JOE BYRD & THE FIELD HIPPIES
''THE AMERICAN METAPHYSICAL CIRCUS''
1969
39:22
1. Kalyani/3:51
2. You Can't Ever Come Down/3:01
3. Moonsong: Pelog/3:44
4. Patriot's Lullabye/2:49
5. Nightmare Train/3:19
6. Invisible Man/3:31
7. Mr. 4th Of July/1:46
8. Gospel Music/4:27
9. The Sing-Along Song/4:03
10. The Elephant At The Door/5:13
11. Leisure World/2:34
12. The Sing-Along Song (Reprise)/0:47
Ernie Anderson /Announcer
Chuck Bennett /Group Member, Trombone, Trombone (Bass)
Victoria Bond /Group Member, Vocals, Voices
Joseph Byrd /Conductor, Arranger, Keyboards, Organ, Producer, Synthesizer, Vocals
Ray Cappocchi /Group Member, Horn, Trombone (Tenor), Tuba
Dana Chalberg /Flute, Piccolo, Wind
John Clauder /Drums, Percussion
Susan de Lange /Group Member, Lead Vocals
Ted Green /Group Member, Guitar
Meyer Hirsch /Flute, Group Member, Saxophone, Wind
Larry Kass /Tabla
Don Kerian /Cornet, Group Member, Trumpet
Lisa Kindred /Composer
Gregg Kovner /Drums, Group Member, Percussion
Pot /Conductor, Harpsichord, Piano
Tom Scott /Clarinet, Flute, Group Member, Saxophone, Wind
Fred Selden /Clarinet, Flute, Group Member, Saxophone, Wind
Ed Sheftel /Flugelhorn, Group Member, Trumpet
Christie Thompson /Group Member, Lead, Vocals
Michael Whitney /Guitar (Classical)
REVIEW
by Richie Unterberger
As a "conductor" and organ/electronic synthesizer player, Byrd is very much the leader of this circus. With a couple drummers, a half-dozen horn players (including a young Tom Scott), three female vocalists, and a half-dozen or so other musicians popping up over the course of the album, there are a lot more people involved in this project than there were in the (relatively) stable lineup of the United States of America. Despite the ambition of this LP, it ultimately serves to illustrate just how Byrd benefited from the unique synergy provided by the other members of the U.S.A. There are all kinds of adventurous electronics and eclectic ideas bouncing back and forth, but the songwriting is simply not as strong as that of Byrd's previous group. The best songs are the ones which most strongly recall the U.S.A. in their spacy melodicism ("Moonsong: Pelog") and driving psychedelic pulse ("You Can't Ever Come Down"). Unfortunately, the female singers on these tracks are no match for The U.S.A.'s Dorothy Moscowitz, although they seem to be aspiring to the same dreamy, icy quality. Byrd himself is quite a mediocre singer, as his attempts at taking the lead on straightforward rock material prove. Otherwise, there are some bad takeoffs on gospel and old-time music, haphazard primitive early synthesizer, and dated social commentary/satire. As ambitious in its scope as Byrd's first rock project, this album is not nearly as successful.
''THE AMERICAN METAPHYSICAL CIRCUS''
1969
39:22
1. Kalyani/3:51
2. You Can't Ever Come Down/3:01
3. Moonsong: Pelog/3:44
4. Patriot's Lullabye/2:49
5. Nightmare Train/3:19
6. Invisible Man/3:31
7. Mr. 4th Of July/1:46
8. Gospel Music/4:27
9. The Sing-Along Song/4:03
10. The Elephant At The Door/5:13
11. Leisure World/2:34
12. The Sing-Along Song (Reprise)/0:47
Ernie Anderson /Announcer
Chuck Bennett /Group Member, Trombone, Trombone (Bass)
Victoria Bond /Group Member, Vocals, Voices
Joseph Byrd /Conductor, Arranger, Keyboards, Organ, Producer, Synthesizer, Vocals
Ray Cappocchi /Group Member, Horn, Trombone (Tenor), Tuba
Dana Chalberg /Flute, Piccolo, Wind
John Clauder /Drums, Percussion
Susan de Lange /Group Member, Lead Vocals
Ted Green /Group Member, Guitar
Meyer Hirsch /Flute, Group Member, Saxophone, Wind
Larry Kass /Tabla
Don Kerian /Cornet, Group Member, Trumpet
Lisa Kindred /Composer
Gregg Kovner /Drums, Group Member, Percussion
Pot /Conductor, Harpsichord, Piano
Tom Scott /Clarinet, Flute, Group Member, Saxophone, Wind
Fred Selden /Clarinet, Flute, Group Member, Saxophone, Wind
Ed Sheftel /Flugelhorn, Group Member, Trumpet
Christie Thompson /Group Member, Lead, Vocals
Michael Whitney /Guitar (Classical)
REVIEW
by Richie Unterberger
As a "conductor" and organ/electronic synthesizer player, Byrd is very much the leader of this circus. With a couple drummers, a half-dozen horn players (including a young Tom Scott), three female vocalists, and a half-dozen or so other musicians popping up over the course of the album, there are a lot more people involved in this project than there were in the (relatively) stable lineup of the United States of America. Despite the ambition of this LP, it ultimately serves to illustrate just how Byrd benefited from the unique synergy provided by the other members of the U.S.A. There are all kinds of adventurous electronics and eclectic ideas bouncing back and forth, but the songwriting is simply not as strong as that of Byrd's previous group. The best songs are the ones which most strongly recall the U.S.A. in their spacy melodicism ("Moonsong: Pelog") and driving psychedelic pulse ("You Can't Ever Come Down"). Unfortunately, the female singers on these tracks are no match for The U.S.A.'s Dorothy Moscowitz, although they seem to be aspiring to the same dreamy, icy quality. Byrd himself is quite a mediocre singer, as his attempts at taking the lead on straightforward rock material prove. Otherwise, there are some bad takeoffs on gospel and old-time music, haphazard primitive early synthesizer, and dated social commentary/satire. As ambitious in its scope as Byrd's first rock project, this album is not nearly as successful.
