumí... Myslím, že tu nemá čo robiť...

Sogar Wiki hät gmeint, dass es nöd mal es fertigs Album isch

It was pretty interesting to read about but not to listen to. Rating: 1.7

Ok, I wasn't wowed by it. A little boring.

You can go ahead and ‘Skip’ this one.

I need to buy the book and figure out the justification for some of these albums being on this list. This one just didn't do anything for me.

Labai nuobodu

Quite boring, and over an hour is much too long a runtime. Not great, 2/5

Very strange at times. Mellow psychedelic would be the only way to describe it. Original drummer of Jefferson Airplane who was a guitar player not a drummer. Spent time in a mental hospital and on his released recorded his only solo album playing all the instruments. Highlights: War in Peace, Little Hands and All Come to Meet Her. 2.0

Quite a hard listen

It’s ACTUALLY one of the worst records ever recorded. For real.

This is just some guy with a guitar mumbling incoherently. I did not need to hear this. There's almost something there but in the end, there isn't.

This was okay. There were spots of interesting material and spots that were a little dull. Definitely a creative dude!

ban male singer songwriters

much like those 99 in 1 game discs this 22 track album mostly blows 2/5

There's an interesting parallel to the recording of this album and the recording of Yung Lean's "Stranger". Both records were made at the end of hospital admissions a drug-related psychosis. The difference is that the last two songs alone on "Stranger" clear most of what "Oar" has to offer. While there's a bit of charm in how barren and direct Skip Spence is in his deliveries, there's no charm in how long and meandering this project is. If you told me this was a jam album full of recordings made up on the spot, I'd have to believe you. Whether it's the haphazard guitar playing on "Diana", or the lyrics of "It's The Best Thing For You", this doesn't seem like a fully-realized effort. I guess I didnt mind "Broken Heart" if I had to pick a song on here. But I don't see how this is described as "one of the most harrowing documents of pain and confusion ever made". How? Are we listening to the same album??? Almost a 1/5

no mi tipo de musica

Mental health issues suck. We should be thankful none of us have our worst days plastered on the cover of tabloids or webpages. The Oar album is nothing spectacular but his 1960’s Nana hairstyle was certainly on point.

dont reccommend. It is true what is says o the description and i can tell.

This was a weird one, if you only do the tracks on the original release it’s not that long of an album and I thought I’d just be able to power through and it wasn’t the most groundbreaking thing in the world but it was ok, heading for 3 stars. But that stupid 9 minute closing song was the most dull boring thing ever, there are so many folk songs that are long but they keep you engaged at least. I’m not knocking it down to 1 but I think 2 stars for what is an ok album ruined by an ending track is a fair score

The fuck was that?

Couldn’t get through the whole thing

This didn't really click with me, but I did enjoy the proto-krautrock of Grey/Afro

Far too long and a bit repetitive but had some interesting ideas.

Sometimes, man…

Equal parts inoffensive and uninteresting.

This was a miss for me...

< the Beatles

A strange, meandering album from a man who had just spent 6 months in a mental institution. There are moments of lucidity, and other songs where you can feel his descent into madness. The lyrics are muddy and unclear, but his pain and torment come through. Not a pleasant listen.

Alles ziemlich düster, seichter Rock der nah am Country ist. Hat mich nicht begeistert, einmal hören reicht. 2/5

Maso

This was a tough one to rate. This album had some good bits, but they never stayed long enough, and frankly reading about the recording of this album, the whole thing feels kind of exploitative.

Not a fan

got very boring and samey towards the end, felt trapped

Wish I could have 'Skip'ped this one! HEY-YO!

I am liking this a bit better than I did the first time I listened to it but I am still not sure I needed to listen to it before I die - high 2

The story of this album is wild, a guy recovering from a mental health crisis is put on his own in a studio and the tapes are left recording. Unsurprisingly it’s not a good album.

Bit boring

I have no idea how this one ended up on here or how you would release an album of 22 songs in 1969. Or who would release it. This sounds like a collection of demos that slowly gets more and more fucked up as it goes.

No man with any self respect should go under the nickname "Skip". Listened to three songs, thats enough, Skip.

Day 203 Didn’t hate it but nothing really memorable that I’ll come back to. Highlights Diana War in Peace

Sounds like a BAAD demo

OK let's be honest were any of us actually paying attention to this

139/1001 First listen. Good lord this just goes on and on. Every musical idea this guy had at the moment. Just an hour of noodling around. Doubt this one will ever come up in conversation but it’s yet another album off the list. 4/10

Dull, boring, and totally forgettable.

