American Baroque - Chamber Pop And Beyond 1967-1971.
Label: Ace Records.
Format: CD.
Release Date: 28th February 2025.
As the sixties gave way to the seventies, music in Britain and America was changing, with rock becoming and harder and heavier as groups like Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath emerged and went on to become three of the most successful bands of the seventies.
Meanwhile, some British psychedelic groups turned their back on the genre and returning to their bluesy roots, while others became pioneers of progressive rock. However, not everyone was willing to turn their back on psychedelia.
There were still many British musicians and groups who were influenced by psychedelia, especially the homegrown variety of the genre. Its melancholy sound conjured up visions of Victoriana, and the pastoral sound of genteel village life in rural England as well as the simple pleasures of suburban living. Essentially British and specifically English psychedelia harked back to Britain's past, which was romanticised and perceived as idyllic. It was a much more innocent and simpler time, and very different to Britain during the psychedelic era.
A number of factors influenced the inimitable British psychedelic sound. Just like their American counterparts, British musicians questioned the establishment. This led to some musicians retreating to the countryside and their new rural idylls influenced the pastoral sound of their music.
Others remained in the city, but tried to imagine the countryside in their music which often, became part of an Arcadian fantasy world. However, the countryside was just one of factors that influenced the British psychedelic sound.
This included travel. By then, a number of musicians had travelled to countries like India, Morocco and traversed Europe. The music they heard often influenced the music they went on to make. So did classical and jazz music.
Some musicians embraced and dabbled with LSD which also influenced the music they made. These factors influenced the British psychedelic sound while others didn't.
Many British musicians distrusted the nascent technology that emerged during the psychedelic era, and also rejected much of American culture. Instead, British musicians looked to their own culture for inspiration.
Meanwhile, musicians deployed an eclectic selection of instruments to create the British psychedelic sound. This included everything from the cello, woodwind and harpsichord to a variety of African instruments and the Mellotron. These instruments provided the backdrop the wistful melodies that were part of the British psychedelic sound. However, by the late-sixties psychedelia was no longer as popular as it had been. Many critics thought it was the end of an era.
That wasn't the case, and like so many other genres of music, including blues and jazz, British psychedelia had to evolve to stay relevant. There were still many musicians who wanted to continue to create music using the same instruments and wistful melodies and they became pioneers of a new sub-genre of pop, the English Baroque sound.
At the forefront of this new musical movement were some of the psychedelic groups who were joined by the new breed of singer-songwriter.
Across the Atlantic, a similar musical movement was emerging. This was American baroque pop, which is sometimes referred to as chamber pop or orchestral pop. Its origins can be traced to 1966, and this nascent musical movement lasted until the early seventies. There were some similarities with the English baroque sound.
This includes the use of string quartets, harpsichords and woodwind on American baroque pop recordings. The result was a wistful, melancholy sound. It was reminiscent of the feeling one gets as autumn arrives and there's the realisation that winter isn't far away.
Many of the pioneers of American baroque pop had been folk musicians, while some had been part of the nascent psychedelic movement. They looked to the past for inspiration.
They unplugged and eschewed electric guitars, replacing them with a mixture of acoustic and traditional instruments. This included string quartets, harpsichords and woodwinds. The result was music that was wistful, whimsical and sometimes, referenced, and harked back to, 18th-century Romantic music. Proof of this was one of the American baroque pop The Left Banke.
Their music was soft, sad, tender, introspective and melancholy. Guitarist Rick Brand later said that their lyrics: "were written as rather self-consciously beautiful musical whimsy, as you find in the latter 18th-century Romantic music, pre-Beethoven."
A year after the group was formed in 1965, The Left Banke had a massive hit with their 1966 single 'Walk Away Renee.' It reached number five in the US Billboard 100, and epitomises everything that's good about baroque pop. Some critics would go as far as to say it provided the blueprint for the nascent genre.
Sadly, by the time of 'Walk Away Renee' became a hit the original group was inactive. Harry Lookofsky put together a new lineup of the band to tour, and they recorded their second hit single 'Pretty Ballerina.' It was released in December 1966 and reached number fifteen in the US Billboard 100. The single was another example of the nascent baroque pop sound. However, some critics referred the group's music as baroque rock or Bach-rock. Nowadays, The Left Banke are regarded as pioneers of baroque pop.
