OTHER HALF 1967 ORIGINAL ACTA GARAGE FUZZ PSYCH GEM with Randy Holden LP LISTEN

$

79

THE OTHER HALF "THE OTHER HALF" LP

ORIGINAL 1967 LP ON THE US ACTA LABEL, STEREO A-38004

COVER IN VG+ shape, name written on front and back

VINYL plays VG+

Original 1967 self-titled album by the Other Half on the Acta label.  Ever wonder how the other half live?  Well, judging by the sound on this album, they live in a fuzzed-out haze of garage punk distortion, filled with screaming acid guitar and scraping fingernails of electric noise on psychedelic blackboards of melting reality.  And you thought it was in plush mansions with plasma TVs in every room, didn’t you?  Not so for THIS Other Half, anyway – who unleash a FURY of punkish purple haze that’s so intense, it can’t even last a half hour – funny how what was an LP in 1967 is barely an EP today.

 Nevertheless, it’s all killer and no filler, as the kids say, starting off with a quick mock live introduction of the band, and then without so much a respite, we’re plunged headlong into one of the greatest Arthur Lee songs that Love never bothered to release.  In some alternate universe, “Feathered Fish” was the perfect follow-up to “7 and 7 Is”, and it made Arthur Lee the godfather of punk instead of, say, Iggy or Roky or Sky, and so “Forever Changes” never happened.  That’s not the way it went down in THIS universe, however, and so Arthur left his follow-up punk masterpiece to an unknown little band called the Other Half, and they sound so much like him on this version, I’ve actually seen it pawned off on dubious releases as an actual Love recording.  This is every bit as vicious and unhinged as “7 And 7 Is” was, an unrestrained machine gun blast of garage punk fury that uses rocket fuel as a catalyst and burns out in two short minutes.  Screaming acid guitar, shakin’ tambourine, swooping and diving rubbery John Entwistle basslines, and a fine impersonation of the ANGRY young Arthur Lee behind the mike.

 If it were the only great thing the Other Half ever recorded, we could at least thank them for a brilliant rescue, but they prove to be just as explosive and furious with their own material.  Check out the MONSTER guitar blues workout “What Can I Do, Other Half” – there are more guitars here than in the Allman Brothers’ attic – scraping fuzz guitars, wild soloing Hendrix guitars, even a guitar that mimics the lead vocals!  If Jimi Hendrix were triplets, the sound of all three of ‘em playing at once might sound something like this, and afterwards they’d probably still have enough energy to kick Gunnar and the other Nelson boy’s a@#es. 

Now there are times when the Other Half AREN’T trying to sonically rip the paint off the studio wall, and the boys are just as good at finding some groovy 1968 mellow head zones.  The great “Morning Fire” gallops headlong on a mad Russian Cossack rhythm, while a faroff echoey guitar fills in for the sitar they couldn’t afford.  The equally stoned “Wonderful Day” rides a reflective, mystical Byrds-ian melody line, and comes close to attaining the same hookah-smoked transcendence of the Yardbirds’ “Turn to Earth.”  Then it’s back to garage punk mayhem on the incomprehensibly titled “Oz Lee Eaves Drops.”  Whether they were turning up or turning on, the Other Half seemed to do both with equal success.  So now you don’t have to look through the bent-back tulips to see how the Other Half lives – just check out this MONSTER of an album, and start living the great electric garage punk dream for yourself. 

HEAR IT!

PLEASE NOTE I NO LONGER SHIP TO ITALY DUE TO A CORRUPT POSTAL SYSTEM (THERE, NOT HERE).  BUYERS FROM ITALY AGREE TO PAY FOR GLOBAL PRIORITY MAIL INSURED ONLY!

The less exciting stuff

Media mail shipping with delivery confirmation starts at $4.00 in the US, with each additional record only $1 additional shipping.  I accept payments through Paypal. 

I try to grade as best as I can, and I list as many blemishes/imperfections I can find (writing, ringwear, scuff marks, etc.) – Also, please note that I DO listen to these albums – I may not listen to every track, but my grades are based on LISTENING, not just looking at it, since chances are you’ll be listening to the record you buy, not just looking at it.  Most of the albums I sell are the ones I’ve enjoyed for years – and I treat my records with kid gloves.  But sounds speak louder than words, so check out the sound clips below – they’re from the actual record you’re bidding on. 

SHIPPING AND PACKAGING

Listen, I buy a bunch of records too (when I’m not getting outbid at the last second, which is more often than not) – and I know what it’s like to get a rare, one-of-a-kind album packaged dangerously in a flimsy bubblewrap package.  I hate that too.  So rest assured, I ALWAYS package albums with stiff cardboard reinforcements, same for 45s.  And yes, the records are removed from the sleeves (for albums).  I ship out once a week, every Friday, because I have a regular day job.  But I’d be willing to give that up if you’d all be so kind as to bid my items up to stupidly high amounts. 

 For more security and international tracking, you may request GLOBAL PRIORITY MAIL - but bear in mind the cost of this service is upwards of $30.  For expensive items, however, it may be well worth it.  Unfortunately, there isn’t a cost-effective way of tracking parcels to foreign countries yet, and shipping times vary depending on your country’s postal system.   Italy in particular seems to be really bad at delivering packages quickly, or delivering packages at all, now that you mention it.  I will always email you when your package ships, but once it’s on its way, please don’t ask me when it will arrive because I don’t know.  If the world’s postal systems can ever agree on a universal tracking system that’s affordable, I’ll be the first to use it.

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN…

I will always leave positive feedback for successful transactions, and would appreciate the same in return.  All I ask of you is the following – please pay for your items within 14 days of the close of auction.  Compared to other sellers, that’s a generous amount of time, so if you don’t pay within 2 weeks, then I have to assume something’s wrong.  You’ll get an Ebay payment reminder at that point, and possibly a decapitated horse head in your bed.  If, after 30 days, you still haven’t forked up the cash, I’ll relist the item and yell at you if I ever see you in town.