![]() With this is a base they moved into mild psychdelica and then finally into country rock.Ĭentral to the band were the vocalist and occasional songwriter, Sal Valentino, and guitarist, and main songwriter, Ron Elliott. What they did do was combine folk rock with English beat to create catchy and thumping music that was more melodic than the English and more percussive than the folk rockers. Before they finally reached the end of the string, they were also among the first bands to record country-rock in the late '60s”.įor whatever reason they were respected by those in the know … almost like a west coast Velvet Underground, though without the New York pretensions. They were arguably the first folk-rock group, even pre-dating the Byrds, and also anticipated some key elements of the San Francisco psychedelic sound with their soaring harmonies and exuberant melodies. unit of any sort to successfully respond to the British Invasion. “While they only had two big hits, the Beau Brummels were one of the most important and underrated American groups of the 1960s. Sly Stewart of Sly and The Family Stone fame) and signed to Autumn Records, a Bay Area label founded by noted Disc Jockey Tom Donohue – the band scored new heights with a string of follow-up singles and albums before calling it a day in 1969”. Produced at first by Sylvester Stewart (i.e. Coupled with the impeccable harmonies of Sal Valentino and Ron Elliott, they became the basis for the San Francisco Sound, which began shortly after Laugh Laugh was released and became an international best seller. Like a lot of what was going on, The Beau Brummels (and many of the bands which followed) took a deep-seated tradition of Folk and twisted it around. There was music happening, in fact there was a whole scene developing during the mid-60s. “The Beau Brummels managed to capture the imaginations of people who had their ears to the ground. Perhaps it’s because Sly Stone from Sly and the Family Stone worked with and produced them. Perhaps, it’s because they were one of the first bands to dabble in country rock. Perhaps because they epitomised the conciliatory American response to the British invasion (rather than freezing them out they adapted the ‘new’ sounds from the UK). Perhaps it’s because they epitomised the California sound after the Beach Boys and before the rise of heavy acid. The band has always captured the record obsessive's heart. The Beau Brummels were the California band for a while, if not in chart placings, then in philosophy. Rick at Rocking Horse Records (in Brisbane) urged me to put this album on (particularly praising the first track) so here I am. I've not thrown myself at this album because I’m generally wary of "comeback" albums … they are usually not great, inevitably being a poorly conceived updating of the band’s sound to a new era. Since then I have managed to get hold of all the others albums (and commented on a few on this blog) and learned to like and frequently love them. I like the Beau Brummels, having picked up their debut album in the 80s sometime. I've had this sitting around for a while.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |