CLEAR LIGHT - "S/T" LP ELEKTRA 1967 RARE PSYCH ORIGINAL

$

25

CLEAR LIGHT

                               USA - GOLD Elektra - EKS 74011

Original 1967 first pressing on the famously collected GOLD Elektra label of the sixties...the West Coast band was on the same label as The DOORS and had good tendencies to reflect an aroma of their sound...

Contains the elusive specially designed group inner sleeve ...nice minty condition.

Clear Light were a garage-rock/psych-rock group from Los Angeles that released a one Lp on Elektra in 1967. Clear Light are famously known for including two drummers, one of them being Dallas Taylor of CSNY fame. Paul Rothchild produced the Lp, which explains why the recording sessions were fraught with tension and negativity. The group was really masterminded by guitarist/vocalist Bob Seal, bass player Doug Lubahn and lead vocalist Cliff De Young. Prior to Clear Light the band had been known as the Brain Train. Seal felt a name change was appropriate to coincide with the release of a newly recorded debut single, Black Roses. Seal decided on Clear Light, a concept he had come across in his readings of Eastern philosophy - a name also shared by a potent brand of LSD.

Black Roses was released in September of 1967.  It was a great hard charging folk-rock single with an acid tinged guitar solo that deserved to sell much better than it did. Black Roses appeared on the group’s only full length platter, released in late 1967. Many psych fans are divided when it comes to the Clear Light Lp but it’s a good one. Maybe not a true classic on par with Love’s Forever Changes or Moby Grape’s 1st but still an excellent Lp without any weak tracks. The band tries nearly everything within a pop-psychrock context, meaning the songs are loaded with good quirky ideas and great guitar solos (check out Think Again). Some tracks like They Who Have Nothing and the baroque Ballad of Freddie & Larry bear a strong Doors and Love influence but this makes sense considering the fact that all groups were on Elektra. Other songs like the outstanding fuzz guitar psychedelia of Sand and the trippy Night Sounds Loud are more original and hinted at a strong future for the group. The former track features some great organ and spiraling acid guitar interplay. The album’s most famous track, the 6+ minutes Mr. Blue with its spoken word dialogue is oddly appealing in its own way and definitely a highlight.

Rothchild’s iron fist policy coupled with the lack of commercial success led to Clear Light’s demise, shortly after the release of this solid album. Not everyone will like this record because of its eccentric nature but it really is a crime that Clear Light were unable to release a followup to this debut. A very worthy release from a talented, accomplished California group.

        Condition of the cover is a nice EX with a small name sticker on the back cover.  The condition of the disc is VG++ and plays great!