line up 1 (1967-68)

- Michael Sean Deasy -- vocals, drums, percussion

- Lybuk Hyd (aka Mike Deasy) -- sitar, guitar, tamboura

- Larry Knechtel (RIP 2009) -- keyboards, bass

- Joseph Osborn (RIP 2018) -- bass

  supporting musicians: (1968)

- Ben Benay -- sitar

- Ry Cooter (aka Ry Cooter) -- guitar

- Jim Gordon -- drums, percussion

- Jim Horn -- woodwinds

- Mike Melvoin -- keyboards

- Nat Adderley Sextet (Mike Deasy)

- Aki Aleong And His Licorice Twisters (Mike Deasy)

- Bread (Larry Knechtel)

- Bruce And Jerry (Mike Deasy)

- Buena Vista Social Club (Ry Cooder)

- The Camps (Joe Osborne)

- Jerry Cole & His Spacemen (Larry Knechtel)

- Ry Cooder (solo efforts)

- Mike And Kathie (Mike Deasy)

- Mike Deasy And The End Times Weather Band (Mike Deasy)

- Duane Eddy & the Rebels (Larry Knechtel)

- The Flower Pot (Mike Deasy)

- Friar Tuck & His Psychedelic Guitar (Mike Deasy)

- Gator Creek (Mike Deasy)

- Lybuk Hyd (Mike Deasy)

- Jim and Joe (Joe Osborn)

- The Kelly Four (Mike Deasy)

- Doug Legacy & the Legends of the West (Ry Cooder)

- Little Village (Ry Cooder)

- Michael Nesmith & The First National Band (Joe Osborn)

- The Mike Post Coalition (Larry Knechtel)

- The Rebels (Larry Knechtel)

- The Rising Sons (Ry Cooder)

- The Road Runners (Mike Deasy)

- Lalo Schfrin & Orchestra (Larry Knechtel)

- Kip Tyler & The Flip (Mike Deasy and Larry Knechtel)

- Your Gang (Mike Deasy)

Genre: psych

Rating: 3 stars ***

Title:  Tanyet

Company: Vault

Catalog:  SLP 113
Year: 1968

Country/State: Los Angeles, California

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: --

Available: 1

Catalog ID: --

Price: $140.00

They only recorded on album, but The Ceyleib People' "Tanyet" has become a sought after collectable, though I have to scratch my head and wonder why.  Personally I attribute if to the vagaries of the record collecting audience.  There's nothing wrong with the album's time piece embrace of raga and psychedelic influences, but I'm lost to explain why it has such a rabid fan base, while other psych-influenced "exploito" albums (Jerry Cole's catalog comes to mind), go largely unnoticed and under appreciated.  That's one of the biggest ironies here ...  Another mystery is why so many people attribute this as a Ry Cooder album.  Cooder wasn't even a member of the actual band, rather was a sessions player on the album.

The Ceyleib People was the brainchild of sessions guitarist Mike Deasy who was represented in the liner notes under the alias Lybuk Hyd.  Deasy brought together the talents of drummer Michael Sean Deasy, keyboardist Larry Knechtel and bassist Joseph Osborn.  Deasy, Knechtel and Osborn were all members of the famed Wrecking Crew, having played on hundreds of recording sessions and in a myriad of their own groups.  In addition to being talented musicians, they were astute businessmen.  Apparently seeing an opportunity to cash-in on the audiences growing fascination with Indian culture and music (thank you to the Fab Four), the result was 1968's "Tanyet". Signed by Jack Lewerk and Ralph Kaffel's Los Angeles based Vault Records, the quartet went into the studio with Deasy serving as producer. I've seen write-ups that praise this one as an early example of "world" music; praising it for it's multi-cultural characteristics.  I guess, but as alluded to earlier, to my ears this album wasn't much different from the flood of "exploitation" albums flooding the mid-'60s market.  It's just they had the smarts to latch on to raga influences.  These guys had already participated in recording a number of those albums, including Jerry Cole & His Spacemen (Larry Knechtel) and Friar Tuck & His Psychedelic Guitar (Mike Deasy).  Here was an apparent opportunity to cut out the middleman.  With backing from an all-star cast of fellow sessions players including guitarist Ry Cooder (misspelled as "Ry Cooter") and drummer Jim Gordon, they dove headlong into the project.  And why not go for a concept album that was built on the concept of Tanyet - "Mother of all things.  Natural essence of love and beauty.  Captured in the meadows though the trees of life's forest, like a ray of sunlight giving life to the inner breath of all creatures."  Can't you just smell the waves of patchouli and here those sitar chords?

