•
Rating:
Iron Butterfly, a rock band formed in 1965 by the union of singer and keyboardist Doug Ingle, guitarist Danny Weis, bassist and second guitarist Jerry Penrod, drummer Ron Bushy, and percussionist Darryl DeLoach, released their debut album Heavy at the beginning of 1968. From this first work, the band established itself as a psychedelic rock group. They make heavy use of drugs, and it strongly influences their work.
In July of the same year, the group released the most famous album in their history, In a Gadda Da Vida, whose title is a distortion of "In the Garden of Eden" (the band's singer had pronounced this phrase during a concert under the influence of hallucinogens). The album is purely psychedelic, the atmosphere is highly spatial, the sound is acid, and the instruments sound distorted at various points. Guitarist Danny Weis and bassist Jerry Penrod had already left the band and were replaced by Erik Brann and Lee Dorman, respectively.
The album kicks off with a highly psychedelic track, Most Anything You Want. The remaining tracks on side A follow its trail. Flowers and Beads, a love song, with an acid atmosphere, is followed by My Mirage and Termination. The latter was written by the new band members, the guitarist and the bassist (Brann/Dorman). Side A closes with Are You Happy?
Side B consists of a single track, a piece with a high psychedelic charge, a suite, as we can define it, which established the band worldwide. The title track, lasting seventeen minutes, is considered by many to be the first song to have exceeded ten minutes, even though the previous year, Pink Floyd had recorded an instrumental space rock piece called Interstellar Overdrive from the album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, which lasted 9 minutes in the album version, while the original version lasted sixteen minutes. The suite In a Gadda Da Vida opens with a very catchy psychedelic guitar riff, followed by the singer's voice singing the title phrase. A long instrumental part follows, dominated by the drums, the Hammond organ, and sounds with a strong psychedelic charge. At the end, the voice returns along with the initial guitar riff.
An album that represents psychedelia. In a Gadda Da Vida is not an album of psychedelic rock, In a Gadda Da Vida is psychedelic rock. It figures among the best-selling albums in history.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (17:03)
In a gadda da vida, baby
(In the Garden of Eden)
In a gadda da vida, honey
Don't you know that I'm lovin' you
Oh, won't you come with me
And take my hand
Oh, won't you come with me
And walk this land
Please take my hand
In a gadda da vida, honey
Don't you know that I'm lovin' you
In a gadda da vida, baby
Don't you know that I'll always be true
Oh, won't you come with me
And take my hand
Oh, won't you come with me
And walk this land
Please take my hand
In a gadda da vida, honey
Don't you know that I'm lovin' you
In a gadda da vida, baby
Don't you know that I'll always be true
Oh, won't you come with me
And take my hand
Oh, won't you come with me
And walk this land
Please take my hand
In a gadda da vida, baby
(In the Garden of Eden)
In a gadda da vida, honey
Don't you know that I'm lovin' you
Oh, won't you come with me
And take my hand
Oh, won't you come with me
And walk this land
Please take my hand
04 So-Lo (04:03)
So-Lo
(Doug Engle / Darryl DeLoach)
From The Album "Heavy)
Have you heard about the word that's goin' round
(goin' round, goin' round)
Have you heard about the girl who put me down
(put me down, put me down)
Well, she became aware the fact that I was runnin' round
(runnin' round, runnin' round)
And consequently my behavior put me down
(put me down, put me down)
(Instrumental interlude)
Have you heard about the word that's goin' round
(goin' round, goin' round)
Have you heard about the girl who put me down
(put me down, put me down)
Well, she became aware the fact that I was running round
(runnin' round, runnin' round)
And consequently my behavior put me down
(put me down, put me down)
(instrumental outplay to end of song)
05 Flowers and Beads (03:07)
Girl I just know I love ya now...
Flowers and beads are one thing,
But having a girl is something.
That's if you got a girl who loves you,
and thinks the whole wide world of you.
Flowers and beads are one thing,
But having you girl that's something.
That's 'cause I know you love me only,
and that you'll never leave my hear lonely.
