Electrophonic Tonic

Ok: if I put up a short summary of these albums: maybe we can get some more votes.


Vanilla Fudge: When I first checked out Vanilla Fudge, I asked the old timer at the record store what they sounded like, he said "Imagine if Iron Butterfly got their sh*t together." The album is all covers, but their interpretations are completely original. Hammond heavy psychedelic workouts are complemented by the heavily underrated Carmine Appice's masterful drumming.




It's a Beautiful Day: It's a Beautiful Day have a very worldly sense about them, and it directly reflects on the album. The album touches on jazz, dirty, sweaty blues, Indian, folk and classical. Also unique is the vocals are sung by a man and a woman. They add another of dimension to an already diverse musical collection. Despite being smack dab in the middle of the psychedelic scene, it feels a step above everything else.



Traffic: I can't lie. My favorite period of Traffic is the John Barleycorn fusion era. But, Traffic's 2nd psychedelic era album is on the same level. Steve Winwood is a great songwriter, and he shines on this album. It's sort of a middle ground between the previous two albums: it's got that classic, borderline cheesy psychedelic sound. But it also feels classy and a step above everything else.



Also, I will officially cast my vote for Vanilla Fudge. It's one of the few albums that still leaves in shock after hearing. Doing covers is one thing. Creating Frankenstein, zombie covers that can leave classic Beatles songs unrecognizable is a talent in my book.

Vanilla Fudge 1
Its a Beautiful Day 1
Traffic 2