State of the Union

RELEASE
2001
LABEL
Akarma
GENRES
Pop/Rock, Psychedelic

Album Review

From the Italian-based Akarma Records label comes this definitive box set on psychedelic Beantown rockers the Beacon Street Union (BSU). The three discs cover the two LPs Eyes Of The Beacon Street Union (1968) and the Clown Died In Marvin Gardens (1968) which were issued as the BSU. However the real find for enthusiasts is the criminally well-hidden gem Come Under Nancy's Tent (1970). The platter featured four of the original five BSU personnel, however was further obscured when issued under the moniker Eagle and then typically under promoted. Each title is uniquely housed in respective gatefold replicas of the original vinyl jackets. Also included is a full sized eight-page booklet that features a brief history of the band from Richard Weissberg (drums), lyrics to the pair of BSU albums as well as a few vintage photos. All the contents are presented in a 12"x12" box. Unlike previous and spuriously authorised editions of these albums, the material on State Of The Union (2001) was taken from a low generation (perhaps master) tape source, rather than a vinyl transcription. This ultimately yields an infinitely clearer stereo soundscape and generally far less brittle audio. It also provided access to a few bonuses in the form of "Mayola" and "Working Man" -- two non-LP b-sides that had not been previously issued on CD. The BSU were one of the bands being exposed via the high pressure "Bosstown Sound" promotional campaign that MGM Records sponsored and hailed as the East Coast version of the San Francisco Bay Area music scene. This heavy-handed approach of launching a band was met with the double edged success that yielded two long players. However it likewise obscured the musicians legitimate talents in over production and campy pseudo-psychedelia. There are a few lost masterpieces such as the trippy "Mystic Mourning" and punkish "Sadie Said No" from Eyes Of The Beacon Street Union as well as the intricate "Now I Taste The Tears"off of the Clown Died In Marvin Gardens. The record label discarded the BSU after the promotion had run its course. They resurfaced in a slightly reconfigured manner two years later as Eagle with Come Under Nancy's Tent. This album is stripped down blues-based rock and roll. The intervening years had allowed the core quartet of John Lincoln Wright (vocals), Robert Rosenblatt (keyboards/brass), Richard Weissberg (drums/percussion) and Wayne Ulaky (bass) to mature and develop more organically. Standouts include "Brown Hair," "Kickin' It Back To You" and "Dance On Little Beauty." Interested and potential enthusiasts are encouraged to make necessary provisions to obtain this import box set.
Lindsay Planer, Rovi

Track Listing

  1. Recitation/My Love Is
  2. Beautiful Delilah
  3. Sportin' Life
  4. Four Hundred and Five
  5. Mystic Mourning
  6. Sadie Said No
  7. Speed Kills
  8. Blue Avenue
  9. South End Incident
  10. Green Destroys the Gold
  11. The Prophet
  12. The Clown Died in Marvin Gardens
  13. The Clown's Overture
  14. Angus of Aberdeen
  15. Blue Suede Shoes
  16. A Not Very August Afternoon
  17. Now I Taste the Tears
  18. King of the Jungle
  19. May I Light Your Cigarette
  20. Baby Please Don't Go
  21. Mayola*
  22. Pack Up
  23. Come In, It's All for Free
  24. Brown Hair
  25. Dance on Little Beauty
  26. City Girl
  27. Kickin' It Back to You
  28. Separated
  29. We Got a Good Thing Goin'/Get a Hit and Run
  30. Snake in the Grass
  31. Comin' Home Day
  32. Working Man*