Joe Byrd and the Field Hippies
Band members Related acts
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line up 1 (1968-69) - Ernest Anderson -- spoken vocal - Chuck Bennett -- bass, trombone - Victoria Bond -- vocals - Joseph Byrd -- vocals, keyboards - Ray Cappocchi -- trombone, tuba - Dana Chalberg -- flute, piccolo - John Clauder -- drums, percussion - Susan De Lange -- vocals - Ted Greene (RIP 2005) -- guitar - Meyer Hirsch -- flute, sax - Larry Kass -- tabla - Don Kerian -- trumpet, cornet - Gregg Kovner -- drums, percussion - Philip "Pot" Namanworth -- keyboards - Tom Scott -- sax, clarinet, flute - Fred Selden -- clarinet, sax, flute - Ed Sheftel -- trumpet, flugelhorn - Christie Thompson -- vocals - Michael Whitney -- acoustic guitar
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- The American Music Consort (Dana Chalberg) - Asche & Spencer (Tom Scott) - Bay Bones Trombone Choir (Chuck Bennett) - The Bill Belasco Trio (Chuck Bennett) - The Blues Brothers Band (Tom Scott) - Joseph Byrd (solo efforts) - Contemporary Jazz Orchestra (Chuck Bennett) - The Electro-Harmonix Work Band (Philip Namanworth) - Don Ellis (Fred Seldon) - The Don Ellis Orchestra (Tom Scott) - Don Ellis Octet (Tom Scott) - Victor Feldman's Generation Band (Tom Scott) - Full Faith and Credit Band (Chuck Bennett) - George's Band (Tom Scott) - Giant (Christie Thompson) - Jimmy Gordon And His Jazznpops Band (Tom Scott) - GRP All-Star Big Band (Tom Scott) - Ted Greene (solo efforts) - The Jazz Central Station All Stars (Tom Scott) - Roger Kellaway Quartet - The L.A. Express (Tom Scott) - L.A. Workshop (Tom Scott) - Ladd McIntosh Big Band (Fred Selden) - Dave Miller Combo (Chuck Bennett) - Dave Miller Trio (Chuck Bennett) - Philip Namanworth (solo efforts) - Joe Pisano (Ted Greene) - Oliver Nelson's Big Band (Tom Scott) - Randall's Island (Philip Namanworth) - Revolutionary Blues Band (Tom Scott) - Buddy Rich Big Band (Meyer Hirsch) - Lalo Schifrin & Orchestra (Tom Scott) - Tom Scott (solo efforts) - Tom Scott Quartet (Tom Scott) - The Trio (Chuck Bennett) - The United States of America (Joseph Byrd)
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Genre: psych Rating: *** stars Title: The American Metaphysical Circus Company: Columbia Masterworks Catalog: MS
7317 Country/State: Louisville, Kentucky Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: cut top left corner; still in shrink (opened) Available: 1 Catalog ID: -- Price: $45.00
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I stumbled on to Joseph Byrd's catalog through his 1967 album "The United States of America". I knew nothing about Byrd, or the album but it was one of the first used albums I purchased as a collector.
Anyhow, Wikipedia and other sites have lengthy write-ups on experimental composer Joseph Byrd, so I won't regurgitate his biography.
I'm a little too young to have been part of the audience buying albums in the late-'60s but find myself amused by how many online reviews and comments there are relating to "The American Metaphysical Circus". Many share one common remembrance along the lines ... "great memories of this one listening while stoned". Not sure that's reason enough to buy the album, but it clearly explains why so many people have fond memories of the collection. Those memories certainly aren't related to the overall strength of this material.
Following the collapse of The United States of America, composer, keyboardist, singer Byrd moved on to a new project billed as Joe Byrd and the Field Hippies. The United States of America had not been a financial success leaving Byrd scrounging for resources for his next project. He found a supporter in the form of John McClure, then heading Columbia's Masterworks subsidiary. Green lighting the project, the recording sessions were apparently challenging, with little time allowed for Byrd to write new material and Columbia management demanding the project be completed quickly. They also demanded the project be credited to "Joe Byrd" feeling "Joseph" wasn't a rock and roll name. Written and produced by Byrd, the resulting album "The American Metaphysical Circus" was completed in a couple of weeks with support from an extensive collection of Los Angeles-based studio musicians including guitarist Ted Greene and a young Tom Scott. I don't think anyone would tell you "The United States of America" was a particularly commercial undertaking. From my review you'll see I found it challenging. That left me wondering if this album was going to be equally difficult to get through - more experimental than rock and roll. Well, while it may not make my top-100 list, I have to admit it wasn't nearly as difficult to sit through as I feared. The production was much fuller, complete with horns and extensive orchestration. Yes, there was still experimentation and studio effects. Byrd seemingly never met a studio effect he didn't admire including backward tapes, time delays, early synthesizers and backward tapes. His voice remained a challenge; though thankfully this time around most of the vocals were handled my a series of female singers - Victoria Bond, Susan De Lange and Christie Thompson. USA fans are liable to find this one a disappointment - what's essentially a Byrd solo effort suffering at the expense of not working in a true band environment with talented collaborators like bassist Rand Forbes, singer/writer Dorothy Moskowitz and drummer Craig Woodson. I'm on the fence about the album. It's certainly different and has some interesting efforts including the opening suite 'The Sub-Sylvian Litanies' and the psychedelic 'The Elephant At The Door'. At the other end of the spectrum it's clear Byrd was hard pressed to come up with ideas and material. 'You Can't Ever Come Down' was a revamped leftover from the USA album. The instrumental 'Gospel Music' was ... well a slice of keyboard propelled Gospel music. 'Leisure World' sounded like a television commercial for a retirement community. At least 60% of the album was forgettable. Still the collection will be of interest to those looking for '60s quirkiness.
