KALEIDOSCOPE
''BERNICE''
MARCH 1970
35:15
1 /Chocolate Whale
Solomon Feldthouse/2:30
2 /Another Lover
David Lindley/2:47
3 /Sneakin' Thru the Ghetto
Connie Crill / Paul Lagos/3:19
4 /To Know Is Not to Be
Paul Lagos/2:16
5 /Lulu Arfin Nanny
Stuart Brotman / Connie Crill / Chris Darrow / Solomon Feldthouse / Paul Lagos / David Lindley/3:15
6 /Lie and Hide
Stuart Brotman / Connie Crill / Paul Lagos / David Lindley/2:54
7 /Ballad of Tommy Udo
David Lindley/2:50
8 /Bernice
Connie Crill/2:44
9 /Soft and Easy
Solomon Feldthouse/2:58
10 /New Blue Ooze
Stuart Brotman / Connie Crill / Solomon Feldthouse / Paul Lagos / David Lindley/9:42
Stuart Brotman/Bass, Composer, Vocals
Max Buda/Harmonica
Connie Crill/Keyboards
Chris Darrow
Fenrus Epp/Keyboards, Violin
Solomon Feldthouse/Guitar, Vocals
Ron Johnson/Bass
Jeff Kaplan/Guitar, Vocals
Paul Lagos/Drums, Percussion, Rap, Vocals, Voices
David Lindley/Guitar, Violin, Vocals
REVIEW
by Stephen Raiteri
This desultory album (the band's last before breaking up) shows the magic of the band seemingly overcome by lack of success, musical conflicts, and the collapse of enthusiasm that came with the end of the '60s. Bassist Stuart Brotman was out, the exotic instruments of the past are almost gone, and, according to John Platt in the liner notes to the Kaleidoscope compilation A Beacon from Mars, "Lindley, in particular, decided what he really wanted to play was R&B, perhaps the one style, at the time, he wasn't good at." The long instrumental that ends the album falls completely flat, as do attempts at humor: any fan of Kaleidoscope's original "Little Orphan Annie," a fun early B-side, will find its remake here as "Lulu Arfin Nanny," sung by new recruit Jeff Kaplan, just painful. Not recommended.
BIOGRAPHY
by Richie Unterberger
Kaleidoscope were arguably the most eclectic band of the psychedelic era, weaving together folk, blues, Middle Eastern, and acid more often and seamlessly than any other musicians. The California group were formed under the nucleus of multi-instrumentalists David Lindley and Chris Darrow in the mid-'60s. Adding fiddle, banjo, and various exotic string instruments such as the oud and saz to the traditional rock lineup, Kaleidoscope complemented their experimental sounds with taut and witty (if lyrically eccentric) songwriting. Other important members were Solomon Feldthouse, who specialized in the Turkish-style instruments, and Chester Crill, who, to make documentation just that much more difficult, sometimes used odd pseudonyms like Fenrus Epp.
With the exception of their mawkish forays into old-timey music, Kaleidoscope's work holds up well. Their first three albums were their best, highlighted by the lengthy tracks "Taxim" and "Seven-Ate Sweet," which are groundbreaking fusions of Middle Eastern music and rock. Kaleidoscope were a popular live act, even incorporating some flamenco and belly dancers into their performances. But in commercial terms their very eclecticism probably worked against them. Hit singles, too, were a difficult proposition for such a versatile group to get to grips with, although several of their 45s were pretty good. One of the best, "Nobody," was a most unusual fusion of R&B and psychedelia that found the group backing veteran rock and blues greats Larry Williams and Johnny "Guitar" Watson.
Kaleidoscope's eclecticism may have been a by-product of numerous personnel changes throughout the last half of the '60s that would make the construction of a family tree a most unwieldy task. Darrow, in fact, only lasted a couple of albums; in 1970, shortly after their fourth album, they split up. Several of the group's more important contributors reunited for an album in 1975 (although Lindley played only a small part); there was another reunion record in 1988.
