The 13th Floor Elevators - Bull Of The Woods (1969 us, Psychedelic Rock)
While the 13th Floor Elevators' debut album caught them as they were still buzzing with the excitement of their musical journey through inner space, and 'Easter Everywhere' found them exploring the possibilities of the recording studio as well as their own creative process, their final studio set, 1969's 'Bull Of The Woods', documented a band that was running out of steam. Legal problems were dogging the Elevators and preventing them from touring, they were justifiably unhappy with their record company, lead vocalist Roky Erickson was beginning to buckle under the group's steady diet of LSD, and lyricist and founder Tommy Hall was growing tired of the demands of the group after the difficult process of writing 'Easter Everywhere'. The album project commenced shortly after the completion of 'Easter Everywhere', and featured two bass players, with the 1968 line-up of Roky Erickson, Stacy Sutherland, Tommy Hall, Danny Thomas, and Duke Davis, with Ronnie Leatherman replacing Davis on some tracks. Only four songs feature Roky Erickson and Duke Davis, with the remaining seven tracks featuring only Sutherland, Thomas, and Leatherman, and so as a consequence, guitarist Stacy Sutherland became the de facto leader of the group during this period, writing most of the songs and singing lead on several numbers, and in his hands the 13th Floor Elevators were a very different band. Sutherland's compositions are more languid and pastoral than the material that dominated the first two albums, and while there's still a psychedelic undertow, Sutherland's music was gentler and his lyrics more solidly grounded in the real world than what he created in tandem with Erickson and Hall. At the same time, the record also showcases Sutherland's consistent strength as a guitarist, and his fluid lead lines and melodies rooted in country and blues figures are Texas psychedelic music at its purest and most refreshing, after the psychic roller coaster of the 13th Floor Elevators' first two albums. Unfortunately, the sessions for the album were recorded quickly, and producer Ray Rush overdubbed an incongruous horn section on several numbers at the insistence of International Artists Records, but even in compromised form, 'Bull Of The Woods' is a testament to Stacy Sutherland's talents and his often overlooked role in one of America's truly visionary rock bands. This version removes that overdubbed horn section, although as it was only present on a few of the tracks then this isn't a radical upgrade, but it's certainly worth a listen if you're a fan of the group.
Track listing
01 Livin' On 02 Barnyard Blues 03 Til Then 04 Never Another 05 Rose And The Thorn 06 Down By The River 07 Scarlet And Gold 08 Street Song 09 Dr. Doom 10 With You 11 May The Circle Remain Unbroken