Chorus: Girl, he just knows he loves you now.
You're all I talk about and ev'rything I say and,
Girl, I just know I love you now.
Girl, I love ya, I love you and need you in my lifetime.
Girl, I just know I love you,
Don't you think my love is true?
Girl, I just know I want you,
Don't you think my love is true?
Flowers and beads are one thing,
But having a girl is something.
That's if you got a girl who loves you,
and thinks the whole wide world of you.
Flowers and beads are one thing,
But having you girl that's something.
That's 'cause I know you love me only,
and that you'll never leave my hear lonely.
Chorus: Girl, he just knows he loves you now.
You're all I talk about and ev'rything I say and,
Girl, I just know I love you now.
Girl, I love ya, I love you and need you in my lifetime.
Girl, I just know I love you,
Don't you think my love is true?
Girl, I just know I want you,
Don't you think my love is true?
Girl I just know I want you
Don't you think that my love is true?
06 My Mirage (04:51)
In my mind I see a mirage on the wall,
But unfortunately it's not there at all.
So I guess I'll draw my mirage on the wall,
Then it can be here to see and enjoyed by all.
My mirage, I'll be drawing you soon.
Then all of the beautiful people that come to our home,
They'll be seeing you too.
My mirage,
I'll be drawing you soon,
My mirage, I'll be seeing you soon.
In my mind I see a mirage on the wall,
But unfortunately it's not there at all.
So I guess I'll draw my mirage on the wall,
Then it can be here to see and enjoyed by all.
My mirage, I'll be drawing you soon.
Then all of the beautiful people that come to our home,
They'll be seeing you too.
My mirage,
I'll be drawing you soon,
My mirage, They'll be seeing you soon.
07 Termination (02:48)
Fly blue sky, voices keep calling,
bidding me welcome. Why maiden land,
luring me closer, forbiden land.
And as I'm Standing closer,
those natives step beyond.
Release the mortal patterns,
my mind I post beyond.
Spinning in circles,
Miracles happen,
As lower life life shows me in to my doom,
spirit will striken,
the end will come soon.
This is termination,
the outcome of your life.
08 Are You Happy (04:29)
Are you happy?
I met a pretty girl on a date last night,
And let me tell you now, she was groovy.
And I kissed the pretty girl, and I held her tight,
Let me tell you now, she was groovy.
And now, no matter what I try to do
My mind's drifting back to you.
Are you happy?
And now, no matter what I try to do
My mind's drifting back to you.
Are you happy?
To you.
Are you happy?
Oh, I love you...
Please, tell me now that you're happy,
Please, tell me now that you're mine.
Please, tell me now that you're happy,
Please, tell me now that you're mine.
I wanna tell you I love you...
Are you happy?
09 Soul Experience (02:51)
Be yourself and live a little,
Don't bother painting your face;
Tomorrow it may rain and colors run,
Better it quench the flowers thirst.
Don't be afraid to live a little,
Don't be afraid of the people that belittle our love,
Oh our love.
Open up your thoughts and listen to others,
Your fellow man may surprise you;
He offers a unique item,
Soul experience, help yourselves to each other.
Don't be afraid to live a little,
Don't be afraid of the people that belittle our love,
Oh our love.
Just be yourself.
Just be yourself.
Oh our love, oh our love.
10 Unconscious Power (02:31)
We all want to climb the hill
The unbelievable is going to happen
It will linger in your mind forever
Let this carry you wherever - wherever.
Triggering The Unconcious power.
Removing all your inhibitions
Releasing complete freedom of thought
Sensations of ev'ry sense will prepare
With this you will see ev'ry thing.
Triggering The Unconscious power.
Triggering The Unconscious power.
I say to you
nothin' for now.
Oh, now
we know all,
we know all,
we know all,
we know all!
Loading comments slowly
Other reviews
By silian87
The title track 'In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida' is the true masterpiece, a 17-minute song with one of the first lengthy drum solos ever performed.
Ingle almost seems drunk while singing, and he demonstrates it with his voice’s continuous ups and downs. The effect is divine.
