BENTLEY ROAD Kill The Cobra 1967 TWISTED WEIRD FOLK PSYCH GO-GO INSANITY 45 HEAR

$

25

BENTLEY ROAD "Kill the Cobra" b/w "Michael Michael"

Original 1967 45 on the US FORWARD label'

VINYL plays EXCELLENT but there is some distortion, so it may need a cleaning - conservatively then, VG++

The great American actor John Russell once said, “Sanity calms, but madness is more interesting.”  Likewise, the great British poet laureate Sir Roger Waters once said, “The lunatic is in my head, heh heh heh.”  Yet another great mind – I think it was me – once wrote, “Psychedelic songs that are messed up in the head are a dime a dozen.  POP songs that are f**#ed up are the stuff of true genius.”  And with this in mind, let me present to you, the most f**#ed up stroke of genius I’ve heard all year – Bentley Road’s “Kill the Cobra.”  In the pantheon of pop madness, this is a bona fide straitjacket of a single. 

Let’s face it – the psych rock world is filled with tortured geniuses – Syd Barrett, Skip Spence, Brian Wilson, William Hung – but in the pop world, true dementia is a luxury.  But Bentley Road, now there were a bunch of warped boys and girls.  They could give you pop - “Michael, Michael” was as good and safe a pop single as you’ll find – a gentle strummin’ little acoustic slice of sunshine pop that sounds like a dead ringer for the UK band Fairfield Parlour.  Even the lead vocalist, who sounds exactly like Peter Daltrey.  Give it a super catchy, irrestible little pop hook, and it’s just like putting out a trail of lollipops for grade school girls.  Gets ‘em every time.  Not that I would know or anything. 

The payoff, of course, came later – and when the flower children flipped this little vinyl bear trap over, they discovered the true black underbelly of the Bentley Road.  “Kill the Cobra” is an absolutely unhinged slab of deranged go-go pop, like some wild 1967 collision of the Who’s “Jaguar” and an acid trip scene from Peter Sellers’ The Party.  The hook, like shock therapy, is infectious – a chorus of male voices shout “KILL!” while the Bentley Road ladies answer with “THE COBRA!”  The males once again shout “CLIMB!” and the ladies answer with “THE MOUNTAIN!”  And all the while, the kitschy quasi-psychedelic backing band lay down an incredible lounge go-go vibe like it’s Shindig Night at the asylum.  This is the sound of the Free Design after six months of electroshock therapy.  And don’t tell me that’s something you never wanted to do.  

I mean, who in their right mind knows what these freakazoids mean when they sing something like “Kill the cobra, and find out what it brings in you,” but it sure sounds like they mean it.  And that’s just the thing - like an Anne Coulter book, it only makes sense if you’re as f**#ed up as they are.  Now my problem is this – I find Bentley Road to be one of the most enjoyable singles I’ve heard in a long time.  So what does that say for me?

HEAR IT!

UPDATE: SORRY, I NO LONGER SHIP TO ITALY DUE TO A CORRUPT POSTAL SYSTEM (THERE, NOT HERE).

(THE LESS EXCITING STUFF...)

First class shipping is $4.00 in the US, with each additional record only $1 additional shipping.  Delivery confirmation included in the shipping costs.  US International postal rates just shot up nearly double this past week, so please take note of the new rates.  I don't make a profit on shipping costs - these are what the post office charges me.  Air mail shipping to Canada starts at $10 US, each additional record $3 shipping.  Air mail shipping everywhere else in the world starts at $13 US, with each additional record only $4 shipping.  

I try to grade as best as I can, and I list as many blemishes/imperfections I can find (writing, ringwear, scuff marks, etc.) – Also, please note that I DO listen to these albums – I may not listen to every track, but my grades are based on LISTENING, not just looking at it, since chances are you’ll be listening to the record you buy, not just looking at it.  Most of the albums I sell are the ones I’ve enjoyed for years – and I treat my records with kid gloves.  But sounds speak louder than words, so check out the sound clips below – they’re from the actual record you’re bidding on. 

SHIPPING AND PACKAGING

Listen, I buy a bunch of records too (when I’m not getting outbid at the last second, which is more often than not) – and I know what it’s like to get a rare, one-of-a-kind album packaged dangerously in a flimsy bubblewrap package.  I hate that too.  So rest assured, I ALWAYS package albums with stiff cardboard reinforcements, same for 45s.  And yes, the records are removed from the sleeves (for albums).  I ship out once a week, every Friday, because I have a regular day job.  But I’d be willing to give that up if you’d all be so kind as to bid my items up to stupidly high amounts. 

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN…

I will always leave positive feedback for successful transactions, and would appreciate the same in return.  All I ask of you is the following – please pay for your items within 14 days of the close of auction.  Compared to other sellers, that’s a generous amount of time, so if you don’t pay within 2 weeks, then I have to assume something’s wrong.  You’ll get an Ebay payment reminder at that point, and possibly a decapitated horse head in your bed.  If, after 30 days, you still haven’t forked up the cash, I’ll relist the item and yell at you if I ever see you in town.