AWESOME 1967 POP PSYCH THE MOTIONS "IMPRESSIONS WONDERFUL" Orig DUTCH BEAT LP

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65

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• ORIGINAL 1967 SUPERIOR  FIRST PRESS ..|/\|...............................................|/\|..
• = THE MOTIONS =
• Impressions Of Wonderful
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• Canada - Negram CD 1103
  
  
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• This is the VERY RARE 1967 ORIGINAL superior North American release that sports a better (terrific) cover and all around deep groove sound over any of the other three pressings made from 1967

• One of the best Pop/Psych LP's to some out of the DUTCH BEAT SCENE. All but a few of the tracks on here are a real pleasure to listen to. Some of the highlights include Green Chewing Gum Machine, One Million Red Balloons, If You and Me, and Nightmares. A Very underrated album from a great band, for any fan of the Mod/Psych scene.
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• If the Dutch Outsiders were the tulip-twirling equivalent of the British Pretty Things, and Group 1850 were the Netherlands’ own herring-eating Hendrix worshippers, then the Motions were clearly the blonde-haired, blue-eyed cousins to the pop-psych edged Hollies.  Their careers run nearly identical too – after a few years of cranking out straightforward, squeaky-clean beat pop, both bands discovered the joys of psychedelia around 1967, and started spiking their harmony-rich pop with some truly trippy tricks.
  
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•  This is the Motions’ psych pop magnum opus, “Impressions of Wonderful” from November 1967 – the northern equivalent of the Hollies majestic “Butterfly” from the same year.  Even the resplendent exploding color wheel covers are nearly identical.  Of course, with their long colorful robes and kaftans, the Motions really looked the part of flower power hippie kids, but “Impressions of Wonderful” showed that they could be an equally explosive psych rock force too, when they weren’t showcasing their impeccable Brothers Gibb soaring harmonies.  “You’re My Adee” is a perfect example of the Motions’ popsike craft – okay, the title got lost in translation – but as it kicks in, you can’t help think this is the Hollies circa 1965, a pretty but sad acoustic ballad.  Then, out of nowhere, the descending minor keys that jumpstart the chorus come in, and you’re off into Wonderland, accompanied by four beautiful Dutch hippie chicks trilling softly in the background, tossing out tulips and free invites to the nearest “coffee shop.”  By the time the singer gets to the final yodeling falsetto notes of “Adee”, you’ve fully escaped the confines of your corporeal body, thanks to a bunch of long-haired Dutch boys who probably live a few blocks away from the Red Light District.  Beautiful, simply transcendent stuff.  The equally pretty “Memories of Fair Haired Mary” bounces along on a nice Zombies-like harpsichord melody, breaking off into a little psychedelic waltz when the chorus hits.  But the Motions aren’t all sweetness and light – they’ve been “experimenting” of late, a fact they can’t hide when they decided to call one of their new songs “Green Chewing Gum Machine.”  Even more obvious – “Make it Legal” – which finds our windmill-loving quartet going FULLY psychedelic – with echoed-out twangy garage guitar and sound effects of a dripping faucet inside an underground cave.  “If you want to fly like an eagle, make it legal, make it legal” they sing, predating the Steve Miller Band by the good part of a decade, while the repeating title is gradually sucked under by a slew of psychedelic effects and echoes down into the cold, black abyss (Amsterdam, for those who’ve been there).  And besides, isn’t it ALREADY legal there anyway?  Elsewhere, the murky, heavy sonic crunch of “Red Balloons” sounds like vintage English freakbeat, with its chunky rhythm section and megaphone vocals.  This one could’ve elbowed its way onto a volume of the Rubble series and no one would’ve questioned its heritage.  All in all, then, a super strong popsike album from the Motions – the Waterpipes and Dykes version of the Hollies “Butterfly” with a little extra…er, something.  A bit of a lost treasure, really, and so SO much better than the Shocking Blue.   This GREAT album was released in several countries at the time, and this is a rare Italian pressing on the JOB label.  Thankfully, the Italian pressing copied off of the Canadian pressing and went with a MUCH better psychedelic sleeve than the original Dutch pressing.
  

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2. A
3.      Love Is Good Love Is Real     
   Green Chewing-Gum Machine     
   You're My Adee     
   Hey Conductor Man     
   Did I Tell You, Babe     
   It's Too Late To Turn Around     
   B
4. Make It Legal     
   Slow Down Cool Down     
   Memories O' Fair-Haired Mary     
   If You And Me     
   Red Balloons     
   Nightmare
5.                  CONDITION:
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7. The cover: rated: near M- thick heavy psychedelic designed cardboard cover is highly attractive POP-PSYCH visuals ... in great condition after 53+ years ... there are no delete marks, no split seams, no bends, and no writing  ...

1. The vinyl: Rated: M- very clean...plays fabulous ...Pop-psych glories in the UK swinging London style of 1967 ...  both Negram labels are spotless clean