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Size: 80.7 MB
Bitrate: 256
mp3
Ripped by: ChrisGoesRock
Artwork Incuded

If '60s garage-psych revivalism will never entirely die, for better or worse, then it's a good thing that there are bands like Laughing Sky around to do the spirit proud. If nowhere near as freaked-out and frazzled, or honestly creative, as bands like Spacemen 3 or Loop, the trio on Free Inside has itself a good and freaky time. The end result comes close to something like the American equivalent of the Damned's Naz Nomad and the Nightmares guise, or XTC's tripping out as the Dukes of Stratosphear. In a nice enough touch, the recording quality is much more full-sounding than simple recreation, suggesting what a lot of groups of the time were maybe trying for but couldn't quite achieve. It's not glossy mainstream overkill or anything, merely rich sonic detail designed for a different age and different ears — check out the instrumental breaks on "Arms of the Sun" or the chiming introduction of the title track for proof.

Songs like the merrily spooked-out trip of "The Slip," all phased guitar solos and smoky rhythm trance and just-stoned-enough vocal chants and more, capture the spirit of things just right. There are covers both well-known (a reasonable enough "Tomorrow Never Knows," a mighty fine "Lucifer Sam") and obscure ("Here We Come" by Alvin Alvey and the Green Fuz, benefiting from some great walls of guitar noise). Perhaps more than once things veer towards the generically hard rock instead of the truly tripped out — the very beginning of "The Future of Love" almost sounds like it's about to break into some lousy early-'70s nonsense — but for the most part, this merry trio knows how to have a good time looking back on some crazy days.

This, sole album by this amazing New York neo psych band, was originally releases in 1996 on Voxx. We’re talking about Dino Sorbello’s 90’s band that played a bit heavier stuff than his previous bands The Mad Violets and Blacklight Chameleons. The basis for this band still was late 60’s garage psych. Many of the songs strongly remind me of Sun Dial’s output, and since that band is one of my favourites I’m naturally very much into Laughing Sky, as well! During the recordings the band was mostly a trio formed by Dino (vocals, guitar, Vox organ), Jamie Ross (bass) and Brad Kelly (drums), but on the title track there’s also a second guitar player and apparently different bass player and drummer. The tracks on this album were, for the most part, written by Dino, but there are a few coves too and “DeEmpy” (just think how this is pronounced…) was written with the bassist.
The album starts with a wild version of Randy Alvey and The Green Fuzz track “Here We Come”. A good starter! “The Slip” is an old track that Dino used to play already during Blacklight Chameleons period and it still works very well. Mystical stuff with heavy fuzz! “Army of the Sun” sounds a bit like TSOOL, “Eyes in the Sky” is OK and a little heavier “The Future of Love” could be Bevis Frond or Outskirts of Infinity, as well. Then follows a version of Barret’s “Lucifer Sam”, this works! On the track “Take It” the Vox rules, great number! “Free Inside” is also a totally cool song, but the sound is somehow a tad inferior. “DeEmty” is a bit lame, I think, but has a rather psychedelic section. A great ending for this album is a cover of The Beatles track “Tomorrow Never Knows”, this was where it all started in a way with psychedelic rock. If you’re into 60’s influenced fuzz driven psychedelic rock, you should definitely get this album!

01. Here We Come Laughing Sky 3:02
02. The Slip Blacklight Chameleonslaughing Sky 6:53
03. Arms of the Sun Laughing Sky 4:49
04. Eyes in the Sky Laughing Sky 4:08
05. The Future of Love Laughing Sky 3:46
06. Lucifer Sam Laughing Sky 3:02
07. Take It Laughing Sky 3:38
08. Free Inside Laughing Sky 4:46
09. Deempty Laughing Sky 3:55
10. Tomorrow Never Knows Laughing Sky 4:58