Genre: rock
Rating: ** (2 stars)
Title: Time Loop
Company: Kama Sutra
Catalog: KSBS 2057
Year: 1972
Country/State: US
Grade (cover/record): VG+ / VG+
Comments: cut ou thole top right corner
Available: 1
Catalog ID: 4526
Price: $50.00
Cost: $66.00
I'd never heard of Chet Nichols, but this album caught my attention for some of the supporting cast, including Nick Gravenites (who produced one of the songs), keyboardist Nicky Hopkins and bass player Pete Sears. Unfortunately, those guys only play on the title track ...
1972's "Time Loop" is kind of interesting in that it isn't what you'd expect to hear released by Kama Sutra. With the exception of the title track, the album is co-produced by Steven Barncard and Nichols. In spite of what some dealers would have you believe this isn't a lost acid folk (gag me) classic, rather the predominant sound is sensitive singer/songwriter fair. (I've seen one catalog that describes him as an Anglo Roy Harper - hardly.) Nichols had an attractive, if lightweight voice and exemplified by material such as 'Electra' and 'Who Stole the Ivy' he had a knack for penning attractive melodies. His deep and thoughtful lyrics probably drove scores of female college English majors crazy ("the separation is cut and clear what has been said could have been left unsaid ..."), but to my pedestrian ears it sounds rather dated and pompous ('course what the hell do I know). Probably due to the fact they sport electric backing, the two standout tracks are 'The Ballad of Diamond Joe' (the ominious lyric and stoned fuzz guitar reminded me of something out of the David Crosby songbook), while the Nicky Hopkins-propelled title track could have been an early Elton John effort. Certainly not the worst LP you've ever heard and there are a couple of nice moments here, but all told probably something most folks can live without.
"Time Loop" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Electra (Chet Nichols) -
2.) Water Sand Castles (Chet Nichols) -
3.) Who Stole the Ivy (Chet Nichols) -
4.) The Ballad of Diamond Joe (Chet Nichols) -
(side 2)
1.) (Spinning On the) Time Loop (Chet Nichols) -
2.) Tell Me What the Count Is (Chet Nichols) -
3.) The Offing (Chet Nichols) -
4.) The Beetles Are Coming (Chet Nichols) -
5.) Quasar Sleeper (instrumental) (Chet Nichols) -
For anyone interested, Nichols recently set up a website where (among other thing), you'll learn that he was a 2008 inductee into the Kansas Music Hall of Fame:
http://chetnichols.net/ChetNicholsHome_Page.php
you're into smart and poetic Folky
singer/songwriter stuff,
then this obscure release is a must have because of the high
quality of the songs and the driven yet pleasant way in which
they are performed. But as several of these Chet Nichols songs
also have doses of Rock, I guess the album could also be of
interest to fans of Classic Rock and Folk Rock.
'Time Loop' has a pure and honest and at the same
time
slightly melancholic feel that's reminiscent of James
Taylor
or, to name someone more recent, José
Gonzales. And it's
just as good as the best material either of these artists
released, which raises the question why this album didn't
get the attention it deserved and why it didn't propel Nichols
to stardom. One listen to the album highlights 'Electra' and
'Who stole the Ivy' is enough to make you understand what
a gifted composer and lyricist he was. In fact, there's only
one average track on the entire album (not counting the
superfluous outro 'Quasar Sleeper').
Link to this review......
A RECORD REVIEW:
“Time Loop” – a review
“Amongst the obscurest LPs on the Kama-Sutra label, bent
loner outsider folkie like a disturbed Tim Buckley at times,
has a raw underground edge that it gaining a big following
with collectors. But it is still a bargain having been released
in the waning days of this semi-major label. Weird song titles
like "Who Stole The Ivy", "The Offing", "The Beetles Are
Coming", “Water Sand Castles” and "Quasar Sleeper, give
an indication that this guy was out there. But he makes the
acoustic guitar really sing and he creates some of the most
unique guitar tunings ever created. His voice is melodious
and multi-faceted. His lyrics are spacey, yet, thoughtful in an
abstract way. The lyrics are borderline poetry. This record
really grows on you. Chet’s Co-Producer and Engineer,
Stephen Barncard, states at his website that Nichols was
his guinea pig to help create the acoustic guitar sound made
famous by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Nichols is also
quite a musician and plays all the instruments on this record,
something very rare in the early 1970s. He combines a Richie
Havens feel, a Donovan attitude with a Dylan prespective.
The production is minimalist, yet dynamic. On the title tune,
"Time Loop", he has San Francisco's Nick Gravenites
producing and he brings in a back-up band that includes piano
by Nicky Hopkins (Rolling Stones-RIP), drums by
Dave Garabaldi (Tower Of Power) and bass by Peter Sears
(The Airplane). Quite a supporting cast. The record was
recorded at Wally Heider's studio in SF, so maybe he's outta
California. This is a necessary LP for fans of outside folk,
since Nichols appears to be one of the pioneers of this unique
genre. I caught a concert that he played at Long Island University
and he was the best solo performer I saw play back in the 1970’s.”
A RECORD REVIEW:
"TIME LOOP is one of the BEST FOLK PSYCHEDELIC ALBUMS
EVER MADE!
Thank you CHET for this KILLER ALBUM.
Warm Regards,
Miguel - Germany"