Richard Keelan and Cedric Smith put together this trio in Stratford, Ontario, in 1969. After recording two albums on the independent Rumour label they were signed to Columbia. Their first of two hits was with an edited version of You've Got To Know, a cut from their first Columbia album. Their Does Not Exist album (Columbia ELS-375) came in a beautiful gatefold sleeve and is full of hippie folk/psych with appealing melodies and harmonies, which reach their zenith on the exquisite final cut, Crucifixation Cartoon. There's not a bad track on this album and lots of other pretty good ones (Midnight Hour, Easy Rider (a song about the film), You Have The Power and the gentle Lady Of The County). All are originals and some are preceded by narratives. The opening cut features an extract from one of Dylan Thomas' poems, Truth And Fantasy begins with a narration and later on side two an excerpt from William Shakespeare's As You Like It is put to music. There are similarities to the Incredible String Band and Everyone Involved here. Recommended if you enjoy stoned hippie folk/psych.(taken from "Dreams, Fantasies & Nightmares")
Terrific progressive folkpsych LP with a lot of brains and $$$ put into it, still underrated but really one of the best of its kind. Pretentious and theatrical but successful simply on strength of the talent and production value that went into it. A personal fave with several strong tracks and a peak in the deep acid introspection of "Crucifixation Cartoon". Richard Keelan had previously been in US 1960s folkrock band the Spikedrivers.
(Patrick the Lama in "The Acid Archives")
Tracklist:
- Midnight Hour
- Epistle To The Borderliner
- Easy Rider
- Truth And Fantasy
- Don't You Feel Fine
- You Have The Power
- Keeper Of The Key
- Lady Of The County
- Listen To The Kids
- Trouble On The Farm
- Excerpt From "As You Like It"
- The Dancer
- Crucification Cartoon
Personnel:
Richard Keelan (gtr, mandolin, vcls) [ABC]
Cedric Smith (gtr, vcls) [ABC]
Michael J. Butler (bs) [ABC]
Terry Jones (gtr, vcls) [B]
George Taros (piano, vcls) [B]
Bob Burchill (gtr, vcls) [C]
Judy Crocker (piano, flute) [C]
David Jeremy Balser (perc) [C]
Band origin:
Stratford (Ontario/Canada)
Discographie:
Albums:
1. (A) Perth County Conspiracy (CBC LM 85) 1970
2. (B) Perth County Conspiracy Does Not Exist
(Columbia ELS-375) 1970
3. (B) Alive (Columbia GES 90037) 1971
4. (C) Rumour II [aka What School Bus Tour]
(Rumour/Mushroomusic no#) 1973
5. ( ) Kanada (Amiga 855424) 1975
6. ( ) Break Out To Berlin (Rumour V) 1976
[5. GDR release]
45's:
1. Fantasia/Listen To The Kids (Columbia C4-2962) 1970
2. You've Got To Know/Keeper Of The Keys
(Columbia C4-2963) 1970
3. Uncle Jed/You Ain't Going Nowhere
(Columbia C4-3010) 1971
4. Black Creek/At One (Rumour S-1) 1974
Get it here (Artwork included / vinyl rip)
Listen to Keeper Of The Key
