Artist:     Listening

Title:       Listening

Label:     Vanguard

Catalog:  VSD-6504

Year:      1968

Price:     $

Between '66 & '68 you could easily have divided the U.S. into five distinct geographic areas with each one having it's own stereotypical, localized style of rock music. The Midwest had horns, possibly as a result of it's rich history of High School Football and it's accompanying Marching Bands. The West Coast had laid back, flowing guitar sounds, the results of both the "Hippie" (drugs) and "Surf" lifestyles. The Southwest (primarily Texas) had a punky, bad-ass 
garage edge as a result of being ....ummm....Texans. The Southeast was influenced by it's native R&B and the Justice label documents the results. White boys trying real hard to emulate Otis Day & The Knights of "Animal House" fame Who were based on the legendary Doug Clark & The Hot Nuts). And the Northeast had blue-eyed soul, street smarts and the legendary Hammond B-3 Organ. 

The Vanilla Fudge is the band that can get credit/blame for leading a whole barrage of organ dominated bands that played the clubs of the Tri-State Area (NY, NJ, Conn, Pa, Mass......yeah, I know there's five of `em). Most of these bands did simplistic cover versions of R&B and AM Rock hits, slowed down to barbiturate speed, with this giant, living, breathing, pulsating organ pulling the tune along like a tugboat.

As stated above, these characterizations are stereotypes, with there being a considerable number of exceptions, exceptions that usually produced the more interesting music. Listening is one of these exceptions. 

Their one and only LP, released on the Vanguard label in 1968 is certainly rooted in the Northeast stereotype. Keyboardist Michael Tschudin uses what appears to be classical and jazz influences to both expand and explore the genre, without ever sounding pretentious. (And continued to do so well into the 70's.....more on that later).

The LP opens with the awesome "You're Not There", a tune of matured teen angst that rather than beg "Baby, please come back!", realizes it's way to late and comes to terms with it. ("~You just stare, Baby, you're not there~") Great ripping guitar and an organ that crescendos at all the right times. Amazingly, this tune was covered by the NY  band Odyssey on their obscure private press as a result of the band's management having heard the Listening version and thinking it could "be a hit". 

"Laugh At The Stars" has a very psychedelic Left Banke vibe with once again, great guitar leads that are subtle and in all the right places. The third cut "9/8 Song" is where we might lose a few folks as the piano is rolled out and used generously. Imagine The Wizards From Kansas jamming with Dave Brubeck. It works for me, it won't for everyone. 

Next up is the highlight of the LP and one of my all-time personal faves "Stoned Is". This is the herb smokers answer to Lou Reed's "Heroin". It captures such a mellow, stoned vibe that a mere listen may produce a contact high. Features a sound that's described in the liner notes as "Organ Wash" (This song was covered by Tschudin's later band "Cynara" on Capitol in the early 70's) It closes with the exclamation point of vocalist/drummer Ernie Kamanis moaning "SoooooooooStoooooonnneeddd". The LP is worth the price of admission for this tune alone, and I don't say that about too many albums. 

"Forget It, Man" and "I Can Teach You" are more progressive in nature and upbeat which is not the band's forte, but certainly tolerable. "So Happy" sounds like a Boyce & Hart Monkees tune, catchy but shallow. "Cuando" is a throwaway instrumental with a Latin vibe.

"Baby, Where Are You" is the highlight of Side Two. A blues based tune that again has a Lou Reed vocal vibe and a stoned Young Rascals meet Sam Gopal musical vibe. The closer is "See You Again" and it has a trashy Lincoln St. Exit guitar sound, the hardest rocker on the LP and the tune where 16 year old guitarist Peter Malick gets to show off his chops. 

In my opinion this LP is the best of the more obscure Vanguard efforts. If keyboards aren't your thing, you'll think a little less of it. If you dig the Odyssey LP or Stark Naked on RCA this is your Holy Grail. On the dreaded Indianapolis Numerical Scale it's a solid 9

Mike's comments:

While perhaps not a mind bending psychedelic masterpiece, the Listening do however create a musical potpourri full of confident jazzy hard rock, and blues numbers peppered with small doses of classical piano. Surprisingly not much seems to be known about this band and it amazes me this record has slipped into obscurity. The 
Listening is an album full of superb organ and crystal clear guitar licks as sharp as shattered glass played by a 16 year old Peter Malick. It is these ingredients for which the album will be best remembered yet on further inspection, it is really the rhythm section that supplies the backbone and gives power to the music. Throughout the album the drums and bass are in complete unison with one another and keep the whole thing moving. 

