http://progressive.homestead.com/60s70s2.html
Gonzo Multimedia Merrell Fankhauser : The Best Of -2cd- (US,1962-2011)****+**°
I always missed all the occasions of being able to check out better, all the Merrell Fankhauser reisues, although I know he made there a kind of legendary status in the psychedelic milieu, with his albums of Mu, or Faparadolky, or some of his solo albums with his exotic looks, as if he is abducted by alienating force taking him just a few beams out of the spectrum of earth and with his colourful Hawaii looks. I still remember those days when his albums were re-released, just like the Eben Abez releases, they only gave me the slight idea that they both must be the kind of outsider hippies before they even existed, and then remained one step away from them.
Now, this double CD is at least a very good opportunity to make up with the shortage of time to check him out better. This also must be a better starter, for it is a compilation taken from all of his works, a kind of best of from 1963-1978 on disc one, with 1978-2011 on disc two. What was already clear on Merell’s first band from a rockabilly time, Merrell and the Exiles, is that already this band had a sensitivity and feeling for a psychedelic pop sound, and there is already present that slightly exotic, happy touch from the beginning. And although Merrell only at the time of Mu (1972) moved to Hawaii, I feel that he was destined in every way to be associated with that area and its being.
Every band involved showed a good feeling for arrangements, and especially on the first CD (until 1978), an always present pop-psych sound, which in the beginning was influenced by the Ventures and had associations with a pre-surf sound, I rather would say that in general it has all the sunshines of the beach in them, under the form of a kind of smile in each song, something which makes even the lightest moments so attractive and pleasant to listen to. The songs are always clearly written, way up to the later dates, which I also think is very positive. And suddenly there is indeed that conspiracy idea of UFO’s intriguing him to the degree of insanity, the theme is taken as another light and humoristic factor, which in the hippie sense at a distance from real life to make it more pleasant, fits with Merrells personality and talent to entertain, very well.
On the second album, the later periods show similar visions and workouts, with here and there, a commercial try-out like reggae rhythm and a glamorous pop arrangement on some other track. With two songs about the need to do regular jobs for a living (a working blues song) or a few down-to-earth daily concerns fits his being less. But when the humour becomes dominating in a surreal way that’s where I recognise best Merrell from the start. One of the bonus songs starts with the theme of two vegetarians with a steak before them being puzzled about their positions in their morality, suddenly out of nowhere and within the same song the UFO witness is back and added to the story.
There’s a 12-page booklet included explaining the background stories of the bands, and about where the inspirations came from. I leave it up to you to get acquainted at the next occasion...
Intro : http://glassonyonpublicity.wordpress.com/...
Label info : http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/...
Homepage : http://merrellfankhauser.com/ & http://www.myspace.com/mfankhauser#!
Fan page : http://www.frogseye.co.uk/calling/index.htm
Other review : http://www.mediamikes.com/...
Article : http://www.examiner.com/article/...
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