With quite an interesting and attention-grabbing sound and mixing, the overall project is not very coherent. The vocals are not my favorite but the instruments are interesting and have some good variety. At times it feels like Spence knows what he wants to do but at others, it’s kind of just a jumbled mess. Nothing actually terrible but really unsatisfying and not my type of folk.

I think this is what Bob Dylan would've sounded like if he was even a little bit good. 2.75.

buona musica di sottofondo

I think this album was just pretty boring overall. The nickname "Skip" was oddly fitting, because I found myself wanting to skip almost every song on the album. I struggled to get through it. I do think there were some nice moments with the acoustic guitar, so I won't go as far as to rate it a 1. However, the vocals were incredibly inconsistent. Really not very pleasant on the ears sometimes with the pitchiness or, even more unpleasant, the odd little whiny runs (listen to Diana if you are unsure what I'm talking about). Not a god awful album, but I would never revisit it.

Interesting album, but should not be on the list. Still not as bad as they say it is.

Controversially I think music should be enjoyable to listen to... The background story is interesting; also that he performed everything himself. I don't mind some of the guitar here and thereand many of the songs have strong lyrics that can stand without the whole 'breakdown' backstory. Unfortunately the production and mixing is awful. Loud guitar droned over by boosted raw vocals that strain. I understand the artistic decision re the breakdown but this is too blunt, conspicuous and excessive - a more polished but still gritty approach alike the Velvet Undergrounds early albums would have given the lyrics far more opportunity.

A not dissimilar tale to Syd Barrett’s solo work, committed to a mental institution after attacking a fellow member of psychedelic band Moby Grape. This album - Skip’s only solo effort - is the sound of pain, confusion and despair. The lowest selling album in Columbia records history - It’s not an easy listen - Robert Plant will love it!

I definitely preferred his work when he was a member of Quicksilver Messenger Service. The folk elements were good enough, but the psychedelic elements were basic and uninteresting. Overall I found the album forgettable which is its biggest detractor. 2.4/5 -> 2/5

I (luckily) could barely hear him.

A pretty desolate album to be honest. I guess Spence had some troubles of his own. Doesn't excuse the fact that most of these tracks were barely audible and sounded too similar to one another. The psychedelic folk angle is somewhat creative and interesting I guess.

"According to Spence, the Nashville sessions were intended by him to only be a demo, which he gave to Rubinson with the intent that the songs would be fleshed out with full production for the actual album. Instead, Rubinson had the demo recordings released by Columbia." Half-baked ideas on a cohesion-less album. Pity since there was clearly potential for something more interesting. 2/5.

I guess shambolic doodling was pretty innovative in 69

This album is a weird trauma porn sort of work. It seems disingenuous that the demos were released and not properly recorded by a band. Sure, it’s interesting that he’s performed the instruments but it’s all so sloppy.

This album started off with some promise, but the more psychedelic it became the more the quality dropped off. You can definitely tell that the album is based on demos, it needed more refinement to be a great album.

Another musician in the ‘depressing life story folk/acoustic singer-songwriter’ category, like Nick Drake or Jackson C. Frank, only weirder. Some strange albums successfully balance on the knife-edge between genius and garbage, but unfortunately for the most part this wasn’t one of them. There were small glimpses of quality at points; some tracks were decent, and I even found the odd song quite moving, for example. There just weren’t anywhere near enough such glimpses. Spence supposedly recorded these tracks as demos, and they sound like it, especially the vocals. There’s some potential in these songs, but sadly it’s mostly unrealised.

Like Dylan but somehow less pleasant

I can see how this album influenced Robert Plant and a number of other consequential artists but I found it a tedious listen.

Mildly interesting, but not enough. Sorry, but I couldn't finish this record. I understand the comparison with Syd Barrett, due to the similar circumstances each artist's solo debut came to existence, but Barrett did it best I'm afraid. Made me want to listen to Moby Grape.

Rítmicamente hay algunos fragmentos interesantes, pero suena como un viejo que toca en algún bar local … nada especial con que pueda quedarme.

DO NOT WANT

This is so incredibly boring. According to Wikipedia, this was just a recording of demos that was somehow released as an album. I think they should have instead re-recorded with fully fleshed-out versions of the songs.

He earned his nickname on this one

Yawn

Didn't make sense.

