Various Artists – Brown Acid: The Nineteenth Trip
Various Artists – Brown Acid: The Nineteenth Trip
Riding Easy Records
Release date: 31/10/2024
Running time: 35 minutes approx.
Review by: Alun Jones
8.5/10
Back in the very early 70’s, I accidentally missed getting on the bus with Black Sabbath (or was deliberately left behind, you choose), and found myself stranded in Sweden. Luckily, I had a few contacts and was able to get by, eventually meeting up with a couple of young Swedish lads in Stockholm. They were into Folk music, but I could tell they were great musicians with an ear for a melody. After some persuasion, they agreed to try something new and join me in a new band, part Heavy Metal, part Rock’n’Roll, with a bit of Folk thrown in to keep them happy.
Our jam sessions were going really well, with me handling the vocals and devil worshipping lyrics, and the lads on guitar and piano. We had numerous tracks rehearsed, with some killer riffs inspired by my old mentor, Tony Iommi.
Then one day, it was all over. The two lads decided Metal wasn’t for them, and they hooked up with two Swedish girls in an attempt to make something more commercial. A great shame, I thought, as we had potential. Never mind, I’d saved up some cash to get back home and off I went. No idea what happened to those Swedes though. I think they could’ve gone far.
All this reminiscing brings me round to discussing the latest Brown Acid compilation from RidingEasy records – the nineteenth, if you can believe it. It’s been a while since I last reviewed one of these releases, so to summarise briefly for any late comers, Brown Acid compiles long lost gems from the late 60s through the early 70s as a document of the early days of Hard Rock and Proto-Metal from the time. Most of these tracks – and the groups who performed them – have been lost to mists of time, but it’s always a joy to rediscover them in the 21st century.
Our first song on this volume is ‘You Come on Like a Train’ by the brilliantly named Dick Rabbit. Just under three minutes of Hendrix infused Fuzz Rock with clattering drums, it’s a high energy opener to get us moving. Next up is Blizzard with ‘Be Myself’, which has a killer intro riff that then dominates the song. Think Cream or Mountain and you’ll be on the right avenue.
‘Sun City – Part II’ is a gritty, raw Rocker from the less imaginatively named Fox – the catchy riff is a beauty. Sweet Wine give us ‘Bringing Me Back Home’ next, a boogie, Rock ‘n’ Roll bar-room brawl number that injects some Southern Rock into proceedings. It’s an unusual move for a Brown Acid comp, but it works well. Finishing off Side One is Enoch Smokey and their cover of the Chuck Berry classic, ‘Roll Over Beethoven’. A cover is also an atypical move for Brown Acid, but this rendition has enough apocalyptic Hard Rock mayhem to warrant its inclusion.
Side Two commences with ‘Get You’ by Flight, a Grand Funk style rocker that’ll get your head noddin’. ‘Indian’ from Quick Fox offers a more cerebral lyrical approach, lamenting the fate of Native Americans (no surprise there). It does have a late 60s Psychedelic shine that gives the song a different feel and identity. Then it’s back to some full-on Hard Rock with ‘The Fury in Your Eyes’ by Bonjour Aviators – a spectacular band name, great riff and almost punk vocals.
Cedric delivers ‘I’m Leaving’ next, which is lo-fi Garage Rock that’s simple but damn effective – like The Kinks covering The White Stripes in a Detroit dive bar. Finally, we have the brain destroying proto–Space Rock of Zane with ‘Step Aside’, which sounds like Hawkwind doing the soundtrack for classic 70s dystopian sci-fi movie, “Logan’s Run”. If you don’t think that sounds cool, your life clock must’ve already died.
And that’s that: another ten songs saved from the wilderness and given a new lease of life, a second chance of glory thanks to the caring curatorship of RidingEasy Records. And all the bands get paid, which is super cool. “Brown Acid: the Nineteenth Trip” is very much recommended for anyone who worships at the altar of early 70s Rock – and also a great soundtrack to any party. Get it on!
TRACKLISTING:
01. Dick Rabbit – “You Come On Like A Train”
02. Blizzard – “Be Myself”
03. Fox – “Sun City” (part II)
04. Sweet Wine – “Bringing Me Back Home”
05. Enoch Smoky – “Roll Over Beethoven”
06. Flight – “Get You”
07. Quick Fox – “Indian”
08. Bonjour Aviators – “The Fury In Your Eyes”
09. Cedric – “I’m Leavin'”
10. Zane – “Step Aside”
LINKS:
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Alun Jones and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.