psych folk JAKE HOLMES ABOVE GROUND SOUND LP

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JAKE HOLMES

TITLE: ABOVE GROUND SOUND

 *THIS IS AN ORIGINAL TOWER (ST 5079) STEREO COPY OF JAKE HOLMES FIRST AND MOST FAMOUS RECORDING.  THE STORY GOES THAT JIMMY PAGE SAW JAKE HOLMES PERFORM HIS SPIDERY ACID/FOLK GUITAR IN NEW YORK IN 1968 WHEN HOLMES OPENED FOR THE YARDBIRDS.  JAKE HOLMES WROTE AND PLAYED THE ORIGINAL "DAZED AND CONFUSED", WHICH PAGE LATER ADOPTED FOR HIMSELF ON THE FIRST LED ZEPPLIN ALBUM.  THE TWO SONGS ARE VERY SIMILAR, AND IT IS NOT CLEAR WHY HOLMES NEVER GOT CREDIT. 

BUT "DAZED AND CONFUSED" IS ONLY ONE SONG ON A BRILLIANT, IF A BIT ON THE POP SIDE, FOLK GUITAR RECORD.  IN FACT, YOU'LL HEAR TIDBITS OF OTHER ZEPPLIN RIFFS IN HERE AS WELL, INCLUDING A MELODY EERILY SIMILAR TO "GOIN TO CALIFORNIA".  JAKE HOLMES' VOICE WAS LIMITED, AND THE RECORD HAS A LOT OF ECHO TO TRY AND COMPENSATE, BUT HIS GUITAR AND SONGWRITING ARE VISIONARY.  IF YOU EVER GET TO HEAR THIS RECORD REMEMBER THAT IT WAS RECORDED IN 1967. 

A MAN OF MANY FOOTNOTES IN MUSIC HISTORY, JAKE HOLMES LATER WENT INTO WRITING ADVERTISING JINGLES (I DID SAY THIS RECORD WAS A BIT ON THE POP SIDE OF THINGS).  HIS MOST FAMOUS JINGLE WAS THE US ARMY'S "BE ALL YOU CAN BE".

I AM BROADCASTING EVERY TRACK ON THIS RECORD ON MY INTERNET RADIO STATION AT http://www.sub-lime-radio.com. BECAUSE OF DMCA INTERNET BROADCAST RULES I HAVE TO BREAK THE TRACKS UP OVER THE DAY, TO ABOUT ONE PER HOUR.  BUT I THINK I'VE CREATED A BITCHIN MIX OF PSYCH MUSIC ANYWAY, SO HOPEFULLY YOU'LL ENJOY IT ALL.

LISTEN TO SELECTIONS RECORDED FROM THIS ACTUAL LP ON
SUB-LIME RADIO

http://www.sub-lime-radio.com

TRACK LISTING:

SIDE 1

1. LONELY
2. DID YOU KNOW
3. SHE BELONGS TO ME
4. TOO LONG
5. GENUINE IMITATION LIFE

SIDE 2

1. DAZED AND CONFUSED
2. PENNY'S
3. HARD TO KEEP MY MIND ON YOU
4. WISH I WAS ANYWHERE ELSE
5. SIGNS OF AGE

GRADE: STRONG VG+. HERE'S THE NITTY GRITTY ON THIS ONE, THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY.  THE FRONT OF THE JACKET IS BEAUTIFUL, ONLY THE SLIGHTEST RING WEAR, AND WOULD BE GREAT FOR FRAMING.  THE BACK SIDE HAS A LITTLE BIT MORE RING WEAR.  THE EDGES ARE VERY CLEAN; THE SLICKS HAVE NO SEPARATION. THE VINYL IS VISUALLY NEAR MINT.  BUT PLAY GRADING TURNED UP A VERY UNFORTUNATE FLAW.  THE MOST IMPORTANT TRACK "DAZED AND CONFUSED" HAD A GREAT DEAL OF CRACKLING. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS MAGNETIZATION.  I DEMAGNETIZED THE NEEDLE, BUT STILL THE DAMN CRACKLING.  UNDER EXAMINATION (LITERALLY UNDER A MAGNIFYING GLASS) I NOTICED A VERY FINE LAYER OF DEBRIS ON THE VINYL, ON THE "DAZED AND CONFUSED" TRACK.  I USED MY BIB GROOV-KLEEN BRUSH (THE BEST THERE IS IN MY OPINION), AND BEGAN REMOVING LINE AFTER LINE OF DRIED DEBRIS.  IT MADE A VAST IMPROVEMENT.  HOWEVER, SOME CRACKLING REMAINS.  YOU CAN HEAR IT AS IT IS NOW, AFER CLEANING, IF YOU CATCH "DAZED AND CONFUSED" ON MY INTERNET RADIO STATION (http://www.sub-lime-radio.com).  SORRY, BUT THE US CONGRESS SAID IN THE DMCA THAT I'M NOT ALLOWED TO ANNOUNCE WHEN I'LL BE PLAYING IT.  I DIDN'T WANT TO DIG TOO DEEP WITH THE BRUSH FOR FEAR OF DAMAGING THE RECORD, BUT I THINK WITH SOME MORE CLEANING IT CAN PLAY EVEN BETTER.  IF IT HAD BEEN ANY OTHER SONG, IT WOULDN'T HAVE MATTERED SO MUCH.  THE REST OF THE RECORD PLAYS VERY CLEAN.  

THANKS FOR BIDDING AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!