Monday, January 28, 2008

The Happy Dragon Band-st,LP,1978,USA

Having release a little noticed 1974 album for Capitol under the guise of Phantom's Divine Comedy,four years later drummer John Bdanjeck, singer/guitarist Tom Carson, bassist Dennis Craner, keyboardist Mike DeMartino and guitarist Gary Meisner reappeared as The Happy Dragon Band. Released by the small Michigan-based Fiddlers label, anyone expecting to hear another set of faux Doors-inspired psych was bound to be surprised by 1978's "The Happy Dragon Band". Whereas the earlier Phantom LP featured all-original material, here all nine tracks were penned by a Tommy Court. Whoever he was, Court was also credited with production, engineering and direction. Musically the set was a major shocker. Dropping their earlier pseudo-Doors stance, material such as "3-D Free", "In Flight" and the instrumental "Bowling Pin Intro" found the band plunging headlong into outright experimentation. Featuring extended tracks filled with synthesizers, odd sound effects and dazed vocals, the results didn't make for a particularly commercial outting. That said, the album sports a weird, hypnotizing appeal that's worth a couple of spins. Dark, heavy and disturbing, part of the aura may be explained by the liner notes - "This album is in momory of: my friend Ritchie & my child Ritchie Joe".
One of my favorite 70s weird psych LPS.Comparisons can be made with Frank Zappa,Dreamies,late Comus,Terry Brooks,and even early Chrome (minus the industrial feeling).Spaced out electronic effects,cosmic fuzzed freak out all through. Copies of the Radioactive reissue cd can possibly still be found here and there but as far as i know it is officially deleted from the label's catalogue.

get this absoute masterpiece here

9 comments:

Psyence Guy said...

This is an excellent album. Couldn't agree more with the description.

Anonymous said...

amazing. I loved the Phamtom´s record for years. Does anybody noticed the similarities with Mars Volta? Thanks

Anonymous said...

very very good album, one of my favourite recent discoveries.

Anonymous said...

Totally different than Phantom.
On this recording Tom's vocals at times remind me of Bowie.
Very underrated record.

MAD4MUSIC said...

Wow... This album's a trip! Thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

These people are a sham! None of them had anything to do with Phantom's Divine Comedy. Someone stoled the "Lost Album" and they put their names on it! And then bootlegged it! This music was not to be released!

Anonymous said...

I knew these people were phonies!

Anonymous said...

Songs becoming available on iTunes. Some are rewrit-new productions. In Flight is currently there. Also some Videos of new material at YouTube Happy Dragon Band

Tommy Court

dieter said...

Learnt again something new ... thanks for uploading this one.