Pearls Before Swine
One Nation Underground

Three out of four people I played this record for unanimously commented: "What did you start buying? The singer doesn't pronounce the 'S', the songs are boring, the melodies all sound the same... it just doesn't inspire me."

Indeed, the first time I heard Tom Rapp's voice, I too had some doubts about the credibility of this music. Yet, patience and the desire to understand this album allowed me to appreciate its ambiguous and sharp charm. Pearls Before Swine formed in 1965, and there are many legends surrounding them (it is said that Rapp beat Bob Dylan in a poetry contest). In 1967 (a blessed year for rock blah blah blah...) they secured a record deal with ESP. Although their most famous work is the second album "Balaklava," their debut deserves a reevaluation.

"One Nation Underground" is, for many (I personally refrain from judgment), their greatest creation, or at least the one that best embodies the band's ironic and unsettling style. Let's introduce the characters of the work one by one: Tom Rapp (voice, guitar), Wayne Harley (mandolin, banjo, vibraphone), Lane Lederer (bass, usually guitar), Roger Crissinger (organ).

The cover is certainly the first detail that exerts considerable charm: the splendid "Garden of Earthly Delights" by Hieronymus Bosch is the visiting card for an enigmatic sound (psychological) journey. As in the subsequent "Balaklava," the horror of war is addressed, and here Rapp plays the role of a gentle philosopher/prophet in the music, sharp in the lyrics. No one can resist the delicacy of the initial arpeggio of "Another Time": the progressions from D to C (I believe this is the key) introduce a relaxing atmosphere, or better yet, a "surreal" one; the voice splendidly continues "Where have you been to? Where did you go?", but stumbles on the line "Did you follow the Summer Out".

Wow! Who is this guy? What a voice... Okay, let's not get discouraged. Let's move on.

The fatal "S" sounds occur repeatedly, but you soon get used to it. After hearing for the fifth time "Have you come by again to die again or try again another time", you can't resist the temptation to replay the track. The spark ignites!

The cheerful organ of "Playmate" demonstrates a strong influence of traditional folk, with the voice taking on an increasingly Dylan-esque style (from "Ballad To An Amber Lady" to "Drop Out!"). The second side (from "Morning Song" to the splendid "The Surrealist Waltz") takes on a more calm and intimate tone. If the ballad "(Oh Dear) Miss Morse" vaguely recalls the '40s, "Uncle John" is an interesting example of folk rock, comparable to that of Fairport Convention. The "S" sounds continue to leap, the guitar proceeds with seemingly similar arpeggios, the organ continuously assumes a percussive character, but now they are no longer flaws, they are elements of a highly personal style.

Certainly, if you expect a masterpiece of late-decade psychedelia, you're completely off track (I would know something about it); if you have no idea what it's about or at least prefer not to draw hasty conclusions, you will better appreciate this wonderful manifesto of Acid Folk. Psychedelia plays a marginal role, folk prevails, surrealism comes to life. Bon voyage!