line up 1 (1969-72)

- Steve Bohn -- guitar

- Robert Gorman -- bass

- Michael John Hackett -- drums, percussion

- Angel (aka Linda Petersen, aka Angel Autoharp) -- 

  electric autoharp

- none known

Genre: folk-rock

Rating: *** stars

Title: One Voice Many

Company: Columbia

Catalog: C 30686
Year: 1971

Country/State: New York

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: minor flaking on back panel

Available: 1

Catalog ID: --

Price: $40.00

Another album I bought without having ever heard of the band ...  I basically bought it because the John Berg cover screamed 1970s.  How could you not be intrigued by a band that featured an attractive young woman named Angel (aka Linda Petersen) who played an electric autoharp as a lead instrument.  Besides the album was produced by Rachel Elkind (of Walter/Wendy Carlos fame) with, Jerry Samuels (of Napoleon XIV 'They're Coming To Take Me Away Ha Haaa!' fame (or infamy) credited for "associated recording" - whatever that entailed.  

The liner notes by Sue C. Clark tell you what you need to know: "Imagine for a moment that you are surrounded and penetrated by a peaceful, flowing, lyrical music that has a beautiful melody and words that have something to say.  The imagine for a moment music that springs from traditonal roots, but is inspired by all that is AQUARIAN, then you begin to hear Michaelamgelo."  

So this is one of those album's that generates quite a bit of enthusiasm from the handful of people who've heard it.  Folk-rock, folk-psych, etc. are common descriptions.  I certainly wanted to like the collection.  Shoot, everyone wants to discover an overlook classic.  Sadly that's not the case here.  Two really good songs.  A bunch of okay, but forgettable songs and a couple of major mis-steps.  Mayebe the next time ...  There's not much background on this quartet.  Linda Petersen (aka Angel) started her musical career in 1967 playing autoharp (which she named Michealangelo), in Greenwich Village coffee houses.  She started collaborating with bassist Robert Gorman who brought in friend/guitarist Steve Bohn.   The trio were subsequently "discovered" by a Columbia Records ad copy writer who brought them to the attention or producer Rachel Elkind - then hot from her successes with Walter/Wendy Carlos and "Switched On Bach".  Before going into the record studio they expanded the troupe to include  drummer Michael John Hackett.  

So if you're a certain age and looking for a thirty minute return to the innocence and utopian visions of your youth - welcome to "One Voice Many".  Having been born a little too late to be part of the love generation, I'll tell you the group's unique folk-rock sound and naive "hippy" lyrics were interesting, though some of these efforts haven't aged all that well.  Guess that's a reflection of how self-centered and cynical we've collectively become.   I'd certainly heard autoharps on other albums - The Lovin' Spoonful's jug band moves come to mind, though none of those other efforts compare to tracks like 'Come To Me' and the instrumental 'Half a Tap' where Petersen's autoharp was featured as the lead instrument.  I'll admit it's hard to categorize an album like this one.  With Angel, guitarist Steve Bohn and bassist Robert Gorman sharing lead vocals, folk-rockers like the opener 'West' and 'Son (We've Kept the Room Just the Way You Left It)' captured the band at their best and most commercial, while minimizing the autoharp. With the autoharp far more prominent and the addition of country influences, tracks like the instrumental 'Come To Me' and the single 'It's Crying Outside' didn't do much for me.  Elsewhere 'Medley' included English folk and classical influences. 'Okay' was simply one of the most saccharine sunshine pop songs I've encountered.  Yeah, this collection was all over the roadmap. Columbia certainly didn't know what to do with the band.  The company floated two singles in the country-ballad ''It's Crying Outside' and the instrumental '300 Watt Music Box'  but otherwise didn't do much to promote the album.  The group briefly toured the Northeastern college circuit before calling it quits  

Interesting to look at the cover and note the band don't seem all that happy with one another.  The back cover is even more telling; showing one of the members standing apart from the others; arms crossed and looking pretty darned pissed.

"One Voice Many" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) West (Angel) - 2:40 rating: **** stars

Perhaps the album's most commercial and mainstream cut, 'West' featured a bright, bouncy and energetic melody and rock arrangement.  Showcasing their sweet, blended voices, this one also switched the autoharp for some tasty Steve Bohn lead guitar. Hard to believe this wasn't the album's leadoff single.  Bassist Gorman's daughter appeared on a YouTube listing commenting the song was penned by Angel "about his [Gorman's] dream to move to California.  Eventually he did ..."  Easily the album's standout performance, you had to wonder how it ended up on the "B" side of their 'It's Crying Outside' 45.

