The Other Half
The Other Half

THE REVIEW

Let's face it, rock (understood as the sacred quadrilateral of voice-guitar-bass-drums) is almost entirely a male affair. No offense to the fairer sex: the percentage of female bands has increased, but it still remains a minority in the global music landscape. The average male listener almost sexually identifies with certain rock bands. Who hasn't exclaimed: "Damn, these guys really have balls!" in front of any band that has tickled our ears as much as our pelvic area. The motto sex, drugs & rock 'n' roll is not just a cliché, the bond between rock music and primal instincts is almost inseparable. To indulge in some cheap psychology, what better phallic symbol than the six-string? It's clear that Other Half fit well into the category of "Bands with Balls".

Remembered for the single "Mr. Pharmacist", included in the Nuggets box set, before disappearing (all except the phalocratic guitarist Randy Holden, who ended up in the second Blue Cheer), they compressed their libido into this self-titled album from 1968. An album that best captures a period in which the initial garage sound was evolving into something more complex, yet still extremely visceral, carrying with it the acidic reminiscences of the American counterculture.

If the intro seems like a diversion by 4 remaining freaks, complete with fake applauding audience, the arrival of "Feathered Fish" immediately sets things straight. Fuzzed guitar, cavernous bass, thundering drums, and screaming vocals. Essentially the ABC of every good rock orgasm. A lascivious harmonica is a must-have, igniting the swaying "Flight Of The Dragon Lady" and "Oz Lee Eaves Drops". "Morning Fire" could be the soundtrack for a wild LSD-fueled romp; "What Can I Do For You" starts with blues petting, then in the second half succumbs to the phallic allure of a guitar on whose neck Golden's lascivious soliloquies chase each other.

A decidedly "seminal" band, whose only album will surely "splatter" at the top of your 60's charts.