Black Acid Rock - S/D

"So Many Millions"
"Black Flowers"
"Housework"
"Monkey Dick"
"In the Cube"
"Are U With It?"

I need that Texas Funk record.

The Madhouse Serve 'Em lp is definitely in the Funkadelic vein; long phased-out rambling tracks, very stoned.

That Black Merda lp fits the bill but I don't really care for it. They were the same group that recorded "Mary Don't Take Me on No Bad Trip" for Chess, which is pretty good.

The Politicians featuring McKinley Jackson lp is definitely up there. Good rock-influenced soul, even if the fuzzboxes aren't continually set on high. Plenty of echo and a slightly wasted vibe though.

Cymande should mentioned if only for their brilliant "Dove".

He was a white guy, but you might like Harvey Mandel's early lps if you haven't heard them. Pretty darn funky and fuzzed out. Plus when I used to do a dusties type show beatheads would always call up and ask what it was when I played him.

(the correct answer is pete cosey-era miles)

what i want to know is what does demon fuzz sound like? they're called DEMON FUZZ so they have to be the greatest band ever (best band name i've seen since violence fog).

Not necessarily sounds like them, at least vocally, but the groove seems in the same ballpark as a lot of the first few Funkadelic records (for some reason, it reminds me of "I Want to Know if It's Good to You").

reads like it was an act of Black Magic rather than Black Rock

and i was able to hear a copy of James Brown's "Sho is Funky Down Here" with dave matthew's Grodeck Whipperjenny band. it sounds fab. must find these two albums.

http://aquariusrecords.org/audio/copelandyourlove.m3u

hendrix IS black acid rock, lets be real here. it's not miles in his early electric period. that stuff doesnt really rock anywhere near as much.

I mean, I know they are both *black*, there is certainly no doubt about that.

bad brains (their later allegedly budgie-inspired stuff anyway)
black heat - no time to burn
jean paul bourelly
jimmy castor bunch (early stuff)
chambers brothers - the time has come
gettovetts
headunters - survival of the fittest
mother's finest
tony williams lifetime - once in a lifetime

and dr. israel (at least the album where he covers black sabbath)

Shakey is probably referring to Mr. Wonka's screwed and chopped remix of "Rollin" featuring Cowboy Troy, and if so, of course he does have a point. Mr. Wonka's other stuff might fit here as well, actually:

http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0415/eddy.php

dickvandyke's post is very funny as well!!

x-post

as for this pete cosey connection=black acid rock, that's ridiculous. just cos its by a black artist and weird, does not mean its black acid rock.

Black metal and black punk are not always psychedelic (and even less often funky, as was requested at this thread's ouset), but if you're gonna include that, this list could get REALLY long. I think the band Don is thinking of is God Forbid, who kinda suck. As do that Brooklyn band, Candiria or however you spell it. Xavion were kinda cool though. (Also, um, as anybody mentioned Prince yet? He had moments.)

I totally agree, but in Cosey's case he *did* play on "Electric Mud", and that record is cited by JasonD up top as an example of what he's lookin for sooooo... (plus Cosey's work with Miles does bear some similarity to early Funkadelic. There's a track on "On the Corner" that even bites the riff from "Super Stupid")

x-post

some highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLuGiMoisgQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs4bMuCYPAo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Br0UJJAE818

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HM3epv-jYxM

how about Maori acid rock. Can we talk about Maori acid rock? any Billy TK's Powerhouse fans in the house?

― Monetizing Eyeballs (diamond), Tuesday, August 24, 2004 12:14 PM (11 years ago)

not one reply to this, smh

Does anyone know how much of an actual acid culture there was in West Africa at the time all this stuff that is now being sold as "Nigerian psych" or whatever was made?

surprised there's no mention of african rock here!

Nigeria Rock Special: Psychedelic Afro-Rock & Fuzz Funk in 1970s Nigeria (Soundway) is a tourist-grabbin' title, but also accurate. Lotta variety, but lovin' the way several bands seem to use sustain vs. fast picking. First couple tracks are just okay (so far), the others tend to kill. Out yesterday.

― dow, Wednesday, April 30, 2008 7:08 PM (7 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I dunno, Don -- compared to the two other '70s Nigeria comps I heard this year (neither hyped as rock per se'), it's actually seeming, bizarrely, to rock less so far; too much cocktail fusion-funk, not enough acid-rock, unless the wrong songs just keep coming up in my CD changer, which is possible. Which are the tracks that kick the loudest?

― xhuxk, Wednesday, April 30, 2008 7:29 PM (7 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I dunno-which are the tracks that"cocktail-fusion funk"?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(Probably something or three else entirely in that hellbound CD carousel of yours)

― dow, Wednesday, April 30, 2008 9:28 PM (7 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Although come to think of it, cocktail fusion-funk might not be bad, depending on what's in the cocktails--probably a resource for a thread and DJ subgenre or "three"

― dow, Wednesday, April 30, 2008 9:35 PM (7 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

But if the other two you mean are in this same series--that is, Nigeria Special: Modern Highlife, Afro-Sounds & Nigerian Blues 1970-6, and Nigeria Disco Funk Special: The Sounds of The Underground Lagos Dancefloor 1974-79--yeah, those are def worth checking out also. If you mean two others, I'd like to hear about 'em!