DoWnLoAd
''BERNICE''
MARCH 1970
35:15
1 /Chocolate Whale
Solomon Feldthouse/2:30
2 /Another Lover
David Lindley/2:47
3 /Sneakin' Thru the Ghetto
Connie Crill / Paul Lagos/3:19
4 /To Know Is Not to Be
Paul Lagos/2:16
5 /Lulu Arfin Nanny
Stuart Brotman / Connie Crill / Chris Darrow / Solomon Feldthouse / Paul Lagos / David Lindley/3:15
6 /Lie and Hide
Stuart Brotman / Connie Crill / Paul Lagos / David Lindley/2:54
7 /Ballad of Tommy Udo
David Lindley/2:50
8 /Bernice
Connie Crill/2:44
9 /Soft and Easy
Solomon Feldthouse/2:58
10 /New Blue Ooze
Stuart Brotman / Connie Crill / Solomon Feldthouse / Paul Lagos / David Lindley/9:42
Stuart Brotman/Bass, Composer, Vocals
Max Buda/Harmonica
Connie Crill/Keyboards
Chris Darrow
Fenrus Epp/Keyboards, Violin
Solomon Feldthouse/Guitar, Vocals
Ron Johnson/Bass
Jeff Kaplan/Guitar, Vocals
Paul Lagos/Drums, Percussion, Rap, Vocals, Voices
David Lindley/Guitar, Violin, Vocals
REVIEW
by Stephen Raiteri
This desultory album (the band's last before breaking up) shows the magic of the band seemingly overcome by lack of success, musical conflicts, and the collapse of enthusiasm that came with the end of the '60s. Bassist Stuart Brotman was out, the exotic instruments of the past are almost gone, and, according to John Platt in the liner notes to the Kaleidoscope compilation A Beacon from Mars, "Lindley, in particular, decided what he really wanted to play was R&B, perhaps the one style, at the time, he wasn't good at." The long instrumental that ends the album falls completely flat, as do attempts at humor: any fan of Kaleidoscope's original "Little Orphan Annie," a fun early B-side, will find its remake here as "Lulu Arfin Nanny," sung by new recruit Jeff Kaplan, just painful. Not recommended.
BIOGRAPHY
by Richie Unterberger
Kaleidoscope were arguably the most eclectic band of the psychedelic era, weaving together folk, blues, Middle Eastern, and acid more often and seamlessly than any other musicians. The California group were formed under the nucleus of multi-instrumentalists David Lindley and Chris Darrow in the mid-'60s. Adding fiddle, banjo, and various exotic string instruments such as the oud and saz to the traditional rock lineup, Kaleidoscope complemented their experimental sounds with taut and witty (if lyrically eccentric) songwriting. Other important members were Solomon Feldthouse, who specialized in the Turkish-style instruments, and Chester Crill, who, to make documentation just that much more difficult, sometimes used odd pseudonyms like Fenrus Epp.
With the exception of their mawkish forays into old-timey music, Kaleidoscope's work holds up well. Their first three albums were their best, highlighted by the lengthy tracks "Taxim" and "Seven-Ate Sweet," which are groundbreaking fusions of Middle Eastern music and rock. Kaleidoscope were a popular live act, even incorporating some flamenco and belly dancers into their performances. But in commercial terms their very eclecticism probably worked against them. Hit singles, too, were a difficult proposition for such a versatile group to get to grips with, although several of their 45s were pretty good. One of the best, "Nobody," was a most unusual fusion of R&B and psychedelia that found the group backing veteran rock and blues greats Larry Williams and Johnny "Guitar" Watson.
Kaleidoscope's eclecticism may have been a by-product of numerous personnel changes throughout the last half of the '60s that would make the construction of a family tree a most unwieldy task. Darrow, in fact, only lasted a couple of albums; in 1970, shortly after their fourth album, they split up. Several of the group's more important contributors reunited for an album in 1975 (although Lindley played only a small part); there was another reunion record in 1988.
DoWnLoAd
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