Rockadrome - Royal American 20th Century Blues CD (Mega Blowout Sale)
SKU
18-Pace 081
Extensively remastered, this is the first legitimate reissue of what is perhaps THE top Canadian psychedelic rarity.
“Recorded in a time when creativity counted for more than commercial appeal, the album was recorded for the eclectic Sound Canada label. It sold poorly, but was rediscovered as part of the revival in interest in psychedelia; the only problem—copies of the original album are incredibly rare (and incredibly expensive!).
"Royal American…" seems to have one foot planted on either side of the Atlantic, flitting from Brit-infused freakbeat ('Very Strange') to acerbic West Coast guitar jams ('Thirteen Miles Down'), sometimes even in the same song (the amazing five-minute title track). Dove's Dylanesque whine on the jangly 'There You Go Again' should by rights be maddeningly annoying, but instead the song could almost be a long-lost Blonde on Blonde outtake. And the sombre piano reprise that closes side two is a sober lament - almost frighteningly so - on our own royal American twentieth century futility. The record is not without its detritus, but still, how Royal American 20th Century Blues could have gone so unnoticed remains a mystery.
Studio owner and executive producer Art Snider was inspired enough by Rockadrome's first sessions to basically give engineer/producer Ray Lawrence free reign to carry the project in whatever direction it might go. Fortunately, it was an era of experimentation, and there was a belief that the best stuff was done after dark; and so Rockadrome was given an after-hours slot.
All through that fall and winter, the songs were refined, recorded, tossed and replaced. Contemplated. Even the physical process became a strange routine. The guys would need to phone the studio by 5 pm to check that the evening schedule was open, then scramble into their cars east of Toronto and head down the 401. The results show that the band deserve their reputation."
- LabelPacemaker
- UPC778578008123