Los Angeles / give me Norfolk, Virginia / dial one oh four ten oh nine / tell the folks back home th...
Los Angeles / give me Norfolk, Virginia / dial one oh four ten oh nine / tell the folks back home this is the promised land calling / and the poor boy is on / the line
Member since:17.02.2004
Reviews:159
Members who trust:90
Released in 1968, this is one of the albums that bridged the gap between the 1960's pop sounds and the heavier blues that came later on. It's very much an album of two halves, Brian, side one being hippie-dippie flower power stuff, but no worse for it, and side two consisting of the title track alone, in all its majestic seventeen minutes. The US FM stations loved it, and it opened the record company's eyes to the sheer huge financial prospects of artist albums. This was the first album to go platinum, and to date has sold something like 27 million copies! Waddya mean, you've never heard of it?
The band, coming out of Los Angeles in 1968, were Doug Ingle (keyboards, vocals), Lee Dorman (bass), Ron Bushy (drums) and the late Erik Brann (guitar), who sadly died not too long ago aged only 52.
In A Gadda Da Vida was the bands second album. Reputedly so named because Doug Ingle was so wacked out
during recording that he couldn't sing the intended title, In The Garden Of Eden. Rock and roll, man!!
Iron Butterfly. Light. But heavy. Side One, Light. Side Two, heaaaavvvyy.
SIDE ONE: Most Anything You Want / Flowers And Beads / My Mirage / Termination / Are You Happy
Any fans of the 1910 Fruitgum Company, The MCoys (Hang On Sloopy), The Lemon Pipers (Green Tambourine) and the fab Ivy League (and I know that's most of you), will recognise and feel at home with any of the songs making up side one. For those of who who've never heard of the above bands, you have my sympathy. Raid your dad's record collection now!!!!
Most Anything That You Want has a riff sounding eerily like the title track, culminating in the singalong "I just wanna make you haaa-aaappy" chorus. Doug Ingle puts down a church organ and Lee Dorman adds a nice rolling bassline. We get to the ultimate hippie-dippie Flowers And Beads, a soppy love song with a great call and response chorus..."girl you just know he loves you now" sing the band "girl you just know I want you" sings Ingle. A nice bouncy beat carries things along.
The heaviness starts to kick in with My Mirage, a slow organ build up leading to neat interchanges in an eastern vibe between six-string and bass, "my mirage, I'll be calling you soon", pull the curtains, light up those joss sticks and sit cross legged in your room, there you have this song summed up.
The weakest track Termination comes next, sounding a little similar to what went before. A good ending though, nice and atmospheric. Side one is wrapped up with the fab Are You Happy, "I met a pretty girl on the train last night, let me tell you now she was groovy!!". Images of the bouncier songs of The Doors come to mind, but the band throw in a serious ending, getting all heavy on us for the last few bars.
SIDE TWO: IN A GADDA DA VIDA So. You have an Egyptian organ solo, a light section, a heavy section, and the second most famous drum solo ever. Yes, Ron Bushy's now infamous solo is here, and it's really impressive too. Musically, the title track is a simple descending riff on the D and G strings of the lead guitar, and the D string of the bass. And it goes on. And on. And on. There's no getting away from it, this is head music. Viewers of The Simpsons will have seen and heard this, as it's been featured in the cartoon several times over the years.
With their light/heavy masterpiece, The Butterfly had helped to kick down the door for a whole raft of heavy rockers , and back in London a certain Jimmy Page was taking note of their live presentations. Led Zep would even tour the States in 1969 supporting them.
Sadly, the huge success of this album became a millstone around the band's necks, and they soon fell into oblivion. I've read that their later album"Ball" is well worth a listen though. They still tour even now, though with only Ron Bushy and Lee Dorman of the original line-up. Dorman is a fine bass player too.
A note of caution, just over 35 minutes long this CD, so get the best price you can for it. It's still well worth a listen though. Get hip to this trip, baby.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Oh yes...this sounds like my sorta stuff...excellent review
coleecip 19.04.2005 14:46
I have heard of the band because of the drum solo, but I have to painfully admit that the title track I only know because it is mentioned by Weird Al Yankovic on one of his polka songs. I should raid the brain of my Prog rock friend - he'll know - thanks for the review - I'll look them up
JoePoirot 13.04.2005 13:40
To my great shame, and apparently loss, I've never listened to this...yet!
Iron Butterfly's 1968 album veritably defined the burgeoning genre of hard-rock, primarily ... more
by way of its utterly over-the-top title cut. Reportedly composed by keyboardist/lead singer Doug Ingle in such a stoned-out, numb-tongued condition that he coul...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Iron Butterfly's 1968 album veritably defined the burgeoning genre of hard-rock, primarily ... more
by way of its utterly over-the-top title cut. Reportedly composed by keyboardist/lead singer Doug Ingle in such a stoned-out, numb-tongued condition that he coul...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Iron Butterfly's 1968 album veritably defined the burgeoning genre of hard-rock, primarily ... more
by way of its utterly over-the-top title cut. Reportedly composed by keyboardist/lead singer Doug Ingle in such a stoned-out, numb-tongued condition that he coul...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Iron Butterfly's 1968 album veritably defined the burgeoning genre of hard-rock, primarily ... more
by way of its utterly over-the-top title cut. Reportedly composed by keyboardist/lead singer Doug Ingle in such a stoned-out, numb-tongued condition that he coul...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Apr 3rd, 2005
very helpful by (97%):
helpful by (3%):
![River Is Wide, The [Remastered] - Forum (The)](http://imagesb.ciao.com/iuk/images/products/small/251/prod_small-6006251.jpg)
