THEM Now & Them ORIG '67 garage punk psych LP LISTEN
$
76
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Description
The post-Van Morrison Them gets off a psychedelic tour de force on their first Vanless album, “Now and Them”, released in late 1967 on the Tower label. Makes you think that ole Van might’ve been holding ‘em back a little, and all they needed was a couple of tabs of acid and a little breathing room, and look what the back-up band can do! Astral Weeks? Who needs it, when you’ve got your own 10-minute mindblower called “Square Room”, which glides and pulsates along on a mystical Indian snake dance rhythm, wafting high above the marketplace on a bed of cosmic sitar and mantra-like backing vocals. This is positively trance-inducing stuff, all sitar and flute and hazy paisley patterns, and lyrics like “Square room…just one table,” the extended 12” dance mix of George’s “Within You Without You.” I bet if Van were still in the band, he NEVER would’ve allowed them to do that, much less follow up their 10-minute inner space jam with a positively PERFECT pop concoction like “You’re Just What I Was,” a would-be single that should’ve challenged “Brown Eyed Girl” for the top slot in 1967. With its jangly Byrds-like guitar figures, catchy summertime pop melody and playful organ, it’s an acid-spiked answer to the Monkees “I’m a Believer.” And when the lyrics go “We could drift away together”, the song DOES, floating off into the clouds as if it momentarily lost its hold on reality. On the other hand, the blistering garage punk scorcher “Walking in the Queen’s Garden” has both feet planted firmly on the ground, and sounds like the more logical extension to the band’s mid-60’s garage nuggets “Gloria” and “Here Comes the Night.” This is a relentless, rumbling speed demon of 60’s punk, breathing Mars Bonfire squeals of electric guitar while the pumping organ churns the beast’s innards, racing across the Irish countryside to burn down Van’s castle once and for all. This is “Magic Carpet Ride” as performed by the Music Machine. I have no idea if Lewis Carroll was an inspiration, but the chorus goes something like “And now you got the point, I don’t do another joint”, which has to be the most obvious lie in the history of rock music lyrics. Sure, sure, Van the Man would rebound in 1968 and release “Astral Weeks”, single-handedly jumpstarting the whole “Top 100 Albums Of All Time that No One Ever Listens To” phenomenon (“Trout Mask Replica”, anyone?). But 1967 is THEM’s year, hands down. And “Now and Them” is a certifiable psychedelic masterpiece that fans SHOULD listen to. And you won’t find any of THESE songs featured in “Bridget Jones’ Diary.”
This is an ORIGINAL 1967 STEREO pressing on the Tower label. Cover's in VG++ shape with a 2-inch seam split along the bottom edge, from the opening in, and the tiniest split along the top edge. Cover surface, as you can see from the photos, looks immaculate, with no ringwear at all. Vinyl shows very light scuffs, plays VG++ with occasional very light pops, still sounds great. Check out the sound clip below!
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN!
Click on the above link to listen to a sample of the ACTUAL RECORD you're bidding on! Winning bidder pays $4.50 for media mail shipping plus tracking in the US, $8 air mail to Canada, $14 everywhere else. Western Union, Bidpay, checks and money orders accepted. And please be sure to check out my other auctions for more vinyl obscurities, and I will combine shipping costs on multiple wins.
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