Ultimate Spinach - Behold & See (MGM 1968) 24-bit/96kHz Vinyl Rip

A psychedelic rock masterpiece, a musical tour-de-force from 1968 and the second album from the Boston psychmasters. Weird song structures, off the wall lyrics, use of unusual instruments. Reverb, feedback, and drone. More complex compositions, such as the suite in four movements ‘Genesis of Beauty’ and ‘Fragmentary March of Green’, two pieces soaked in mysticism. The superb ‘Jazz Thing’ and the trippy ‘Mind Flowers’ experimented with even more unusual tempos and atmosphere, while the graceful ‘Gilded Lamp Of The Cosmos’ exemplifies the best of their psychedelic folk ballads. This album's songs focus on a hippie society which would eventually give way to suburbia, status-symbols, relationships, religion and success. Beneath the ‘Mind Flowers’ musical streams of consciousness was a picture of life in a changing society at the beginning of the new ‘70s decade. As the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Ian Bruce-Douglas, Ultimate Spinach created long elaborate songs, alternating instrumental passages, poetry and multipart vocals (the voice of Barbara Hudson recalling Grace Slick and Sonja Kristina) with original arrangements, including flutes, sitar, and harpsichord.

IAN BRUCE DOUGLAS: "My lyrics have always come from two places: from my own observations and experiences and from that Dream Place the Shaman walks in. Some of the lyrics I write; some of the lyrics are written through me. Either way, don't listen to my lyrics if you're looking for that warm-and-cuddly feeling "We Are The World" gives. Listen to my lyrics because you want to be reminded that you are alive and capable of independent actions: that it's all right to be "unique" instead of common…or because you want to be taken to surrealistic places not accessible in the 9-to-5 world…or, if you're really nuts, for BOTH reasons! My stuff has ALWAYS been dark and my sense of humor is not for folks who dig Chevy Chase movies or TV sitcoms".

Please note: there is some surface noise and a little distortion on this 1986 Greek re-issue.

Tracklisting:

A1. Gilded Lamp Of The Cosmos

A2. Visions Of Your Reality

A3. Jazz Thing

A4. Mind Flowers

B1. Where Your At

B2. Suite: Genesis Of Beauty (In Four Parts)

B3. Fifth Horseman Of The Apocalypse

B4. Fragmentary March Of Green

All selections are written and arranged by Ian Bruce Douglas.
Produced by Alan Lorber.