Nothing to write home about..

Nic nie pamiętam, poza tym, że mi się nie podobało.

An interesting curio of outsider music, grey/afro sounds way more modern than it is. But nonetheless nothing that great either 2.5*

Weird and largely forgettable

This record pretty much plays as a series of demos rather than fully-realised ideas, but the story behind 'Oar' is that Alexander 'Skip' Spence recorded it on a three-track right after leaving hospital following six months of treatment for schizophrenia. He was committed because he attempted to attack his bandmates in Moby Grape with an axe, in what was believed to be delusion-driven. So...this was recorded quickly under pretty acrimonious circumstances by the sound of it...and it shows. It's really hard to be fair on the songs given that they are only demos, but what is clear is that Spence wasn't in a good state recording it. He sounds incomprehensible at times, and its hard to identify the songs as anything but directionless rambling. It's almost like this was made purely for recovery purposes, just to get ideas to tape, without any intention of ever releasing the material. But, low and behold, 'Oar' was released, and it was the lowest-selling album in Columbia Records history. Long story short, 'Oar' is probably an album that is remembered more for the volatile personality behind it than the songs themselves. The songs aren't that memorable, really, but Spence's story sure sounds interesting, much in the same way that Syd Barrett's was, but perhaps not quite as iconic. Best songs: N/A (I'll be fair, some of these songs may have been better with full production)

Enjoyed while it was on, can't remember now.

“Skip” needs to take the marbles out of his mouth when he sings. If not for the vocals, I would have really liked this album…but vocals are just too important to me. Two stars.

# Album Name: Oar # Artist: Alexander 'Skip' Spence # Rating: 2/5 # Comments: Horrendous. Got to be on acid to enjoy this one. # Top Tunes: Little hands / War in peace # Would I listen to it again? no

first song was good, the rest was bleh

"Oar" by Alexander 'Skip' Spence was an album I went into completely blind, having never heard the artist or record before. Musically, it sounded like a blend of Dylan, Johnny Cash and The Doors at their most stripped-down - very grassroots, bluesy and at times downright depressing. The backstory is as fascinating as it is tragic. Spence wrote the songs while institutionalized in Bellevue Hospital following a delusion-driven episode in which he threatened "Moby Grape" bandmates with a fire axe and was subsequently diagnosed with schizophrenia, spending around six months in the psychiatric ward before recording this album when released. Despite the intriguing context, to my ears the album came across as pretty generic, with only "War In Peace" making a real impression. The rest of the tracks didn’t really hit me in the way I hoped. It’s not a bad album by any stretch, and I can see why it has cult intrigue and heavy influence over outsider and folk scenes, but it’s not something I usually listen to or that I’d likely revisit soon.

I'd always heard this was a masterpiece or something, so I was kinda psyched when it came up. Unfortunately there was nothing interesting about this album for me.

Nothing interesting about this. Why is this on here? Because he decided to drop one mid album and never release again?

Oof what a mental trauma dump.

Some nice folky warblings contained here if you listen to the whole thing, but is under-produced and clearly not really thought about beyond "man make noise in studio". Which is understandable if you read the backstory to the dude, but doesn't warrant inclusion on this list.

The cover reminds me of jay from the inbetweeners. Not much to say about the music though

The dude wrote all of the lyrics and played all of the instruments on 22 songs. Recorded after a hospitalization for major mental episode. Gloomy. Trippy. It did sound like a "rough draft" and it felt like he was unraveling as it went on. Interesting backstory but not an enjoyable album.

Lidt ensformigt. Country vibes

boring

So, another mental health / drug casualty (I wonder which precipitated the other). In some ways reminiscent of Syd Barrett's story: interested associates try to get an album from him, then as the artist's mystique grows, more songs (that are really trial run throughs and other out-takes) surface. So in the case of Oar, successive extended editions were released, while in the case of Barrett, The Madcap Laughs was followed by a pair of albums of decreasing quality. One does wonder where initial attempts to help become exploitation. As I'd never heard this album before, I put all that to one side and gave it a few plays. Unfortunately, after a reasonably strong start, the album declines to rather fractured performances, even before the end of the original album's track listing. It may be seen as a document of someone's declining mental state, but that doesn't necessarily make this a great album.

