Genre: country-rock
Rating: **** (4 stars)
Title: Goose Creek Symphony - est. 1970
Company: Capitol
Catalog: ST-444
Year: 1970
Country/State: Goose Creek, Kentucky
Grade (cover/record): VG/VG
Comments: minor ring, edge and corner wear; little noise on start of first track
Available: SOLD
GEMM catalog ID: SOLD
Price: SOLD
Having bought three of the band's LPs at a
yard sale, I made the mistake of listening to them out of chronological sequence. That's unfortunate since the third LP (the one I listened to first), featured the band's most country-oriented material. Naturally, I assumed the other two albums offered more of the same so I shelved them for 10 years, Dumb, dumb, dumb ...
We'll admit not knowing much about the outfit. Founding member Charles Gearheart was born and raised in Goose Creek, Kentucky. As a teenager his family relocated to Arizona where Gearhart's original interest in country music expanded to include rock and roll. He also picked up facility in playing the drums and guitar. Credited to Richie Hart and the Hartbeats, Gearheart's professional musical career started in 1959 with the release of the single "The Great Duane" b/w
"???" (Feldsted catalog number 8593). Some regional success, including an appearance
on the Dick Clark television show led to a follow-up single for the equally obscure MCI label. Released in 1960, "I Want You" b/w
"???" (MCI catalog number 1025), quickly vanished. Subsequently drafted, Gearhart's career went into a holding pattern, though he was lucky enough to be stationed to San
Francisco where for his entire four year enlistment he was assigned to an Army band (he played trombone).
His Army enlistment over, Gearhart returned to Arizona where he started working in a local recording studio. Forming a series of folk-rock bands, he also began writing material for a planned LP. By 1970 those plans had come together in the form of Goose Creek Symphony, consisting of bassist Dave Birkett, Gearheart on vocals and guitar, keyboardist Bob Henke III, and guitarists Paul Howard and Mike
McFadden (the latter having recently left Superfine Dandelion).
In the interests of truth in advertising, the majority of "Goose Creek Symphony -
est. 1970" is country-rock ... That said, it's first-rate country rock, complete with Byrds-styled vocal harmonies ("Confusion") and Allman Brothers-styled twin guitars ("Charlie's Tune"). Note I said majority ... the price of admission here is more than covered by the inclusion of the conventional rocker "Beautiful Bertha", a bit of weird
acoustic freak out tacked on to the end of "No News I Good News" and
Gearheart's eight minute-plus psychedelic meltdown "Talk About Goose Creek and Other Important Places". Backward tape collages,
screeching guitars, great lyrics ... ah! psych just doesn't get much better than this track !!! Wonderful song to listen to under headphones.
"Goose Creek Symphony - est. 1970" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) I'll Fly Away (Albert Brumley) - 1:15
2.) Charlie's Tune (Charles Gearheart) -4:32
3.) A Satisfied Mind (Jack Rhodes - Red Hayes) - 3:20
4.) Confusion (Charles Gearheart) -3:29
5.) No News Is Good News (Michael McFadden) - 3:52
(side 2)
1.) Talk About Goose Creek and Other Important Places (Charles Gearheart) - 8:19
2.) Beautiful Bertha (Charles Gearheart) - 3:06
3.) Raid On Brush Creek In '39 (Charles Gearheart) -1:30
4.) Big Time Saturday Night (Charles Gearheart) - 3:32
5.) Symphony Music (Charles Gearheart) - 4:48
As you'd probably expect, the band reunited in the '90s and continue to tour throughout the South and Appalachian area. They've also established a website for their Goosehead fans ...
http://www.goosecreeksymphony.com