Despite how important a group they were in the development of American baroque pop, The Left Banke only released a two albums between 1965 and 1969. Their finest hour was their debut album 'Walk Away Renée/Pretty Ballerina.' It was released in January 1967, and although it stalled at sixty-seven in the US Billboard 200, nowadays, is regarded as a baroque pop classic.
After the demise of The Left Banke, singer Steve Martin Caro formed the group Montage, and in 1968, released their debut single 'I Shall Call Her Mary' on the Laurie label. It's an oft-overlooked American baroque pop hidden gem, that features on their 1969 eponymous album. The track also features on 'American Baroque - Chamber Pop And Beyond 1967-1971.' It was compiled by writer and Saint Etienne member Bob Stanley.
There's a total of twenty-four tracks on the compilation. This includes The Stone Poneys, Bonnie Dobson, Nico, Emmit Rhodes' Merry Go Round, The Association, The Monkees, H.P. Lovecraft and Appaloosa. These are just a few of the artists on 'American Baroque - Chamber Pop And Beyond 1967-1971.'
Opening the compilation is 'You're A Very Lovely Woman' by The Merry-Go-Round. It was released as a single on A&M in 1967, but stalled at ninety-four on the US Billboard 100. That year, the track featured on the group's eponymous album. It's a powerful track, with a big, bold widescreen sound that's been influenced by folk and psychedelia, and is typical of early American baroque pop.
'Turnaway' by The Pleasure Fair is a track from the group's 1967 eponymous album. It was arranged, conducted and produced by David Gates, later of Bread. It's a bewitching mixture of sunshine pop and American baroque pop.
'Different Drum' by The Stone Poneys featuring Linda Ronstadt was taken from the group's 1967 sophomore album 'Evergreen Vol. 2.' The song was written by Mike Nesmith and produced by Nick Venet, and is one of the highlights of the album. The album reached 100 in the US Billboard 200, and the single reached thirteen in the US Billboard 100. It was the group's biggest single, and nowadays, is regarded as an American baroque pop classic.
Another of the best know groups on the compilation is The Association. In 1968, they released their fourth album, Birthday on Warner Bros-Seven Arts. 'Barefoot Gentleman,' which is one of the album's highlights is a sweeping, joyous and uplifting track and a reminder of The Association at the peak of their powers.
'Land Of Sensations And Delights' is a track from by J.K. and Co's concept album 'Suddenly One Summer.' It was released on the White Whale label in 1968 and is best described as folk-tinged slice of pastoral psychedelia. It's a stunning track that deserves to be a heard by a much wider audience.
The melancholy-sounding 'Blue Jack Of Diamonds' is taken from H.P. Lovecraft's sophomore album, 'H.P. Lovecraft II.' It was released on Phillips in 1968. Elements of folk, baroque and classical music were combined on this underrated and sadly, oft-overlooked album.
Pastoral, cinematic and trippy describes 'Satin Slipper by The Blades Of Grass. It's taken from their one and only album, 'The Blades Of Grass Are Not For Smoking.' It was released in 1967, on the Jubilee label.
In 1968, Eternity's Children released their eponymous debut album. It was released on Tower, and featured 'Again Again.' It's a fusion of psychedelia and sunshine pop that meanders along wistfully and hopefully.
The heartachingly beautiful 'You Lied' by The Neon Philharmonic is, without doubt, one of the highlights of American Baroque - Chamber Pop And Beyond 1967-1971. It's a track from the group's 1969 eponymous sophomore album which was released on Warner-Bros-Seven Arts.
From then opening bars of 'Close To Carmel' by The Fun and Games the track epitomises everything that's good about American baroque pop. Harpsichord and harmonies play a leading role in the sound and success. It's taken from their vastly underrated genre-melting 1969 album 'Elephant Candy.'
Closing the compilation is 'Lorelei' by Rosebud. It's taken from their eponymous sophomore album, which was released by Reprise in 1971. This beautiful and mesmeric track is the perfect way to close American Baroque - Chamber Pop And Beyond 1967-1971.
For newcomers to American baroque pop, this compilation is a perfect place to start. It features everything from American baroque pop classics to contributions from familiar faces, hidden gem, hit singles, oft-overlooked songs and little known album tracks. They're part of American Baroque - Chamber Pop And Beyond 1967-1971, a lovingly curated compilation, which for newcomers to the genre, is the perfect primer and will be the start of a musical voyage of discovery.
American Baroque - Chamber Pop And Beyond 1967-1971.
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