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MIKE'S COMMENTS:
"Corridor of Faces" is quite possibly one of the most under rated US
psychedelic albums ever. It is a superb period piece with fantastic song writing, beautiful psychedelic guitar work, and gloriously
flowing Beatles-esque harmonies (that even come with affected English accents). From the backward guitars of stunning opening track
"All These Years", to the poignant lyrics and tight orchestration of "There Was A Time", this is clearly a classic
undiscovered work of psychedelic beauty. It is such a great shame that "Corridor
of Faces" remains largely undiscovered. On the recent Arf Arf cd re-issue we are also presented with numerous demos that could easily be
mistaken for outtakes from Spence's "Oar" LP or even tracks by contemporary
lo-fi band, Sparklehorse. "Corridor of Faces" is a true gem, and it is difficult to find faults with this wonderful
album. This record can easily stand shoulder to shoulder (if not
well above) many of the more "mainstream" psychedelic albums released in its day.
Rating 10/10
STAN'S
COMMENTS: I love this record, but let me begin with my one complaint. It's a
pretty trivial matter but I can't write about this record without voicing it so I'll get it out of the way first thing. When a record's
original cover is a full color die-cut gatefold with multi-page inner book (drawing a blank on examples but you know the sort I mean) I can
easily understand why reissues made in small numbers for a small collector market might cut some corners and opt to do a more inexpensive
single-pocket LP sleeve. But Lazy Smoke has a simple black & white single pocket original sleeve that, in my opinion, adds considerably to
the whole lo-fi basement psych appeal factor and, although it has been
reissued at least four different times it has NEVER been reissued in its
original sleeve. The most recent LP version done by American Sound (Mike
Albertini) featured the original front cover photo but without the added
solarization effect and title*; the CD reissue on the Arf! Arf! Label has a 16 page book and clear tray that features loads of photos but not
even a reduced version of the original sleeve. To me, this is one of the
great mysteries in psychedelic reissue history. OK. I feel better now.
The most common description of this album runs something like "what The Beatles might have sounded like circa Magical Mystery Tour if they never
got a record deal and ended up making records in a small studio in Massachusetts." I have always felt this to be a very accurate
description of the sound here - in particular, listen to the instrumental opening of "Salty People" and try singing the "I am he as
you are me and...." intro to "I Am The Walrus" before the vocals kick in
(the guitar part also has a definite Harrison edge to it as well). John
Pollano's lead vocals show a definite John Lennon influence to them throughout the LP (in particular on the LP opener "All these Years" and
the closer "How Did You Die?").
To my increasingly jaded ears there is something in "Corridor of Faces" that (along with a very small handful of other LPs) completely captures
the appeal of the 1960's "lost & obscure" American psychedelic private-press LP. Definitely influenced by the Sergeant Pepper's Lonely
Heart's Club Band-announcement-heard-round-the-world that rock music could be ART in capital letters (regardless of what my favorite one-note
Lester Bang's wannabe thick-headed "rock critic" Doug Sheppard says), "Corridor Of Faces" remains one of the top-shelf masterworks of American
psychedelic music.
If numbers in thius context actually meant anything at all I could be inclined to say something like 9 out of a possible 10. M- copy $600-$1,000
* Mike Albertini did do, after the fact, a very limited number of crack & peel 12X12 paste-on front & back cover slicks that are near-perfect
repros of the original cover. These were sold with a small stash of original blank white sleeves from a left over box of covers used for the
original album (which also has a paste-on cover). There is some blurring
in the printing of the label name on the back slick that identifies it as from this run and not an original.
PATRICK'S
COMMENTS: Have to confess I've never understood all the brouhaha around this
LP, what with four reissues and heavy dealer hype when offered. The final word is yours of course, but to me it sounds like decent
beatpsych with a major Beatles fixation including Lennonesque vocals and George Martin production tricks.
2002 ADDENDUM:
I bought the Heyoka reissue of this LP some 15 years ago because it was supposed to be some trippy shit, and Heyoka had a very good
batting average on their bootlegging program. Played it many times, scratched my head a lot, and sold the reissue after concluding that
it may well be someone's cup of tea, but certainly not mine.
When the official reissues appeared in the mid-1990s it was like deja vu all over again with the massive hype, so I caved in and bought the
legal CD. More playtime, more head scratching, and since I was older and more sure on what I liked and not, this CD ended up in
the "outgoing" bin in Lama's hi fi room... permanently.
The main problem is that it's so damn derivative, and that it builds upon the most famous rock band of all time (hint: not the Remains).
What I hoped to find during all those patient repeat plays of "Corridor of faces" was another level of expression and talent,
underneath the Revolver/Sgt Pepper fake Lennon moustache trip... in short, that it was a "grower". But it failed to grow, and I'm still
at a loss to explain the popularity of this LP among psych aficionados.
Rating: 6 / 10. It probably deserves a "7", as it's listenable and inspired by good music, but the idiotic spoken fake Liverpudlian
accent between two tracks cuts 1 point off the final grade.
To my increasingly jaded ears there is something in "Corridor of
Faces" that (along with a very small handful of other LPs) completely captures the appeal of the 1960's "lost & obscure"
American psychedelic private-press LP. "Corridor Of Faces" remains one of the top-shelf masterworks of American
psychedelic music. If numbers in this context actually meant anything at all I could be inclined to say something like 9 out of a
possible 10. M- copy $600-$1,000
i'm too lazy to write a full-fledged review, but since I've been giving the lovable doctor densk a hard time today, I think it only
fair that i likewise salute him when he's right on the money (after all, it could be a helluva long wait before he is this right again!).
i concur that this is one of the pinnacles of american private press psych rekkids. it's easily in my top five of such albums.
when you hear praise (not to mention big bucks) being dumped upon relatively mediocre albums like stack, rubber memory and
marble phrogg, it beats the holy bejeezus outta me why this $1000-$1500 LP (I'll buy all you can find at $600, dr. d!) hardly
ever gets mentioned. then again, maybe i'm talking to the wrong
people....--trehus
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