"This Is It' is regarded by many of the who's who of psych fanatics as the first aural document of psychedelic. It is a plundering, blistering, freeform freak-out of totally unselfconscious group sonic exploration. If you don't find yourself with that rare facial twitch of awe, befuddlement and unbridled glee, then you surely need your head checked". (Locust Music)I'm not sure why I decided that I needed to buy this, but it had been one of those things I'd heard about forever. You know; holy grail acid psych, totally amazing higher key, EXTREMELY RARE, blabbiddyblahblahblah. Okay okay, I get it. So I pick up a copy & check it out. What did I think? Let me put it this way-if it had been one of those cute little Invisible Jukebox tests like you see in WIRE, I would've wondered aloud if it weren't a Glamorous Pat cdr. Or barring that, an aural blackmail tape from some sad artist's loft party where all the women have split & the guys have chortled down enough booze to drink themselves gay. Don't tell me you've never walked in on one of those. Jesus! A bunch've vain & erudite dudes, totally sausalito'd, hangin all over the place 'n each other, actin & talkin like Gary Oldman in Dracula. But of course, they won't shut up because they think everything bein said is brilliant.The talk get's louder & more incoherent till it's a big din of gibberish. And then they start battin their eyes & askin you questions. No thanks! Given the choice, I'd probably be more comfortable with Glamorous Pat. And you know what? It's doubtful that it'll ever rain that hard. Ever!
That's what this cd sounded like to me.
Alot've the text on & about this cd falls all over itself to mention time & again how "unselfconscious" & "unpremeditated" it is. Alright, but it's still incredibly pretentious. And naive. I realize it's 1963 on here & only the rich & elite are capable of procuring lsd but all the same, if I wanna listen to a bunch've blabber & baby talk from some loopy intellectuals, I'd just a soon listen to my neighbor (who teaches at Penn) & his wife speak to their pet Mastif, Mr. French. Years ago I would've bought right into all the baloney & shenanigans on this thing. Just like I bought into the Erica Pomerance lp on ESP, another "experience" known for it's plundering, blistering freeform freakout. But that money just don't spend no more. I used to think it was intensely great. Now it just sounds hilariously bad. Granted, there's an innocence w/Watts & co. on This Is It that you don't find on the Pomerance thing (beep,beep! term paper theme!), but at the end of the day the rare facial twitch of befuddlement I get when I play this cd is not from laughing with it, but at it. And my head's fine by the way.
Sorry Al. I like your books though.
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