In my early twenties I used to stay with a friend who had lived in California for a couple of years and introduced me to the loosely named psychedelic “West Coast” scene with bands such as Jefferson Airplane, Iron Butterfly, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Country Joe and the Fish, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Grateful Dead, Moby Grape, and Love. But one track that has always stayed with me was `Incense And Peppermints` from a band called Strawberry Alarm Clock who came from Glendale, about ten miles north of Los Angeles and were formed in 1967.
So I was really taken aback when I heard that these psychedelic rock legends they were about to release a new album called `Where’s One?` and it featured five original members including Mark Stephen Weitz on keys, Randy Seol on drums / percussion, Gene Gunnels on drums / percussion, George Bunnell on bass, and Steve Bartek on guitar/flute/sitar, alongside longtime guitarist Howie Anderson.
The album opens with `Feel the Love` which is a pleasantly brief introduction with some delightful a capella harmonies before we head into `Monsters` which was written by David Glück about his ex who is still his best friend. A slightly edgy but at the same time melodic and reflectively dreamy offering with a brief guitar solo midway through.
We have an updated cover of The Beatles `Day Tripper` written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and a song which Lennon described as a “drug song”. The band give it a modern rock tinged instrumental make over. Next up we have a Randy Seol composition with `White Light` where Randy wrote the lyrics about his father appearing to him in his car while driving. A kind of trippy almost stop start number which nigh on sways as it evolves and ends with manic drumming and some organ hues.
Cowbells and harmonica lead us into ‘Blow Your Mind’, a Mark Stephen Weitz piece inspired by his girlfriend, another slightly psychedelic track with guitar riffs aplenty. We have a Howie Anderson composition `I`m Not the One` about his children leaving home and it`s a tender and dreamlike number which has a delightfully almost sixties nostalgic musical vibe. I have to say this was a track that I played a fair few times before moving on, it had such an interesting alluring depth to it.
We enjoy another Beatles cover with `Within You Without You` a song that was on the `Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band` album, written by George Harrison and inspired by his stay in India. This reimagining is a really interesting take which retains much of the originals atmosphere with sitar and vocals but shorter, updated, and reconceived. We have another Howie Anderson original with `Since You Have Gone Away` which is about his mom coming to him in a dream. It`s wonderfully meditative with orchestral strings coordinated by Steve Bartek adding a further poignancy to this submission.
`Live Water` is a rhythmic homage composed by Randy Seol about the blessing of him meeting his wife Beverly. David Glück has said that `Primordial Soup` refers to bridging the gap between inorganic matter and biological life, human, plant, animal and otherwise. I thought it was slightly off kilter and quite angular at times but was really enticing at the same time with its questioning lyrics and occasional swaying organ shades and tones.
`The Sky Isn’t Falling` has a kind of reflective almost philosophical slant to it which is shared over a fairly rock like musical accompaniment. The longest track on the album is `Tahitian Gardens` which has a kind of gentle breezy sway and could be placed as having an islands-vibe, maybe SAC`s answer to The Beach Boys `Kokomo`.
The final cut `Galactic Symphony – Persian Skies` featuring a spoken-word performance by Stephen J. Kalinich, the poet laureate of the LA ’60s pop scene. It has that that cosmic feel with some guitar shapes and sitar shades. The number really takes off in the last minute and is an interesting choice to lead out on.
`Where`s One?` is a joyous return from Strawberry Alarm Clock. There`s enough variety on this hour long release to sate everybody`s taste. Since the fellas have gotten back together and finally laid down some new music, we can only hope that this inspires them to continue and gift us more of the same.
It`s a heartfelt welcome back from me to Strawberry Alarm Clock.
Rating 8.5/10
