Kaleidoscope - The Incredible! (1969

Incredible! (1969) was the combo's third album and first to boast contributions from newest members Stuart Brotman (bass/vocals) and Paul Lagos (percussion), flanking David Lindley (guitar/banjo/violin/vocals), Solomon Feldthouse (guitar/oud/clarinet/saz/jumbas/vocals), and Chester Crill (harmonica/violin/organ/vocal). In the absence of Chris Darrow's commanding songwriting, each member projected himself into the material, which adopts a discernible country-rock lilt accompanying Kaleidoscope's established Eastern-informed psychedelia. Nowhere do the two seemingly disparate styles fuse as effortlessly as the upbeat opener, "Lie to Me." Similarly the rural feel of "Let the Good Love Flow" could be easily mistaken for the New Riders of the Purple Sage or Commander Cody, with Lindley pulling off a convincing faux steel guitar lead. On the other side of the spectrum is the funky workout on Howlin' Wolf's "Killing Floor," as it slithers and slides around Lagos' solid rhythm. The bayou-tinged "Petite Fleur" hearkens to a sound the band explored on the cover of Doug Kershaw's "Louisiana Man" from their previous long-player, A Beacon from Mars. The appropriately titled "Banjo" provides Lindley with a vehicle for his remarkable virtuosity, likewise adding stimulation from Feldthouse's strong East-meets-West vibe. The traditional "Cuckoo" is one of Kaleidoscope's heavier numbers, reinforcing Lagos' muscular interjections. The disc concludes with the lengthy and adeptly crafted "Seven-Ate Sweet," a reference to the time signature of the 11-plus-minute instrumental. It offers nothing short of a consistently inspired example of the power and prowess within this incarnation. [Collectors and enthusiasts should take note of the Pulsating Dream (2004) anthology as it features all of the tracks Kaleidoscope recorded during their years on Epic (1967-1970).] AMG.

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Kaleidoscope - Bernice 1970

Kaleidoscope were arguably the most eclectic band of the psychedelic era, weaving together folk, blues, Middle Eastern, and acid more often and more seamlessly than any other musicians. The California group were formed under the nucleus of multi-instrumentalists David Lindley and Chris Darrow in the mid-'60s. Adding fiddle, banjo, and various exotic string instruments such as the oud and saz to the traditional rock lineup, Kaleidoscope complemented their experimental sounds with taut and witty (if lyrically eccentric) songwriting. Other important members were Solomon Feldthouse, who specialized in the Turkish-style instruments, and Chester Crill, who, to make documentation just that much more difficult, sometimes used odd pseudonyms like Fenrus Epp. With the exception of their mawkish forays into old-timey music, Kaleidoscope's work holds up well. Their first three albums were their best, highlighted by the lengthy tracks "Taxim" and "Seven-Ate Sweet," which are groundbreaking fusions of Middle Eastern music and rock. Kaleidoscope were a popular live act, even incorporating some flamenco and belly dancers into their performances. But in commercial terms, their very eclecticism probably worked against them. Hit singles, too, were a difficult proposition for such a versatile group to come to grips with, although several of their 45s were pretty good. One of the best, "Nobody," was a most unusual fusion of R&B and psychedelia that found the group backing veteran rock and blues greats Larry Williams and Johnny "Guitar" Watson. Kaleidoscope's eclecticism may have been a by-product of numerous personnel changes throughout the last half of the '60s that would make the construction of a family tree a most unwieldy task. Darrow, in fact, only lasted a couple of albums; in 1970, shortly after their fourth album, they split up. Several of the group's more important contributors reunited for an album in 1975 (although Lindley played only a small part), and there was another reunion record in 1988. Co-founder Chris Darrow died on January 15, 2020 following a stroke. AMG.

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Kaleidoscope (UK) - Faintly Blowing 1969

For their second album, Kaleidoscope delivered something an awful lot like their debut, a body of pleasant, trippy, spacy raga-rock, with the main difference that they pushed the wattage a little harder on their instruments -- they'd also been performing pretty extensively by the time of their second long-player, and a lot of the music here was material that they'd worked out on-stage in very solid versions. The result is a record just as pretty as their debut but a little punchier and more exciting with each song than their first album. The title track is also one of the more beautiful psychedelic effects pieces of its period, while "A Story from Tom Bitz" is crunchy folk-rock, "(Love Song) For Annie" represents a more lyrical brand of druggy folk-rock, and "If You So Wish" shifts over to Moody Blues-style ballad territory circa late 1968 and early 1969. AMG.

