Dear god, who are these guys? Where did they come from and where did they get this incredible sound?!! That's right folks, this week's review is of The Music Machine, a group that were inexplicably left off the original nuggets set but added in later reissues and really would a collection of original atryfacts from the first psychedelic era be complete without the atom bomb that is 'Talk Talk', the L.A group's 45 masterpiece featured on this, their debut album. A bit of info first (as is to be expected by now, I like to give proper credits y'know...), this group was founded by folkie turned garage monster Sean Bonniwell in 1965 and by the time of this album also included lead guitarist Mark Landon, drummer Ron Edgar, keyboardist Doug Rhodes and Bass Player Keith Olsen (who went on to produce Fleetwood Mc a few years down the line).
After a few byrds - like singles the machine released (or should I say UNLEASEAHED) 'Talk Talk' in '66, epitomising garage-punk in 1 min 56 secs. Leading off side 1 of 'Turn On', we hear grinding fuzz straight out of the gate, down tuned to drop D foreshadowing heavy metal. Brilliant syncopation from every player is shown here, slamming the tune around through key changes, stop/starts and Bonniwell's punky yells ("My social life's a dud/my name is really mud", punk in its purest form no?). A truly incredible piece of music, has to be heard to be believed. Next up is 'Trouble', the first of several pieces that reveal Jim Moz and The Door's early influences; snaky keyboard lines, more weird chord changes and introspective, poetic lyrics from Bonniwell. Quite unlike The Doors is the slight sci fi sound effects at the 'heading for a fall' section, more B-52's like really. From here though, things take an unexpected turn...
Neil Diamond's 'Cherry Cherry' begins in cocktail lounge form (think The Archies circa '69), poppy flutes and nonsense backing vox a plenty, weird huh? This along with several other covers on the album were recorded for a local teenybopper club and were included on the record company's request in place of more original material from Bonniwell, a shame but pretty standard for the time so forgivable. Some of them are pretty cool regardless, especially the next track coming up, 'Taxman' (yes, that of 'Revolver' godliness). Funky drumming and again, great band syncopation push this one to garage greatness (kickass fuzz too, actually a bit heavier than le Beatles if I dare say...). Another unexpected deviation from proto psych nirvana comes next in the form of the folk-popish 'Some Other Drum'. A bit like a Mike Nesmith Monkees tune mixed with Byrdsy jangle, very nice number if a little lightweight (which was the point presumably judging by the song it precedes to close out Side 1). 'Masculine Intuition' INTUITIVELY (See what I did there...) lays more groundwork for The Doors and a little bit for later psych groups like The Coral, did that 'Dreaming of You' ska - ish bass midway thru, you'll know what I mean if you're a fan. What I really dig throughout this group's repertoire is the marriage of brilliant surrealist lyrics with one of the greatest (and tightest) band sounds of all time, either alone is ok, but together you know you've got a truly great artist on yer hands.
Side two commences with the beautiful fuzzy riffing of 'People in Me' and yet MORE great interplay, these cats could really play. Another batch of effortlessly brilliant lyrics too ("When you see the people in me/minus you/its overdue", so cool). I can picture sunset strip thru this tune, damn I wish I was alive back then, what a time and place, Love, Seeds, Buffalo, early Doors all at the SAME TIME! Anyway, enough gushing, 'See See Rider's just come on. Back to full on garage mode, channelling the Animals (and closely following their arrangement of this classic Ma Rainey number). Interlocking farifsa/fuzz riffing, pounding drums, what more do you need? Well Bonniwell's lyrics perhaps, which are supplied in full force with 'Wrong', another psych masterpiece original. Listen to this and then tell me The Doors weren't aware of and IN LOVE WITH this group, Jim especially ("Wrong in the eyes of just myself/just like everybody else"), great ending rave up too. A pretty neat cover of 96 tears is next, pretty dispensable but has a nice double time raving section making it unique, not a bad effort. Again however, it pales next to the group originals. 'Come on In' is the final one of these on the album and YET AGAIN how very Doorsy it seems (come on, Morrison surely dug this if nothing else). Deep voiced Bonniwell vocal spouting some great poetry ("the steering wheel inside your head has come apart", brilliant) with Manzerek keys and a Strange Days weirdo sound overall. Amazing track, love it so much.
The Machine's version of 'Hey Joe' is next, and is quite unlike the fast paced garage rocker that contemporaries such as Love and The Leaves were peddling (aslong with seemingly every U.S garage band of the time...). Nah, this one is slow paced with revereby vocals, lashings of fuzz and a little double time fuzz at the end of each passage.... wait a minute, like Hendrix's version? Yes, very much like it, and - possibly, please don't crucify me just yet - BETTER than the rock god's take. Certainly more menacing, if lacking Jimi's funky guitar solo. A heavy and darkly psychedelic end to a pretty heavy and psychedelic album. If you're a fan of ANY of the aforementioned groups, PLEASE, PLEASE PLEASE track a copy of this down, it will definitely be worth your hard earned cash (and blow your mind in the process...)
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