1. little - 1.5 2. creek - 1.5 3. diana - 1.5 4. rug - 1 5. douun - 2 6 uuar - 2 7. heart - 1.5 8. come - 1 9. mozez - 1 10. dizie - 1.5 11. euphoria -1 12. afro - 0 13. time - 1 14. thing - 1.5 15. hat - 1.5 16. heroine -1.5 17. thingz -1.5 18. good - 0 19. Know - 0 20. Doodle -0 21. Fountain - 0 22. Think - 0

This starts off and you think this is a little different bit it barely changes. Fuck off Skip, your head on the album cover is the best thing about this album

I’m all for elevating lesser-known albums, however undeserving, but romanticising mental illness ain’t it. There is nothing even remotely noteworthy or essential here, unless you're a music snob elevating mythology over music in between sniffing your own farts.

Kinda slow jams, not really how I would describe psychedelic. More snore. More southern twang and guitar.

Dette gidder jeg faktisk ikke høre mer på.

Some interesting instruments work here (i.e. not all acoustic shit) but a dull voice and ineligible singing. If it was an instrumental album, could have worked better.

Oof. Listening to this guy wheeze his way through sorta trudging folksy tunes is a challenge. I don’t know what about this record is supposed to be the thing that makes it indispensable to the American musical lexicon, but I’ve asked that question at least 100 times so far, so I guess I’m not surprised at this point. Anyway, this isn’t the worst thing I’ve ever heard, but it is 100% forgettable. 2.5/5

Just kind of boring.

I listened to this in the afternoon and it actually made me want to sleep. Won’t give a 1 but pretty underwhelming.

nah man. jag gillar ju moby grape men det är för real för mig.

Uh ok. An endless collection of singer songwriters folk rocky tunes I’ve never heard of. Uneven quality but overall fine I guess. You can die without listening to this but if you like the darker brand of singer songwriter music maybe give it a listen. I think two stars.

A very obscure album. The first half of the album was alright, but then it starts to derail once we get past "Grey/Afro". The songs feel disjointed, and some of the stereo mixing didn't really sit right with me.

Wild Wikipedia article and strange listen.

i think some of these songs had the potential to be really good but overall it was just forgettable

I got bored tbh

The DNA of psychedelic rock -- but the building blocks themselves cannot sustain a whole album

I was a fan of Moby grape but this is just a bunch of mumbling and meandering. I suppose they might be good songs if sung by somebody else. In fact I heard there was a tribute album. Maybe I need to listen to that but this I don't get.

This was a very long album, felt like it overstayed it's welcome.

Good music to put you to sleep!

Interesting but ultimately a bit blah for my tastes

Yeah you don't have to hear this before you die.

i dont know what psychedelic music is i guess, i thought i did. not feeling this one at all. there are lots of cool numbers lower than 1001 that the author could have chosen like 777 or 500 or 666.

I liked the first song, I thought I would like the rest, but the songs didn't do anything for me.

I wish I could've 'skipped' this one...

Interesting, not good, vocals. Kind of a folky thing with some electric mixed in there. Not my bag.

You can 'Skip' this album

That's not my taste in music - boring

..

Interesting in very very brief spurts. I can hardly recall this album the day after.

The backstory is interesting I guess, but the album sounds like a bunch of demos (which it effectively is). I think a good album could have been made with this source material, but this ain't it.

Album went by without me noticing much of it.

2.5

💇

Some albums are here for being influential, genre-spawning, genre-defining or incredible songwriting, instrumentation or vibes. Some are here seemingly because the artist or one of the songs on it merit inclusion. This one seems to have been included for the circumstances around its creation. Unfortunately for me, mental illness does not make genius - otherwise I could play guitar behind the poem I wrote in group art therapy and make the list too. Also, it’s too long. I keep checking thinking I’ll be on the last song but I’m only halfway through.

this was a weird one. The wikipedia blurb says this was recorded 'as a demo' and it really felt like it. It was a high-quality demo I guess. I am kind of finding it hard to understand why this was chosen for this list. It's a curiosity but doesn't seem important to me.

un peu bob dylan, sympa mais sans plus

I fell asleep the first time I listened. I listened again and came to the conclusion that it is better when you are asleep. I liked a few songs and was entertained by the weird ones but would not listen again.

Not terrible but far from interesting

Rhythmically, there are some interesting bits, but he sounds like the old guy playing the local bar.

4/10

Certainly clear that this was acid-influenced. Definitely some interesting stuff on here.

