Flower Travellin' Band - Satori (1971)

Heavy psych from Japanese stoners; think Sabbath and Zeppelin channeled through extensive LSD trips, Eastern philosophy and Asian technical superiority- this is the essence of Flower Travellin' Band's 1971 classic Satori (the Japanese Buddhist term for "understanding"). Yeah, I understand that this fucking rocks- it acts as both an homage and an encouragement to American-slash-British hard rock, pushing the envelope a little further than Grand Funk, Deep Purple or Blue Cheer could've hoped to.

Lead guitarist Hideki Ishima may also be one of the most under-rated axe men of all-time; he shreds. Balancing the precarious tightrope between psychedelia, prog and metal; he weaves lines in and out of Joe Yamanaka's harmonica runs, all over Jun Kozuki's outstanding, plodding bass lines and George Wada's tight drumming.

I can't believe I didn't discover this record earlier in life; it's filled a void I didn't even know existed. Do yourself a huge favor; Oh, musical adventurer!- listen to this shit right now!!!

Flower Travellin' Band - Satori (1971; Atlantic Records)

Power Of Zeus - The Gospel According To Zeus (1970)

Occasionally I shop for records at places you might not expect to find records. This is one of those records I found at a bookstore of all places; I have to admit I thought it was gonna be a hilarious novelty act. I mean, c'mon- Rare Earth Records was Motown's short-lived and ill-fated "rock" imprint label. The only other acts from that label I've even heard of are Rare Earth and The Pretty Things.

But Power Of Zeus, man this rocks. Some serious hard rock/heavy psych, halfway between Black Sabbath and Deep Purple with some Grand Funk Railroad thrown in for good measure. Big crunchy riffs, the swirly psychedelic Hammond B-3 organ is absolutely crammed into every spare nook, then take some wah-wah inflected funk- yeah, this record is a hidden gem...

Power Of Zeus - The Gospel According To Zeus (1970; Rare Earth Records)
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