2.) Come To Me (instrumental) (Angel) - 1:51 rating: *** stars

The country-tinged instrumental 'Come To Me' introduced the lead autoharp sound. The song was pleasant enough, though Bohn saved the day with a nice Telecaster solo.

3.) This Bird (Angel) - 3:11 rating: *** stars

Showcasing Angel's fragile voice and the autoharp, the ballad 'This Bird' added a dreamy, vaguely lysergic-tinged edge to the mix.  Not exactly a bust-your-best-move song, but a nice way to drop your blood pressure after a busy day.

4.) Son (We've Kept the Room Just the Way You Left It) (Angel) - 4:15 rating: **** stars

With Bohn on lead vocals 'Son (We've Kept the Room Just the Way You Left It)' was another energetic folk-rocker.   In spite of the ponderous title and enough lyrics to give Dylan a run for his money, the song served as a nice summation of the generation gap.  It also actually rocked out !!!  First song I've ever heard that includes lyrics mentioning "a cocaine dream". Shame they didn't record more stuff in this vein.  

5.) Medley (instrumental) - 5:15

    i.) Take It Bach (Angel) 

The instrumental 'Take It Bach' introduced an English folk flavor to the mix.  It sounded like something Focus' guitarist Jan Akkerman might have recorded on a solo album.

    ii.) Michealangelo (Angel) rating: *** stars

The opening of 'Michaelangelo' moved towards a more mainstream sound with Bohn getting some spotlight time before the song shifting spotlighting the autoharp and more of a folk flavor. And abruptly it returned to a more mainstream flavor.  This one is just looking for a spot on a film soundtrack - Mark Knopfler's "Local Hero" soundtrack comes to mine in terms of comparisons. 

(side 2)
1.) It's Crying Outside (Angel) 3:40 rating: *** stars

With Angel on lead and backing vocals the country-tinged ballad 'It's Crying Outside' was pretty, but a little too sappy and country for my palate. That didn't stop Columbia from releasing it as the lead-off single.

- 1971's 'It's Crying Outside' b/w 'West (Columbia catalog number 4-45459)

2.) 300 Watt Music Box (instrumental) (Angel) - 2:32 rating: *** stars

Judging by the instrumental '300 Watt Music Box' the music business was certainly more adventuresome in the early-'70s.  I can't even imagine a major label like Columbia releasing something as non-commercial as this one as a single.  Yeah, the melody was sweet and it gave guitarist Bohn and bassist Gorman a chance to showcase their chops.  I didn't find it particularly commercial, or memorable.  Here's the funny thing about the song - if you read the isolated on-line posts about this album, this is the track people love and remember the most.  More triangle please ...

- 1971's  '300 Watt Music Box' b/w 'Half a Tap' (Columbia catalog number 4-45328)

3.) Okay (Angel) -1:52 rating: ** stars

If you are a diabetic then you'll want to stay away from the sunshine pop 'Okay'.  It makes groups like Spanky and Our Gang and The Sunshine Company sound like they were pushing death metal.  

4.) Half a Tap (instrumental) (Angel) - 2:55 rating: *** stars

I thought the breezy instrumental 'Half a Tap' was actually one of the album's better melodies. At the same time, at this point the autoharp was starting to irritate me.  The chiming sound was okay in measured doses, but for me there's a saturation point.  The track was also tapped as the "B" side to their '300 Watt Music Box' 45.

5.) One Voice Many (Angel) - 6:48 rating: *** stars

I'm not sure if Bohn or Gorman handled the song's fragile opening lead vocals. Angel also handled some of the vocals - her voice getting increasingly strident as the song went on.   Starting out as a stark ballad, the song built a little energy as the rock instrumentation kicked in.  Complete with what sounded like a children's chorus, Angel's lyrics espoused the era's hopeful outlook.  Sadly those sentiments remain little more than hopes.  Yeah, this one hasn't aged well.

Bohn ended up living and working in Germany, recording with Steve Boh's String Theory.

As far as I can tell, Petersen's only other recording is found on a 1972 Jim Dawson album "You'll Never Be Lonely with Me" (Kama Sutra catalog number KSBS 2049).

© Scott R. Blackerby December, 2024