Rating: **** (4 stars)
Title: Banchee
Company: Atlantic
Catalog: SD 8240
Year: 1969
Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+
Comments: cut out notch in spine; lyric insert; original inner sleeve
Available: 1
Price: $60.00
Signed by Atlantic, 1969's "Banchee" teamed the quarter with producers Warren Schatz and Stephen Schlaks. Like much late-'60s product the debut
displayed some psych influences (the leadoff, mid tempo number "The Night Is Calling" has a kind of trippy feel), but the
predominant sound was heavy, guitar-powered rock. With all four members contributing material, original numbers such as "Beautifully Day" (sic), the fuzz guitar-propelled "Evolmia", "I Just Don't Know"
and the extended "Tom's Island" offered up a series of high energy guitar powered rockers that were both tuneful and structural interesting. That said, the album's fairly diverse; "Train of Life" sounding like Mike Nesmith after a week of speed, "Hands of a Clock" had a pseudo-jazzy feel, while the Latin-tinged "As Me Thinks" recalled early-Santana. Overlooking DiGillo's pompous back cover liner notes, it's a great (if hard to fund) debut ... (Original copies include a separate lyric insert.)
"Banchee" track listing:
1.) The Night Is Calling (Peter Alongi) - 3:30
2.) Train of Life (Michael Marino) - 3:21
3.) As Me Thinks (Jose Miguel DeJesus) - 3:11
4.) Follow a Dream (Jose Miguel DeJesus) - 4:28
5.) Beautifully Day (Peter Alongi) - 5:10
6.) Evolmia (Jose Miguel DeJesus - Victor DiGillo) - 3:24
7.) I Just Don't Know (Peter Alongi) - 3:17
8.) Hands of a Clock (Michael Marino) - 4:14
9.) Tom's Island (Peter Alongi) - 8:49