•
Rating:
The album I'm about to review is the first live album by Iron Butterfly, which was released in 1970, produced by Richard Polodor who had already produced "Born To Be Wild" by the Steppenwolf and Three Dog Night, and was recorded in San Diego between May 25 and 30, 1969.
The album opens with In Time of Our Lives, taken from Ball from 1969. The song has a heart-pounding intro made of distortions and a slow, obsessive rhythm that makes it ''heavy'', Bushy’s drums close this fantastic track.
With the second piece, Filled With Fear, also from Ball, the intro of the song is a battle between distortions and Ingle's voice, then it all becomes a semi-ballad with Ingle's voice providing an interlude.
Next comes the song Soul Experience, also from Ball, after a fantastic intro, the whole piece is led by Dorman's bass, and with Ingle, transports us directly into '60s psychedelia which is occasionally interrupted by Bushy’s drums and ends in a struggle between musical instruments and Ingle's voice.
The following song, You Can't Win from the group's first album of 1968, Heavy, features a brief speech by Ingle for the return of soldiers from Vietnam, then Brann’s guitar and the Hammond organ provide an intro, leading the song to rock shores with Bushy’s almost tribal drumming.
With Are You Happy from In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, the audience is truly ecstatic with the song being one of the group's most famous. The song is perfect and remains another gem of the album, but the album's apotheosis comes with the finale, In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, which unlike the CD edition, has a Hammond intro and Dorman's bass remains pulsating throughout the song. Moreover, the piece is faster than on the CD version. Bushy’s tribal interlude makes the song fantastic.
Giving a final judgment of the album, I consider it one of the best of the '60s and '70s... a must-have with your eyes closed...
TRACKLIST:
1-IN THE TIME OF OUR LIVES
2-FILLED WITH FEAR
3-SOUL EXPERIENCE
4-YOU CAN'T WIN
5-ARE YOU HAPPY
6-IN-A-GADDA-DA-VIDA
LINEUP:
DOUG INGLE - vocals / Hammond organ
ERIK BRANN - guitar / vocals
LEE DORMAN - bass / vocals
RON BUSHY - drums
Tracklist and Lyrics
03 Soul Experience (04:09)
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.
04 You Can't Win (03:26)
What the man says is always right
He'll cuff your hands so you can't fight
There is no way of getting around it
He'll lock you up and in your head he'll pound it
Destruction is the only road you're headed for
There isn't any road behind those steel doors
You just can't win
Destruction is the only road you're headed for
There isn't any roads behind those steel doors
You just can't win
You can't win, you can't win
You can't win, you can't win
05 Are You Happy (04:02)
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?
06 In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (18:49)
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
Loading comments slowly