And in case you did not know what to expect, check out Mike Daisy's hysterical line notes: " ... the land where men walked with gods, seeking knowledge, discovering this earth.  The people enjoyed the earth's bounty.  A vast garden filled with sylph, their dance created love for all to live within.  Rich dark forests where all animals lived in harmony.  Where satyr's flutes and lutes lure the mind to pleasures as yet unspoken in modern times.   Driven out of existence by man's inability to accept love without hate, peace without war, his unwillingness to communicate rather than control the elements which surround and make up his existence  But mainly his unwillingness to accept both life and death on equal terms as part of his existence - and so perished this beautiful land.  Yet not to be forgotten, its legend and myths.  Welcome to the land of The Ceyleib People."

Clocked in at under twenty-five minutes, I'd love to tell you this album was a life changing experience.  It wasn't.  In fact, parts of it could have been mistaken for some cheap Bollywood film soundtrack.  'Zendan', 'Ralin' and 'Pendyl' found Deasy and Ben Benay layered on plenty of Coral electric sitar, or perhaps even real sitar across these grooves.  Deasy, Jim Gordon and others added Indian percussion to tracks like 'DDOM' and 'Toadda Bb'.  Yes, it probably sounded quite exotic to folks listening to American top-40 radio.  It probably sounded quite exotic if you were listening to it stoned in your San Francisco apartment.  Of course, I'm not sure why you wouldn't buy a Ravi Shankar album if you really wanted to hear raga and Indian music.  Still this was not all doom and gloom.  On tracks like 'Ceyladd Beytaa', 'Dyl' and the single 'Changes' (aka 'Tygstl') where the raga moves crashed into Ry Cooder's guitar, the results were at least mildly intriguing.  

By the way, if you were wonder about the band name, so am I.  As far as I an tell "Ceyleib' is not even a word.  And yes, the Ida and Rick Griffin cover art was awesome, offering up a classic slice of '60s psychedelia.  The European pressing featured the same track listing, but different artwork courtesy of German photography and designer Peter Penner.  (International Polydor Production catalog number 623 262)

"Tanyet" track listing:
(side 1)

The album was broken into two sides.  Aton 1 was described as: "The first age of Tanyet.  The early family and attempts of the gods and goddesses to communication wisdom to mortal earth."

1.) Leyshem (instrumental) (Lybuk Hyd - Joe Osborn - Jim Gordon) - 1:00 rating: *** stars

"The first daughter of Tanyet.  Knowing life only a few moments  Burning bright: as lightening,  Exhausting itself as quickly, yet in those few moments giving light to the universe."  Opening up with Michael Sean Deasy's pounding drums and Ry Cooder's bluesy guitar, 'Leyshem' was one of the album's most conventional and Western oriented tunes.  Jim Horn's flute colorings added a hint of what was to come.  

2.) Zendan (instrumental) (Lybuk Hyd - Joe Osborn - Jim Horn) - 3:15  rating: *** stars

"Ah, the magic flute of Zendan.  Man child of Leyshem.  Born of a whim yet delighting all the gods with humor and beauty,  Delighting all womankind, goddess, or mortal."

'Leyshem' seamlessly faded into the instrumental 'Zendan'.  Trotting out the sitars, I guess they had been listening to more than their share of Ravi Shankar albums.  It was pretty, almost pastoral, but very much a '60s timepiece.

