Wild Mountain Thyme and I Come And Stand At Every Door are actually the slowest and most lethargic tunes on the whole record and, as a result, are relaxing and introspective to the extreme. Terrifying! On the other hand, What's Happening settles for an ethereal mid-tempo affair, with Crosby's wistful fingerpicking being the highlight as Jim sings with his trademark soft and tender delivery the befuddled lyrics. The icing on the cake, though, has to be McGuinn's agonized scream right after the chorus. In fact, the slower numbers here boast an even more hypnotic state of mind quite simply, the opening Fifth Dimension may be heading to almost Dylan territory thanks to Jim's 'poetic' vocal approach, but at the same time its instrumentation and pace produces such a numb, spellbinding feeling to the listener that I simply rest mesmerized when listening to it. The psychedelia hardly stops there, though. Whether it is the distressed, jazzy drumming, the mighty and sincerely moving harmonies or the spaced out and trippy soloing we're talking about, the group never puts a foot wrong. The latter is a renowned psychedelic classic, no doubt what makes this song such an enthralling listen is the alarming and frightening nature of it. The two most characteristic songs of the above description are without a doubt I See You and, of course, Eight Miles High the former is made all the more of a highlight due to the dark, melancholic chorus being punctuated by Clarke's vivid, sharp drumming and McGuinn's schizophrenic soloing. Clarke, the group's drummer, is balanced enough to be delicate and thunderous at the same time, by combining jazz with rock stylistics and the harmonies of the group cannot be topped they sweep the soundscape with grace and power, giving the album a certain 'epic' flavor. Now, the mood of the record is really trance-inducing the famous jangle of the band is clearer than ever, as every note that falls from Crosby's guitar feels like a waterfall heading to the listener's ears quite often, these crystal clear sounds are accompanied with loud, crusty guitar strumming and at times with paranoid guitar screeching from McGuinn. But it is this unique blend of psychedelia, pop, rock and folk that's hard to resist after a few listens, though.
It also isn't a pop affair the melodies are catchy and extremely well-written, sure, but the tone of the album is very dark and illusive to be considered a traditional pop experience. It's easy to explain, though in purely 'rock' terms, this album doesn't rock all that much, thus disappointing a large number of listeners who want their 60's music a bit more 'groovier' and 'angrier'. Imagine that!Ĭertainly, this album has been unjustly forgotten over the years.
Review Summary: Psychedelic folk rock in a jazz environment.
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