Monday, April 16, 2007

Bob Ray - Initiation of a Mystic (1968)


By request, another fine slice of late-60's pop-psych pie, this time from Bob Ray, onetime bass player for Donovan (that's him on Season of the Witch) and later a member of the pop trio Thorinshield. This release doesn't have the sunshine vibe of that band but is certainly as good or better in its own somewhat darker way.

The core band on this one (see below) featured some fine LA session players and the record was produced by Johnny Rivers.

HAL BLAINE drms
JIM GORDON drms
JIM HORN flute, sax
LARRY KNECHTEL bs, keyb'ds
JOE OSBORNE bs
BOB RAY vcls
There's also some strings (as in orchestral) but I don't know who played them.

Here's a track list since the files aren't numbered:
(Girl With the) Cameo Ring (3:55)
Live Today (3:32)
City of Toys (3:33)
Green Green (Big Big River) (3:16)
Smog Song (5:20)
Resurrection (4:00)
Money Tree (3:40)
Personal Movie (2:58)
Woman of the Highlands (4:15)
Right Relations (3:30)
Islands (Poem) (2:10)

This one is not my rip (props to Dancing Gods). It is ripped at 320kps.
Here's the music.

Note: Since I had another record planned for posting this week I think I'll get a 2nd post this weekend, so stop back.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for this one. Has "The Wrecking Crew" as session musicians, soit must be a good album!

Anonymous said...

As always, this share is wonderful ... I've long been looking for an obscurity, Jim Gordon "Play's Heavy." Would you have that?

Anonymous said...

Thanx,great album!
For me,better than Thorinshield,more mature.

Mike

Anonymous said...

Great album but in a poor vynil condition.
Someone called S.ébastien said he has mint copy of this record.
Maybe he could post it.

Anyway,thanks Max,beautiful orchestrated record :)

may584

Max said...

Sebastian's music blog is http://patrimoinepq.blogspot.com/ -- although he only posts Canadian records there perhaps he might make an exception or post a link to the record here.

Anonymous said...

Okay, this is no bull...I've been
listening to vinyl since the 70's,
and thought I heard just about every LOST masterpiece, from LOVE
-forever changes, Moby Grape, soft machine, etc. This is a treasure.
So f-ing beautiful and chock full
of really sweet acoustic work, sort of a combo of Cat Stevens,
Tulls' mellower work, and even a
hint of Gordon Lightfoot per the balladry, not the vocal. Wihtout
yelling, it has so much to say.
And Money Tree is one of the great lost singles in rock history....
I say that in all seriousness..
what a discovery! And the monologue
in Green Green achieves the rare
feat of waxing philosophic without being pretentious...only a few,
like Van Morrison, can pull this off.....wow.......

Anonymous said...

hey i can't figure out how to download from that link. what do i click on to get it to work? can someone help me?

Max said...

When you click the link follow the directions on the page that appears: "Left-Click on link. (It will open in a new window)."
You need to chose whichever server you want (e.g., rapidshare, sendspace, etc.) and then when that page appears do what you would normally do to dl from it (e.g., rt. click on the link on sendspace & save as, press the free button on rapidshare, etc.)

Anonymous said...

I have a perfect condition near mint of this vinyl if we are interessed contact me
ttx_11@hotmail.com