Danny Holien - Colorado / Red Wing. 1972 USA ~ Denver, Colorado

A surprising find from the thrifts. On first glance one would think you found a country single, which are very prevalent in these parts, especially from the 1970s. The Denver based Tumbleweed label is pretty quirky though, and has all kinds of music on it.

Apparently Holien is from Minnesota and migrated to Colorado. A) is an homage to his new state. It's mostly haunting folk with flute followed by majestic orchestration. It gets a little long in the tooth by the end, but still a nice piece. Even better is the B) which continues the haunting folk with flute, but here we are treated to a rocking mid-section and the (now dual) flutes almost have a Krautrock feeling here.

Both of these tracks are on his sole album, something I have yet to run into. Even if the rest isn't very good, these two tracks would put it in the keeper category.

Own.

The Trespassers – Living Memories / Come With Me. 1967 USA ~ Baltimore, Maryland

Both sides have a punky garage psych sound about them. The a) side sounds like a proto Plastic Cloud whereas the B) side has shades of Arthur Lee's Love. Excellent.

Jefferson Lee – Book Of Love / Sorcerella. 1969 USA ~ Atlanta, Georgia

That's his actual name. Jefferson Lee. I mean, seriously, how southern can you get? Is his brother Robert E. Davis?

The music, however, is nothing that we would typically associate with the South. Heavy psych for both tracks. Nothing extraordinary, but both very much fit the late 60s psych single mindset. Plenty of fuzz guitar and bass.

Chris Garrett & Sweet Poison – Family Man / Cold N' Rainy. 1975 England

The a) side is a heavy funk rocker with wah wah guitar. Nice driving track in the early 70s Grand Funk Railroad tradition. The b) side is a soft folky number with faint Beatles undertones. No idea why this is labeled prog rock. Nothing of the sort. Hard rock, funk, and folk. Very incongruous. We see this disconnect between sides on 60s singles, but not so much in the 70s when bands were trying to promote an identity. Sweet Poison obviously did not have one. An identity that is. This 45 has a big rep, but I'm not buying it.

3.5 / 2.5

Power - Children Ask / She Is The Color Of. 1967 USA ~ Los Angeles, California

This is my kind of doomy and trippy psych. Both tracks are absolutely haunting. The a) side starts with a zonked out organ, followed by fuzz, and then some downer vocals. The b) side continues the dark mood, though organ is more featured. There is a progressive rock like break as well. Imagine Group 1850 guesting on a Doors album and you'll be starting to get the scent. Excellent two sider.

Own.

Childe Harold - Brink Of Death / Anne, With Love. 1968 New York, New York

The a) side is a drifty and dreamy pop psych number with Baroque trimmings, which was popular in that era. Harpsichord introduces us to the b) side which has a similar spacey vibe. A bit of the same kind of folk psych one might hear from upstaters The Free Design. Perhaps best known for including Walter / Wendy Carlos on Moog synthesizer (used sparingly). Released on the relatively major label Limelight with a picture sleeve.

Σωτήρης Κοματσιούλης – Επιδρομή Από Τον Άρη / Σαν Τον Άνεμο. 1972 Greece

Well, it's all Greek to me. Sotiris Komatsioulis released this one psych single in 1972, and then headed to England and worked with various others including Robert Wyatt. Apparently the songs are Christian oriented. The guitars have fuzz tone and there's plenty of primitive organ to jam out with. The sound is very pleasant for those attuned to the psychedelic underground. The compositions themselves are straightforward, and not a whole lot to grab onto. Worth seeking out though.

Majic Bus - World Turned Away / Total Silence. 197? USA ~ Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Very interesting one here. I bought this from a store in Phoenix while visiting family. I had seen it on Discogs, and since we were already there, might as well grab it. I'd heard some of it online once and added it straight to my want list. My notes says it reminded me of early Yes.

Yep, that's exactly it too. Really excellent two sider. Has much more of a UK sound than American. Thinking Guns & Butter here as well. As I put in the release notes in Discogs (while adding prog as a genre): Has organ, flute, sax, acoustic guitar, and Minimoog. Concerning the latter, this makes the date of 1970 highly suspicious (they would have had to be one of the first ever to use this synthesizer). Not enough data to overturn but 1971 to 1972 is far more likely here.

Quite an obscure item, though it isn't fetching high dollars, which isn't atypical for proggy 45s (though there are some major exceptions). Not in 45cat or RYM as I add this here.

Own.

4.0

The Cosmic Evolution – Evil Woman / Mississippi Woman. 1972 USA ~ Alabama

Well, the group certainly has the right name to grab one's attention. At least mine lol. A couple of years before ELO made a (different) song with the A) title, The Cosmic Evolution had the same idea, and really their version is more in accordance with the subject matter. One can hear an impassioned emotional group displaying their anger through some pretty mean guitar leads. The b) side is a mix of boogie and Southern rock and lacks the punch of the flip. Though there are notable guitar sections to listen for.

