Heard Sandy Bull's "Memphis" at a beach cafe--Ripper's--in Rockaway--and heard his genius. Hearing it again remains sublime. Sometimes it takes a lifetime of listening to get it. I've got it good out in Oregon, but the drought makes day night.
Oh man when that guitar slides in at 0.13. Like a shot in the arm. This is simply divine. Somewhere between Skip Spence and Lee Underwood. Hear those springs twanging on the old spring reverb! The recording is so warm. My new favourite thing ever.
Slight correction. This album, his second, dates from 1965. I first heard it in Spring of '66 and had to have it. Except for the drums by the great jazz drummer Billy Higgins, all instruments (pictured on cover) are played by Bull, multi-tracking.
Luv the raga inspired meditations - on an L-series strat!! ... I've always wondered if Sandy was thereby reminding us that the true origins of the pentatonic scale-which Blues & Rock n’ Roll are both largely based on-originally made its way to West Africa from India - presumably via the Islamic slave trade.
This was Pat Metheny before Pat! Every time I heard this I could imagine myself on an endless road trip, a la Kerouac or “Route 66” starring Maharis and Milner, off to discover America, before it all got ruined by Nixon. It still does that to me.
From begininig to end, one of the greatest weed albums ever. To those in Southern Cal, bongloads of Skywalker and / or Blue Dream are a requirement before putting this album on repeat (buy it on vinyl, transfer it to cd) if you want to truly time-warp to the mid 1960s. It's ambient music before the term ambient music was coined.
He died by heroin correct, am I wrong??? An unbelievable master just transforming while I listen it is another world. I have original album (I am that old and still alive)
well put...i put it on my fb page (trina simon)...evryone in s.b. underground parties 1965 played his stuff...but what happened to him? I had a radio show for 12 yrs & played him but shoulda tried to contact him....we dint have pc's then...wow thanku!
Wish I had kept my original album, when I wrote the comment 4 years ago I didn't know he had already died, how did he get lung cancer, did he smoke tobacco? That's how my mother died of it at age 59
I still cant believe he was hung up on hard drugs, sounds so psychedelic. Well, I try to shut out such dismal bios and enjoy the sounds. / I think Sandy would've found a better living nowadays, considering all the instrumental groups around .
its 1 guy plus billy higgins on drums in the days we had REAL music--the 60's of course,,,find it now as we are all dying out.....in s.b. in '65-'66 evryone smoked & put this lp on..........underground creativity etc
saw him on 67th street and 6th avenue back in the late 60s. said hi. he said hi back. wore out his albums over and over. he is still at the top of the rotation lo these many decades later. . . . totally the best ever!
An absolute favourite- just gets better each time I played it ....over last twenty years !
Heard Sandy Bull's "Memphis" at a beach cafe--Ripper's--in Rockaway--and heard his genius. Hearing it again remains sublime. Sometimes it takes a lifetime of listening to get it. I've got it good out in Oregon, but the drought makes day night.
Oh man when that guitar slides in at 0.13. Like a shot in the arm. This is simply divine. Somewhere between Skip Spence and Lee Underwood. Hear those springs twanging on the old spring reverb! The recording is so warm. My new favourite thing ever.
word
you shoot up bro? DM me if you wanna level up
This is what happiness sounds like
Yes
Fantasias for Guitar and Banjo was the first Sandy Bull album I ever bought in the 60's. I still have it. Mesmerizing.
Saw him live at Betty Nelson's farm, the 1968 Sky River Rock
Got the Album in 1967 - still play it. Didn't know how he died until now. Rest in Bliss, Sandy....
Slight correction. This album, his second, dates from 1965. I first heard it in Spring of '66 and had to have it. Except for the drums by the great jazz drummer Billy Higgins, all instruments (pictured on cover) are played by Bull, multi-tracking.
Luv the raga inspired meditations - on an L-series strat!! ... I've always wondered if Sandy was thereby reminding us that the true origins of the pentatonic scale-which Blues & Rock n’ Roll are both largely based on-originally made its way to West Africa from India - presumably via the Islamic slave trade.
Great tune. Amazed I haven't heard of this guy before!
This was Pat Metheny before Pat! Every time I heard this I could imagine myself on an endless road trip, a la Kerouac or “Route 66” starring Maharis and Milner, off to discover America, before it all got ruined by Nixon. It still does that to me.
So peculiar how he traverses different genres in a jammy and kinda ahead of his time way.
The absolute BEST version of this song! LOVE it!
Well, *this* is music.. What've I been listening to all these years?
The voice of an archangel on guitar...
A friend's cabin up on Skyline above Stanford - first Acid - put this one on. The album that made me learn to play Bach's Gavotte #7....
From begininig to end, one of the greatest weed albums ever. To those in Southern Cal, bongloads of Skywalker and / or Blue Dream are a requirement before putting this album on repeat (buy it on vinyl, transfer it to cd) if you want to truly time-warp to the mid 1960s. It's ambient music before the term ambient music was coined.
the perfect recording doesnt exis-
Surf music! I'd never thought about it that way!! Yer right, at 2:15 the sound changes to surf-like..I've had this album since '66 or so.
Considering this was recorded in 1964, this is probably the first complete psychedelic rock record.
Good stuff. very good stuff !!
My favourite part is the faint singing in the left at 0:08
The greatest
Memphis by way of the void...viva la Sandy.....
He died by heroin correct, am I wrong??? An unbelievable master just transforming while I listen it is another world. I have original album (I am that old and still alive)
Cancer in the lungs
+Al Bradshaw He did have a serious heroin addiction, but rehab pulled him through. He died of lung cancer some years later.
You ain't the only one... I use ta have this one back when I wuz young dum and full of .....it.
IN LOVE
well put...i put it on my fb page (trina simon)...evryone in s.b. underground parties 1965 played his stuff...but what happened to him? I had a radio show for 12 yrs & played him but shoulda tried to contact him....we dint have pc's then...wow thanku!
Wish I had kept my original album, when I wrote the comment 4 years ago I didn't know he had already died, how did he get lung cancer, did he smoke tobacco? That's how my mother died of it at age 59
cool man cool!
Ahhhhhhh......
kind of impressionistic
I still cant believe he was hung up on hard drugs, sounds so psychedelic. Well, I try to shut out such dismal bios and enjoy the sounds. / I think Sandy would've found a better living nowadays, considering all the instrumental groups around .
its 1 guy plus billy higgins on drums in the days we had REAL music--the 60's of course,,,find it now as we are all dying out.....in s.b. in '65-'66 evryone smoked & put this lp on..........underground creativity etc
Always Mersmer..
Ethereal
i love sandy bull. he isnt like chuck berry. i dont think he likes poo.
im preachin thats all i do so you bitter klick like
genius and died of heroin another gone
saw him on 67th street and 6th avenue back in the late 60s. said hi. he said hi back. wore out his albums over and over. he is still at the top of the rotation lo these many decades later. . . . totally the best ever!