Saturday, September 11, 2021

Dragonwyck - Fun (1974-76 us, essential art prog psych rock, 2008 remaster)


This previously unreleased album from 1974 rounds off the World In Sound trilogy of Cleveland´s most celebrated 70s "art-psychedelic" rock groups. It´s Dragonwyck´s most professional piece of music and truly decent pioneering in combining 60s psych compositions with tape looping (comparable to the "Dark Side of The Moon" album) and symphonic elements: "Fun is what the name implies; hard work, a lot of sweat. Orchestrated rock that is orchestrated without an orchestra". Sure they were inspired by the conceptions of giants, like Genesis, 70s Pink Floyd, Gentle Giant or Yes and express a few Doors / Bowie-flashes to sound finally as a unique collage of detailed studiowork. 

Compared to the time when it was recorded it´s innovatively produced and became a great artistic statement with finally 10 original cuts (plus 2 bonustracks/8 p. colorbooklet). You´ll hear prog-psych and crazy symphonic perversions with weird vocals/voices, powerful guitars, violin and lots of keyboards. While the first album (WIS-1023) was minimalistic dark/heavy and strong Doors influenced, the second (WIS-1030) created more "British Invasion"-sounds a la Moody Blues or King Crimson, to make this third album the most variative and unexpected one.
Tasty Odds 
Tracks
1. The Music (Jack Boessneck, Tom Brehm, Bill Pettijohn) - 3:04
2. One More Goodbye (Jerry Moran, Bill Pettijohn) - 3:53
3. He Loves You (Bill Pettijohn) - 2:45
4. I Shall Stay (Tom Brehm) - 3:54
5. Relics (Tom Brehm, Bill Pettijohn) - 4:17
6. Doncha' Cry (Jerry Moran, Bill Pettijohn) - 3:21
7. You Gotta Have Fun (Bill Cavanaugh) - 1:00
8. Ain't That The Way She Goes (Tom Brehm, Jerry Moran, Bill Pettijohn) - 2:59
9. A Dream For Me (Jerry Moran, Bill Pettijohn) - 3:30
10.Forever (Tom Brehm) - 4:22
11.Not Over: Flying Turns (Bill Cavanaugh) - 5:07
12.I Am You (Jon Simonell) - 5:05
Tracks 11-12 as the Flying Turns

Dragonwyck
*Tom Brehm - Guitars, Violin
*Tim Layman - Bass
*Scott Barnes - Bass
*Dale Flanigan - Drums
*Butch Roth - Drums
*Bill Pettijohn - Lead Vocals
*Jerry Moran - Keyboards 
*Peggy Cella - Vocals

Flying Turns
*Bill Cavanaugh - Guitars, Vocals
*Tom Brehm - Guitars, Electric Violin
*Jerry Moran - Keyboards 
*Jon Simonell - Keyboards, Vocals 
*Michael McBride - Drums