Thursday, August 12, 2010

Latitudes: 1974

This compilation from Montgomery Community College has been known about for years, but I had mistakenly slept on it for as long as I've been buying private press stuff, and now thanks to a good friend who recently gave one to me - all of that has been changed. I figured since I had already posted the volume from '75 I would give this one a post too, and was doubly motivated to do so because one song on here just kind of worked its way into being something of a summer anthem for me, the deliriously glammy, lite-Rush melodic power-pop gush of the band Y and their alternate-universe hit "Silver Screen Betty" - so go figure! Several of the groups here, including Y just nail that dreamland private press sound, and I would take even a half-hearted (or baked) full-length from any of them. Particular stunners include the stoned basement art-rock of the Tubular Chamber Ensemble, the immaculate hard-prog of Puddleduck, the singularly bizarre folk-rock lyrical mash-up of Donna Pretsch, and a superb folk-psych cut from the Shack People. Even the seemingly goofy hick outfit, the Ambler Ramblers who receive two slots on the billing, at turns deliver a gorgeous piece of instrumental psychedelia called "High Harbor." I owe Brennan in VT a big thanks for swapping this out to me, and if anyone has further info on these bands or anything else they did, drop me a line. I'm interested, too, as to if there are any LPs in this series from before 1973... Here's a link to the full LP, and below a sample for those just curious... rock on, Betty!








Silver Screen Betty

7 comments:

  1. J - thanks also for the rip - it's very nice, as well. Always appreciated! Thank you!

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  2. Excellent! I remember missing out on a copy of this in trade about 6 years ago. I don't think I would have appreciated it then as much as how it sounds now. (Want list added).

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  3. Nice album indeed, especially the song with the Shack People, it rocks. Thank you for sharing J.

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  4. i can never thank you too much for digging and sharing all those hidden gems
    thanks again joachim

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  5. hello. any way you could re-up this? that track is weirdly the most infectious & touching pop song i've heard in a long time. pretty please? samantha

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    1. Hi Samantha! Please drop me a line here:
      jackfleischer@alum.calarts.edu

      cheers -- jdf

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