I’m sorry but how is this an album I should listen to before I die? Like? It’s not bad but it’s certainly not good. At all. Boomers will bitch about “mumble rap” but then listen to this

There’s something haunting about Oar, but mostly in the sense of watching someone unravel on tape. The songs often feel like demos — fragile, uneven, and oddly mixed — more sketches of thought than finished work. There are flickers of humanity and melody (“Margaret-Tiger Rug” hints at what could’ve been), but the overall experience drifts from introspective to exhausting. I respect the mythology around this record far more than I enjoyed listening to it.

Eh

Eh.

Holy mother of mid. Started decent and got worse and worse. Why do all late 60s folk sound to similar

Maybe if I read the lyrics there would be more there, but just hearing it without that it didn't seem interesting.

Thought it was mostly fine. Pretty low key and stripped down sound for a lot of it. Could be haunting at times, but plenty boring at others. One of the riffs sounded like Sunshine of Your Love. So, yeah. Bunch of random thoughts on this one that don't really help me come up with a rating. But I guess incoherent thought fits pretty well for this album. Overall: 2.4/5

49/100. Just a tad too slow in parts, and I found several moments uninteresting. It’s clearly a personal and raw album, but it didn’t quite connect with me. That said, "War in Peace" stood out as a highlight.

-Hört sich irgendwie alles gleich an - Stört mich vom Sound her jetzt nicht arg aber würde ich aktiv nicht hören Topsong: Weighted Down

I didn't really care for this one. I don't mind a lot of psychedelic hippy stuff, but this just rambling. Weighted Down is pretty solid in comparison though.

Sad. Drugs and mental illness... Kinda weird tho

This was a weird mix of songs and sounds. I'm not really sure why its on this list.

Crazy story behind this album, but I did not love the way it sounded. Unfort

Disheveled and uninteresting. Sounds like demos he recorded right before going to bed, on the verge of falling asleep. Accidentally listened past the original album into the extra fluff. It was even worse. Thankfully I realized my mistake and terminated my listening immediately.

2.5

It's harrowing and kind of spooky record. For being so close to what I consider folk and country-esque music, it's way better than expected. Not for me how ever, I did listen out of curiosity, but found it quite boring after about the half way.

boring! gave up halfway through

I coincidentally got this back-to-back with Moby Grape, so it's nice to be able to do a direct comparison, but on listening, I'm not really sure it's a useful comparison. This is much more lo fi and subdued. "One of the most harrowing documents of pain and confusion ever made" - I can't say that I picked up on this, to be honest I found it all pretty boring. Exceptions were Books of Moses with its booming thunderous sound effects, and Grey/Afro, which sounds like a much worse version of early Pink Floyd/ Syd Barrett long-form tracks. (It's really nothing like Krautrock at all.) The bonus tracks are not worth listening to.

An unnecessarily long folk album where the back half feels like a demo, a couple decent tracks early on but nothing really too exciting. Should have been about 20 minutes shorter in my opinion Standout Songs: Cripple Creek Broken Heart Books of Moses

This one was kind of a slog. It feels lazy and thrown together, like something you’d politely describe as “listen to what my kid made.” It’s discordant, disjointed, and never really comes together. The critics call it “acid-charred,” but that almost flatters it; the phrase doesn’t make it any more appealing. I honestly think Oar gets the attention it does mainly because artists like Tom Waits and Beck covered songs from it. Spence himself was clearly a complicated guy, and a product of his era. People love to point out that he played every instrument on the album, but you can tell. Nothing feels in sync. It’s less a showcase of raw creative genius and more a hot mess from someone who was given the chance to create, but didn’t quite have the focus or clarity to pull it together.

Almost got 3 stars out of me, but damn that middle part of the album is rough.

First I’ve heard of this artists and a nice folk/rocky blend on first listen… Bit of a John Martyn feel and sound. Interesting to read the backstory and where the songs came from. It’s pretty rough and sloppy at times. I guess it’s a congruent capturing of a guy who just had a psychotic break! I’m pretty sure the guitar is out of tune a couple of times too! A pretty depressing, descent, but lacking the quality of someone like cohen. Yeh, like a bad mix of a few famous folk artists at this time. Just a very melancholy listen, not done particularly well… Urgh. Good riddance

Alexander 'Skip' Spence has a very laidback — bordering on lazy — style of performing. He doesn’t always sound like he’s fully opening his mouth when he sings. And the guitar strumming can feel almost halfhearted. This feels more like an oddity or curiosity than an essential album. There are moments that get a little psychedelic and weird. And he leaves the occasional sour note in. The album is deliberately imperfect. But it’s also kind of tedious, and I’m not convinced I need to hear it. Okay, reading about the album definitely gives some context. Alexander 'Skip' Spence had previously been in a rock band but wrote these songs while he was committed in a mental hospital. And he released the demos rather than recording full versions of the songs. The music definitely captures a distinct, interesting energy. It’s just not an energy I enjoyed on a first listen.