3.) Ceyladd Beyta (instrumental) (Lybuk Hyd - Joe Osborn) - 3:30 rating: **** stars

"Bastard child of Leyshem,  Neither god nor man.  Exiled in solitude upon Mount Elak,  In his solitude attaining a peace of mind sought after by god and man alike."  Opening up with drums and Indian percussion, 'Ceyladd Beyta' trotted out Ry Cooder's instantly recognizable slide guitar; though it seemed to have been tuned to sound like a sitar.  Almost funky, this one sounded like Shankar jamming with Delaney and Bonnie.  The track also saw orchestration added to the mix.  It was also tapped as the "B" side of their 'Changes' single.

4.) Becal (instrumental) (Lybuk Hyd - Joe Osborn - Larry Knechtel) - 1:10 rating: *** stars

"Childlike god of youth.  Exquisite cherub biting the neck of Tanyet causing the warm blood of love to flow upon the earth."  Featuring Mike Horn's flute and continuing the orchestration, the brief 'Becal' had a folk edge; imagine Fairport Convention diving into raga arrangement.

5.) DDOM (Lybuk Hyd - Joe Osborn - Larry Knechtel) - 1:05  rating: *** stars

"Beauty of thought, organization of mind.  Only such a mind could create the unique order of things.  The god DDOM; personal god, guardian of all."  'DDOM" opened up with Deasy's tribal drums and quickly transitioned into a short segment of classical music. For some reason lots of posts list this one under the title "Doom".  

6.) Toadda Bb (Lybuk Hyd - Joe Osborn - Mike Melvoin - Michael Sean Deasy) - 1:35  rating: *** stars

"The small child loving the sound of his own name,  Not knowing the complex power the gods have deposited yet unreleased with maturity.  Greatness yet unknown and undetermined."  Back to heavy, tribal drums followed by classical violin. One of the album's mysteries were the credits to Michael Sean Deasy. The liner notes credited him with drums and vocals.  I always figured Jim Gordon was the drummer.  As for the vocals, well they were apparently limited to Deasy introducing himself on this track.  He sounded like he was about twelve, or was simply overdosed on whippets.

(side 2)

Anton 2; "The second age of Tanyet.  Contact between man and his gods, coming yet closer to unity man with god.  Still leaving Tanyet suspended above, man unable to accept wisdom even slightly if at all."

1.) Dyl (instrumental) (Lybuk Hyd - Joe Osborn) - 1:15 rating: **** stars

Another example where Cooder's blues slide guitar crashed into raga with interesting results.

2.) Ralin (instrumental) (Lybuk Hyd - Joe Osborn) - 1:45  rating: *** stars

The Indian influences came to the fore on 'Ralin'.  This one was distinguished by what sounded like a Baroque trumpet in the background.

3.) Tygstl (instrumental)  (Lybuk Hyd - Joe Osborn) - 1:00 rating: **** stars 

'Tygstl' was one of the album's better mash-ups of Western and Easter influences, showcasing Cooder's slinky guitar moves.. I'm guessing Vault Records decided the original title was too exotic for audiences to when the song was tapped as a single, it was re-titled 'Changes'. 

- 1968's 'Changes (Tygstl) (instrumental)' b/w 'Ceyladd Beyta' (instrumental) Vault catalog number V-940)

4.) Pendyl (instrumental) (Lybuk Hyd - Joe Osborn) - 1:25  rating: *** stars

Back to a more conventional rock sound with drums and Cooder's bluesy guitar initially leading the charge and then turning it over to the Eastern instrumentation.

5.) Jacayl  (instrumental) (Lybuk Hyd - Joe Osborn) - 2:15 rating: **** stars 

The bluesy jam 'Jacayl' would not have sound out of place on an early Cooder solo album, or perhaps a Taj Mahal outing.  

6.) Menyatt Dyl Com (instrumental) (Lybuk Hyd - Joe Osborn) -  4:10 rating: *** stars

'Menyatt Dyl Com' was odd.  To me it sounded like someone had asked the sitar players to try playing a Baroque scale with their ears plugged.  By the way, in the end the Baroque horns won this battle.  

Deasy has an interesting web presence at: Mike Deasy - The Guitar Man: Home (mikedeasymusic.blogspot.com)