Album opener, "You're Not There" sets the standard for what we are about to experience. Orchestral organ and searing guitar are in abundance in this track. However, lyrically and musically the highlight of the album for me is the young man's fable of awe struck seasonal love, "Laugh At The Stars". Creamy swirls of flickering organ like the aurora borealis on a cloudless night that eventually chugs away during the chorus to help deliver Malick's piping hot guitar licks. This is truly splendid stuff. Next up is the beautifully delicate piano and bass jazz of "9/8 Song". This
is an astounding song that is made all the better by Malick's gorgeous and extremely mature finger picking. Who would believe he was only 16 when he helped compose this song? 

Many psych fans will probably only know this band through the track, "Stoned Is". This is a song with heavy brooding organ and chunks of swirling feedback that come at us as thick as the reefer smoke it was conceived out of. 

Side two opens with "I Can Teach You" another tasty blend of musical stew that starts off with heavy baroque piano, before a pounding bass line snatches at what little space there is then a wailing bit of guitar feedback weaves in and out of lovely snippets of classical piano. Like a tightly woven Persian rug the design works and all parts are in complete harmony to help make the sum of the whole. This eventually gives way to the bubbling naïve optimism of "So Happy". A little ditty sung through a pastiche of gentle Anglo-psych and a bit of Turtles style sunshine pop. 
"Cuando" then introduces us to some groovy Latin percussion and Spanish singing before descending into the all out heavy blues number of "Baby, Where Are You?" This is the highlight of side two with its wild blistering guitar, phasing effects and organ solo midway through the song, all of which is very reminiscent of the solo in the 
Shadows of Knight version of "Hey Joe". The album ends with the short instrumental "Fantasy" before the crunching heavy rocker "See You Again" closes the record. 

A work of sometimes-gentle beauty and searing hard rock the Listening is an extremely consistent album that despite its 35 years has aged very well.

Rating: 9/10

Mike Cooper's comments:

I must admit to approaching this lp with some preconceptions. Not long ago the tide of respectability hadn't even washed over the Hanna-Barbara psych of the Mainstream label, let alone lapped around the bastions of that utter fastness of the kingdom of "cheese", Boston (should that be cheesy-beans?),but here we are so, on to Listening.

Seeing a band with Walter Powers, he of the Lost etc I expect a pop constituent and that's what my ears get. At heart we have a group of songs where a boy starts off by losing the girl (so soon?) gets infatuated, doesn't work out he hangs out with his pals,gets into a little latin knees up on the way "Cuando" with a touch to much alcohol and does a bit of a Cheech and Chong on "Stoned Is". His teenage love dreams fueled by this heady cocktail off he slips into a happy little love bubble,but what does he know about women really, and where the hell is she ? Oh well 
perhaps he'll see her again and they can like err you know...

So this is a pop confection but it is leavened by really nice guitar breaks and structured around a prominent hammond sound. But this hammond is filtered through the patented Boston "Rinky-Dink-o-Phone" and joined by vibe/clavinet almost spinet-like keys given a sweeter gloss, so although the band (especially the keyboard player) has classical proto prog tendencies it remains at heart pop. These prog tendencies even lead to one track being called "9/8" which I guess they thought was funny after that bong, because it ain't 9/8!!,but it does have a slight jazzy feel. Always though there's the pop, on "So Happy" I could have sworn the Monkees had walked into the studio,but no they are more serious than that because ...like the guitarist has serious Hendrix "chops" man, aka "Love or Confusion" on the final track "See You Again". On the credits it says "Each song is a complete take. No tape splicing is necessary for the entire album". My wouldn't their mums be proud of them!

I'd give it 4 but add one for the nice keys and guitar parts and make it 5 out of 10!

Bryan's comments:

It's no wonder why the sole 1968 LP by the band Listening has become such a hot commodity in the last few years among psych collectors. Overall a very strong album full of wonderful songs from start to finish topped off with some wonderful guitar work courtesy of 16 year old Peter Malick and some very beautiful classical sounds from Keyboardist Michael Tschudin. You also gotta love those lead vocals of Ernie Kamanis which bare a striking resemblance to those of Nazz vocalist Stewkey Antoni. In fact some of the cuts on the LP wouldn't be out of place
on a Nazz LP with their melodic heavy bluesy/power pop vibe at times. Some of the many standout cuts featured on the LP include the opening "You're Not There", the melodic as hell "Laugh At The Stars" and "9/8 song" (with some great jazzy Keyboard work that would have made Michael Brown proud). My favorite cut on the album though has got to be the druggy spacey "Stoned Is". A fantastic psych cut that just about enables you to catch a buzz just by listening to it. The stoned laughing at the end of the cut adds to the appeal. IMO this is one of Vanguard's strongest
releases which is really saying something when you take in consideration the label's roster of goodies during the latter part of the 60s. Highly recommended!

Overall score = 8 out of 10

Satan's comments: