Cali dreamin'...
The Seeds - "Future" [GNP Crescendo mono LP '67] Although the cover illustration of their third album is a cool timepiece, and the equally flowery, everything-but-the-commune-sink instrumental ornamentation may be goofy fun -- and despite the fact that no less than about two and a half of the songs are nevertheless shameless musical rewrites of their breakout hit "Pushin' Too Hard" (amittedly standard operating procedure with these guys, mostly because that's what they were capable of) -- as the inclusion of the earlier leftover B-side of that single ("Out Of The Question") makes clear by comparison, the more tripped-out music here is ultimately a good bit less memorable than the succinctly unhinged, leering aggression of the first two albums
The Turtles - "Turtle Soup" [White Whale/Blimp LP '69] In me 'umble opinion, the Turtles' swan song (aside from the odd'n'ends collection "Wooden Head") is one of the underappreciated albums of its era, as good in its play-it-straight way as its more celebrated and flamboyant (and likewise self-penned) predecesor "Battle Of The Bands", but for a group known primarily as a singles act on the strength of their radio hits, in the end no number of great rockin' pop albums lacking that one hit single was gonna be enough to stave off the inevitable in a time when gorgeous three-minute symphonettes and witty playfulness just weren't where it was at, man
The Flamin' Groovies - "Flamingo" [Kama Sutra LP '70] Why the San Fran rockers couldn't break through remains a stumper, given how strong a case their second album for as many labels (hint hint!) makes for the original group's unvarnished balls-out greatness (which they capped on the next year's epochal "Teenage Head" -- drawing favorable press comparisons to the Stones' "Exile...", though it still didn't sell)