"The
American Metaphysical Circus" track listing: 1.) The Sub-Sylvian Litanies A three part suite, I have no idea what the title means, though the plotline seems to have something to do with an individual on an acid trip ... - Kalyani (Joe Byrd) - 3:50 rating: **** stars Get on your dancing shoes ... not. Opening up with an array of weird-assed sound effects and Victoria Bond's heavily treated, Eastern-influenced vocals (well to me it initially it sounds like she's moaning more than singing), 'Kalyani' made it easy to understand why so many folks have memories of hearing this album while tripping. One of my favorite descriptions is found on YouTube - "I used to see orange screaming fireballs entering my living room through the window when I would listen to this album." Personally I find the electronic effects irritating, but the track is still fairly disconcerting to hear straight. I can imagine this could have caused some real trouble it you were tripping - especially when you got to the "waiting to die" fade out. Extra star for Columbia having the courage to release something like this. - You Can't Ever Come Down (Joe Byrd) - 2:58 rating: **** stars 'Kalyani' abruptly shifted into 'You Can't Ever Come Down'. The song was written for "The United States of American" album, but didn't make the final cut. Byrd re-purposed it given he was running short of new material for the album. The updated version featured a more elaborate arrangement with Susan De Lange handled lead vocals with Byrd and Bond on backing vocals. Dorothy Moskowitz was featured on the original USA version. Lyrically it was definitely a time piece, but featuring a full rock arrangement and little "experimentation". The song had a good melody and complete with Ted Greene lead guitar, rocked pretty hard - well until it fade into the next segment of the suite. One of the album's most commercial songs. - Moonsong: Pelog (Joe Byrd) - 3:47 rating: **** stars A pretty, lysergic-tinged ballad like 'Moonsong: Pelog' wasn't something I'd normally associate with Joe Byrd. Yeah, about half way through the tune it started to get a little more experimental with the strings and Larry Kass' tabla going off in an Eastern direction. Nice lead vocal from De Lange which when coupled with the lyrics gave the performance a PG+ rating. 2.) American Bedmusic I - Four Dreams For A Departing President - Patriot's Lullabye (Joe Byrd) 2:44 rating: ** stars The Gospel choir opening was disturbing, but an even bigger issue came from Victoria Bond high pitched vocals. Coupled with the heavy instrumentation t took a real effort to follow the lyrics. Pretty, but way too MOR-ish to be enjoyed. - Nightmare Train (Joe Byrd) - 3:23 rating: ** stars Propelled by Byrd's boogie woogie piano and horns, 'Nightmare Train' found the group returning to a harder, rock niche. The song wasn't all that memorable and certainly didn't benefit from Byrd's flat and limited vocals. Hey was that a UFO taking off at the end of the song? - Invisible Man (Joe Byrd) - 3:31 rating: *** stars The opening instrumental section of 'Invisible Man' found Byrd borrowing a page from the Booker T. & the MG's catalog of soul-jazz. It may have been derivative of the unique Stax sound, but was enjoyable. When Byrd's vocals kicked in the song started down a David Byrne alley of quirkiness, but the Lyndon Johnson administration seemed to be his prime target. - Mister 4th Of July (Joe Byrd - Lisa Kindred) - 1:46 rating: * star I'm sure Byrd was trying to make a point, but the '20s ragtime jazz styled 'Mister 4th Of July' was totally lost on me. It was even weirder given Byrd engineered the track to sound like it was an old record (complete with cracks and pops), being played through a 78 record player. Kind of a Van Dyke Parks vibe going on here. Christie Thompson was featured on lead vocals.
(side
2) - Gospel Music (instrumental) (Joe Byrd) - 4:28 rating: ** stars Featuring Byrd on church organ and piano with backing from The J. Hunter Byrd Gospel Band the instrumental 'Gospel Music' could well have been recorded at a Sunday Southern Baptist worship ceremony. So what? 2.) The Southwestern Geriatrics Arts And Crafts Festival The Sing-Along Song 4:00 - The Elephant At The Door (Joe Byrd) 5:10 rating: **** stars Opening up with some Ted Greene soloing, 'The Elephant At The Door' was the album's most psychedelic offering. With Susan De Lange handling lead vocals, this one had a distinct West Coast psych feel. Maybe not Grace Slick and the Airplane, but still quite lysergic and enjoyable. - Leisure World (Joe Byrd) 1:33 rating: ** stars Apparently inspired by a Seal Beach, California retirement community, 'Leisure World' sounded like a television commercial. ABC's late announcer Ernie Anderson handled the voice-overs. Guess it was meant to be funny slice of social commentary. It really wasn't. Always wondered if the end-of-song sound effects were supposed to be farm animals, or some old guy having an orgasm. - The Sing-Along Song (Reprise) (instrumental) (Joe Byrd) - 0:44 rating: * star A brief instrumental 'The Sing-Along Song (Reprise)' sounded like a child's lullaby.
© Scott R. Blackerby
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