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Kaleidoscope - When Scopes Collide 1976

Six years after the end of the Kaleidoscope, members Stuart Brotman, Chris Darrow, Solomon Feldhouse, Paul Lagos, and Chester Crill (alias Max Buda, alias Templeton Parcely) teamed up again to record this reunion album for Mike Nesmith's Pacific Arts label. (It has also been reported that the "De Paris Letante" credited on the album is, in fact, another ex-member, David Lindley.) The song selection is, if anything, even more eclectic than the band's earlier work. Covers of the Coasters ("Little Egypt"), Duke Ellington ("Black and Tan Fantasy"), and Chuck Berry ("You Never Can Tell") are included, along with the traditional folk song "Man of Constant Sorrow," Middle-Eastern-inspired music, and even an Eastern European bit, "Stu's Balkan Blues." Feldhouse's bag of exotic instruments has expanded, and both he and Brotman play tuba(!). The results are less exciting than all this might indicate, seemingly underproduced and a bit lacking in spirit. But there are highlights, the most effective being the Feldhouse-sung recasting of "Ghost Riders in the Sky" as a slow, spooky tune (it's reminiscent of Gregg Allman's solo version of "Midnight Rider") featuring two ouds -- and where else could you hear that? AMG.

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Kaleidoscope - A Beacon From Mars 1968

Kaleidoscope's second album is the best non-compilation showcase of their legendary eclecticism and versatility. It takes in a blues-rocking cover of Willie Cobbs' "You Don't Love Me"; Doug Kershaw's Cajun "Louisiana Man"; a scary old folk song ("Greenwood Sidee," about a woman who kills her two babies); a hilarious country-ish indictment of marriage ("Baldheaded End of a Broom"); two good acid-folk originals ("Life Will Pass You By" and "I Found Out"); and two completely dissimilar ten-minute-plus originals: the Middle Eastern "Taxim," and the psychedelic workout "Beacon from Mars." Every one of these disparate styles is performed with authority and commitment, and the result still has the power to amaze. AMG.

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Kaleidoscope - Faintly Blowing 1969

For their second album, Kaleidoscope delivered something an awful lot like their debut, a body of pleasant, trippy, spacy raga-rock, with the main difference that they pushed the wattage a little harder on their instruments -- they'd also been performing pretty extensively by the time of their second long-player, and a lot of the music here was material that they'd worked out on-stage in very solid versions. The result is a record just as pretty as their debut but a little punchier and more exciting within each song than their first album. The title track is also one of the more beautiful psychedelic effects pieces of its period, while "A Story from Tom Bitz" is crunchy folk-rock, "(Love Song) For Annie" represents a more lyrical brand of druggy folk-rock, and "If You So Wish" shifts over to Moody Blues-style ballad territory circa late 1968 and early 1969. AMG.

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Kaleidoscope - When Scopes Collide 1976

Six years after the end of the Kaleidoscope, members Stuart Brotman, Chris Darrow, Solomon Feldhouse, Paul Lagos, and Chester Crill (alias Max Buda, alias Templeton Parcely) teamed up again to record this reunion album forMike Nesmith's Pacific Arts label. (It has also been reported that the "De Paris Letante" credited on the album is, in fact, another ex-member, David Lindley.) The song selection is, if anything, even more eclectic than the band's earlier work. Covers of the Coasters ("Little Egypt"), Duke Ellington ("Black and Tan Fantasy"), and Chuck Berry ("You Never Can Tell") are included, along with the traditional folk song "Man of Constant Sorrow," Middle-Eastern-inspired music, and even an Eastern European bit, "Stu's Balkan Blues." Feldhouse's bag of exotic instruments has expanded, and both he and Brotman play tuba(!). The results are less exciting than all this might indicate, seemingly underproduced and a bit lacking in spirit. But there are highlights, the most effective being the Feldhouse-sung recasting of "Ghost Riders in the Sky" as a slow, spooky tune (it's reminiscent of Gregg Allman's solo version of "Midnight Rider") featuring two ouds -- and where else could you hear that? AMG.

listen here

Buy @ Amazon: USA - FR - UK