Easy – We All Are One / Amy. 1974 USA ~ Nashville, Tennessee

Not sure how this ended up on one of my lists, but this is largely soft rock. Maybe a stretch to call it Yacht Rock, though it's before that movement was getting wheels (not that it was called that back then, but there was a vibe that existed). Band name is accurate for certain. Not terrible for what it is, but not psych or prog in the slightest, which is the column I had it in.

2.5

Sky - Living Machine / The Quest Of The Silver Sea. 1977 USA

Sky is a tough moniker to search in this day and age. And not much data is forthcoming about this particular Sky. It's been suggested the year to be 1977, though I wouldn't be surprised to know it's from the early 80s. There's a bit of that NWOBHM influence though it's not heavy enough to call metal. The music is hard rock, with some Hawkwind influence. Which is likely the inspiration for the fantasy titled B side, and perhaps even the A side really. It's also the stronger of the two tracks here. The music isn't very catchy but it does have that period charm.

3.5

Pegasus - Honeysuckle Willow Bridge / Turkey Dove. 1972 USA

No one knows where this Pegasus hails from, but what we have here is a killer two-sider of heavy guitar and organ rock. I also like the impassioned higher pitched vocals. These guys would have made it big were they from England during this era. I'd be willing to bet that this particular Pegasus is from somewhere in the Midwest, especially since it was pressed in Cincinnati. They also have that early Poobah thing going, along with dozens of other regional bands. The organ is always a welcome addition.

Kasino - Get Bent / Gun Slinger. 1978 USA ~ Harrisburg, Pennyslvania

Kasino has this sort of retro Grand Funk Railroad sound going on here. More 1974 than 1978. The rhythms and disposition are more like straightforward funk rock but the guitarist turns on the fuzz as if it's the late 60s. What a great tone. You wish for the guitarist to really let loose for an extended jam but he never quite does. Nonetheless this is a solid two sider.

4.0

Freeway – Out On The Road (...And Out Of Our Minds) / Streamline. 1980 USA ~ New York

Freeway puts a lot more meat on the bone than your usual hard rock band at this stage. This is late era hard rock right at the cusp of the metal movement, but not quite crossing that threshold. Two well-penned tunes with plenty of guitar fire and cool breaks. Solid, if not exceptional.

3.5

Enalpria – Rose Water / Shredded Heart. 1969 USA ~ Florida

And here we have their second 45. Yet another advanced release for the date. Superb psychedelic rock also mixes in some jazzy sequences, notable in the electric piano work. The B) has a haunting organ beginning, perhaps a Krautrock element is being brought forth. Enalpria weren't that creative yet, and the music moves into more of a pop psych direction. Still with some fine electric piano playing. Excellent band to my ears.

Enalpria – Speed Limit / Sliding. 1970 USA ~ Florida

The name Enalpria is simply Airplane spelled backwards. At least they tried for some originality. The group managed to get out three singles between 1967 and 1970, this being their last. The A) side is an excellent example of North American hard rock. Features a jamming Hammond and ripping fuzz guitar. Sort of Grand Funk Railroad and Rare Earth mixed together. The B) side introduces flute, and the music sounds more like something you'd hear in Italy during this era. I suppose Jethro Tull will enter the conversation, but the style of the music recalls some of the heavier bands emerging out of Continental Europe. Think early Osanna or even Germany's Fashion Pink. Advanced thinking for 1970. Superb two sider.

East West Review – And The Rain Came / More And More. 1969 USA ~ Kansas City, Missouri

East West Review are very much influenced by the ongoing horn rock movement of the late 60s. Blood Sweat & Tears, Chicago, and Chase can all be heard in these grooves. Excellent horn charts, and some pretty wild fuzz, especially on the B side. Good stuff.

3.5

Kachers In The Rye - Egyptian Naval Exploration / Rye Bread. 1966 USA

A very interesting two sider. Both tracks are instrumental, and the melodies border the novelty side of the house. But the guitar is much more amplified than one typically associates with 1966. Definitely a psychedelic tone. Worth hearing at least.

Further research informs us that Del Kacher invented the wah-wah pedal. No wonder.

Used to own.

Alexander – I Want You / Just Keep Holding On. 1979 USA ~ Cleveland, Ohio

If you'd ever wondered what it would be like if Michael Jackson fronted a hard rock band (and who wouldn't think of that?), Alexander gives you an opportunity to realize that possibility. That's the a) side. The b) side tones it all down for a rural soft rocker, similar to the Eagles, though the vocals are slightly more masculine here. Since both tracks are credited to a one Eric Alexander, we can presume he's the mover and shaker here. And likely lead vocalist, though I can't be certain the first side wasn't from a female. Didn't get too much out of this two sider.

3.0 / 2.0

4/18/26

The Flower Children - Mini-Skirt Blues / Marching Lovers. 1967 USA ~ Los Angeles, California

With a moniker like The Flower Children one would expect soft folky psych. Not at all. The a) side is organ driven punky psych and is quite heavy for 1967. The b) side has a rollicking rhythm, once again driven by organ, though is far more friendly to the ears. Pretty decent 45, though I wasn't floored by it.

4/17/26