Out-Sider 2015
Northwest Unreleased Masters
1967-1970
Small box of treasures from Washington psych practitioners. Fun ahoy!
With their rhythm section descending from THE WILDE KNIGHTS whose “Just Like Me” was taken to charts by Paul Revere, this band logically landed on a heavier side of flower power, but somehow managed to issue only a few singles that didn’t cause a stir. Three ’45 sides are here, on the collection which fleshes out their 1968 output with unreleased cuts running from the Summer of Love to the early prog era and turning songs of innocence into those of experience along the way.
So while the earliest piece on display, “Get Me To Chicago,” is a soulful slice of The Fabs-patented pop-beat, complete with “yeah’s,” and “Window Of Sand” flaunts baroque harmonies and guitar lace, “Rosemary’s Second Child” sheds the sparkling playing to explore a heavy gloom between the notes. Yet there’s much merriment in the harmonica swirl of “Sunset Blues,” whereas “Now Baby, I Love You” spikes a Hendrix-inspired six-string charge with an Indian motif, and “Judgement (Look Up And Get Ready)”, the band’s latest offering, rides a funky Latino groove and takes off with a female choir as a backdrop for the tasty interplay.
There lay the future but there was no further studio continuation for the KBE’s live endeavors, which is a pity, as they could’ve hit the big time. So go for a time warp with what remains of their work.
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