B

I have heard many Christian (hippie) albums but nothing as rewarding as Silmaril’s work. The liner notes say about this Milwaukee band : “These sons and daughters of the Midwest were creating an Eden of their own; a place where their medieval raiment, Tolkien infatuations, and catholic fealty could comfortably co-exist. Silmaril took cues from the mystic-leaning, collective spirit of British psychedelic folk. Although a true working unit, the band’s incontrovertible leader was Matthew Peregrine…(born Jim Boulet)”. The initial music inspiration comes from elements enjoyed from records by the like of The Incredible String Band. They first started as a trio called Dark Star (named after Grateful Dead’s song) with William Pint and vocalist Mary Ann Filo, with simple improvisations performed in churches and coffee houses. When Sharon Clarke replaced Filo the group renamed themselves Silmaril (referring to Tolkien’s power stones). Mike Krukowski joined in too. They had regular gigs using a few exotic sounding and looking instruments like the sitar, a light-flashing synthesizer, a moon guitar, various kazoos, a pump organ as well as various flutes, banjo and guitars. In 1973 they released 300 copies of their only LP “Given Time or the Several Roads” on their private label, called Ettinmore, to sell at gigs. One of the persons they worked with in the studio and live was Jim Spencer (known for his LP ‘Second Look’ and his band ‘Major Arcana’, reviewed on next page). With Jim Spencer they recorded together, a children’s music LP called “The most beautiful song in the forest”. Silmaril also recorded a second LP called “No Mirrored Temple” with traditional and original material but it was never released, just like much more studio material, but the original recordings from this album and more is featured on this compilation, making a very complete inner and musical process with all aspects that musically worked perfectly. This second album embraced much more Christian Pentecostalism, a controversial movement with some variations, referring to Matthew’s writings about the Holy Spirit and about the speaking in tongues, leading often to evoking more direct religious inspirations. It gives also a few variations on Biblical themes. In time the group took more and more a distance from the strict religious inspiration, until it dissolved in the late ‘70s. The marriage ended with it, while Matthew this time no longer neglected his gay nature; he even started a gay cowboy band called Blue Wave, but unfortunately died of aids in the mid nineties at age 41.

Most songs are very beautiful pastoral contemplations, each with a story on its own, making 19 treasures, with beautiful male/female voice and lyrics, played by guitar and a few other instruments. In one or two tracks (like the opener) the female vocalist has flavours of trembling sounds in her voice, a quality that reminds me of the singer of another beauty, These Trails (Hawaii). Some songs could be troubadour songs, strong like love songs, while others are like a closed eyes meditation in song (like “Holy, Holy”) or inspired contemplations. “October Road/Sleeping Magnificat” is a delicate guitar instrumental. “Plymouth Bay” is the only track, with banjo’s or bouzoukis and guitars, that sounds a bit more like a folk traditional, with its own delicacy. “Velvet And Gold The Dancer” and perhaps also “Babylon” sounds darker, and louder, more bewitched by its inner spell. Track 18, “Revelation 13:11:18” includes a reading with weird electronic sounds, before concluding with a last, more heavy song vision on apocalyptic days*. A fantastic compilation of songs, and a MUST for each acid/psych folk collector.