There's some nice guitar playing and tones here, and some interesting vocal moments that aren't just typical interval focused melodies and rather play with on dynamics and rhythm, which is cool! I also like how imperfect the drums are; there's plenty of times where the hits aren't so tightly connected to the rest of the band. The downside is that it kind of sounds like a lot of other folk classic rock from this time. It unfortunately will come and go and not leave a big lasting impression on me. Not a bad listen, but I question it's spot on the list.

how spectacularly uninteresting, dont like his voice. Souds dated, with songs unstructured and confusing.

I got very bored of this. Took like 3 days to finish. Sorry pal

Probably would have been a better album if he had had the chance to rerecord these demos.

2.5 stars. Context of it being completely solo (all songwriting and playing all instruments) from a guy who was just released from a hospital after a mental breakdown makes it a bit more interesting. Like acoustic guitar in "Books of Moses". Some of the riffing on bonus tracks at the end sound a bit like Violent Femmes.

skip

This one is pretty weird and intense, but also kind of boring. I struggled to get through it. The backstory is kind of interesting and pretty crazy, but musically it just doesn't work too much for me. I found it interesting that it sort of devolves and gets weirder as the record advances, and towards the end was the most interesting ideas (even though I didn't like them that much). I thought the best songs were "Weighted Down (The Prison Song)" and "Grey/Afro" was also interesting, a pretty weird and experimental track.

Ok, after reading about this album and this artist, it's 100% included here because one of the creators of the list managed to find a copy of this album when they were 17 and everyone thought he was the coolest person they knew because of it. Now that the internet and streaming can shine a light on some of these collector-gem cult-classics, it's apparent that scarcity did them a LOT of good.

Sounds like someone put someone in a studio for a week with no supervision, recorded everything and have no notes

Sorry. I'm sure this album was very important to Skip Spence and his recovery but... it just seemed to be unfiltered late sixties burbling to me. After 40 minutes, I gave up.

“Skip” isn’t just the name of the artist, it’s what I shoulda done with this album when it showed up for my daily listen. Diana is particularly putrid. Dylan wannabe? War in Peace is kinda cool and psychedelic. There were a few Ok tracks in the back half. Otherwise, lame.

Bland

I can see the impact this had. It's got a haunting sound, coming from unsettling chord progressions, open and hollow sound quality, and confusing lyrics. I don't like it. It seems determined to lose my attention. I'm not mad at it, but it's clearly disinterested in keeping me listening.

01) Little Hands - 6,0 02) Cripple Creek - 6,5 03) Diana - 5,0 04) Margaret/Tiger Rug - 5,5 05) Weighted Down (The Prison Song) - 6,0 06) War in Peace - 5,0 07) Broken Heart - 5,5 08) All Come to Meet Her - 6,0 09) Books of Moses - 6,0 10) Dixie Peach Promenade (Yin for Yang) - 6,0 11) Lawrence of Euphoria - 5,0 12) Grey/Afro - 6,0 TOTAL: 5,71 (57/100) Current ranking: 568/679

Unfortunately, I think you need to be on acid to really enjoy this album. Out of tune instruments, whining vocals, weird effects thrown in at inopportune time... I'd never had included this album on this list.

me aburrí lo siento

When I saw Wikipedia say "Described as "one of the most harrowing documents of pain and confusion ever made" ... I thought oh boy, here we go. But all in all this album didn't do much for me. Extra star for playing all the instruments.

Not objectionable, just strange.

Sounds a little like if Harry Nilsson took a lot of downers. Some fun here, but it's a sleepy chill sort of situation.

I don't always drive through the Arizona desert solo in a camper on a bender. But when I do, I'm listening to Oar

I think the details surrounding the creation of this record lend to it being overrated. Little Hands is a great song, the rest only really holds interest as an artifact. What a schizophrenic just released from an asylum given alone time in a studio sounds like.

Categorizing this as weird folk. Another one that’s probably better on drugs. Interesting and not necessarily bad but not gonna listen to it often.

Yet another example from the 60's where blowing your brain out with acid does not necessarily equal good music