― dow, Wednesday, April 30, 2008 9:42 PM (7 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

If you mean two others, I'd like to hear about 'em!

I meant:

(Various) – Nigeria Disco Funk Special: The Sound Of The Underground Lagos Dancefloor 1974-9 (Sound Way)

and

(Various) – Nigeria 70: Lagos Jump: Original Heavweight Afrobeat Highlife & Afro-Funk (Strut)

Haven't heard the "blue" Sound Way one yet.

― xhuxk, Wednesday, April 30, 2008 10:17 PM (7 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

By "Disco Funk," the Africans don't nec. mean the first thing that might come to American minds, at all---but obviously, as int hat argument and others way before it, not everything on this thread is going to seem relevant to some seekers---but listen before dismissing, and like the feller said, "Come along if you can."

For more recent African music relevant to this thread, try Kononos Nº1, with their homemade instruments (from the junkyard, even) especially the debut, Congotronics. Also Tal National's amazing Zoy Zoy, which sets up problems and self-challenges in complex sonic images, and knocks 'em down, kicking out the jams indeed.

reading through this thread is so ugh, such a wasted opportunity

Kind of DOA with the garbled OP. "Black Acid Rock" = any time black people have used a fuzz pedal, and also some white people.

Lol yup

What should we be listening to?

Meanwhile Noura Mint Seymali's Tzenni is a revelation: voice, guitar, songshapes and all. Pretty good live too, apparently---from the current Rolling Outernational thread:

Noura Mint Seymali was great, god damn can her husband play guitar. loved how the opening band were Portland guys fussing over their electronic tuner pedals, and then this dude gets up and tunes his guitar to some crazy modal variation in like ten seconds, by ear.

― the 'major tom guy' (sleeve), Thursday, March 3, 2016 3:46 PM (1 month ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

He is great. I think I saw an interview saying that he listens to just Tuareg/Sahel region players and old Dire Straits tapes, but his sound is so much more than that-- feels psychedelic.

― curmudgeon, Friday, March 4, 2016 9:35 AM (1 month ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Also Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba's Jama Ko.

This is pan-racial rather than "black" per se, but Boogarins from Brazil are pretty great.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5f-Mb9dP7U

reading through this thread is so ugh, such a wasted opportunity

― Οὖτις, Monday, April 4, 2016 11:50 AM (23 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Kind of DOA with the garbled OP. "Black Acid Rock" = any time black people have used a fuzz pedal, and also some white people.

― human life won't become a cat (man alive), Monday, April 4, 2016 11:55 AM (17 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Lol yup

― Οὖτις, Monday, April 4, 2016 11:57 AM (16 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

haters

Chuck ruined a lot of threads afaict

"the good old days"

There's been a lot of great stuff from Africa reissued over the last 5 or 10 years.
I've seen Blo! mentioned above but don't think I've seen mention of Witch, Ofege, Edzayawa, Hedzoleh, Ngozi Family, Amanaz or several others. I dowish Orfo and the Black Company had a lot more recorded too.
Looks like Osibisa were pretty popular as an influence on African Rock. & their first 2 lps at least are worth hearing. Looks like Yes picked up on Roger Dean from them.

There's also things like the Bamako scene from the 70s the Ambassadors and the Rail band both cut long trippy tracks. STERNS have been compiling them both.
Mali also gave us Toumani Diabate who's done some really psychedelic stuff especially with the Symmetrical Orchestra.

I also really like the Luo guitarist Daniel Mirsani and Shirati Jazz. It's not really influenced by Western rock per se but comes across like a more percussive Television like weave. Lovely stuff

What should we be listening to?

there's lots of great recs on this thread tbh (everything Pete Cosey related, various Westbound stuff, the Chains n Black Exhaust comp etc.), it goes off the rails when chuck shows up

xxp

This compilation, out next Friday, is really good; the second volume will be released later in 2016, and is also great.

But it legit kind of bothers me to see all these different kinds of (often great) music being lumped together under an umbrella that seems to be based mostly on fetishizing the fact of black people doing something. I mean Daniel Misani and Shirati Jazz -- not only is that not rock or funk, but it's not even very distorted. I generally don't object loudly to Nigeria 70 type marketing because we all need a "way in" to foreign-seeming music, including myself, but I really don't get what any of this has to do with acid or rock.

sounds like you are fetishizing something white people are doing (taking acid)

i would be surprised if you really couldn't hear the similarities between the stuff i posted and "acid rock"

maybe you're not talking about the stuff i posted

but honestly, tbrr, your question about whether africans actually had LSD on hand legit bothered me

My question was about the fact that we see those musics marketed in the US as "psychedelic" because of something perceived in the sound, and because it sells, but I'm wondering whether there was actually a psychedelic scene to speak of among bands in, say, Lagos in the 60s/70s. I legit don't know, it wasn't a rhetorical question.

Definitely not fetishizing acid.

More just wondering if the label fits or if it's something we're projecting onto it.

Fela smoked a lot of weed.

that's all I got.

ok yeah, to answer your question, these bands were self-consciously imitating stuff like jimi hendrix, cream, and so on,, dressed like hippies, referenced drugs in their music, etc

BLO, WITCH, ofege, people's rock outfit, ngozi family, etc were all trying to do psychedelic rock in the honest sense of the word

yeah now listening the stuff you posted fits

Yeah was just going to say that the interview in the linernotes to Ofege's Try And Love refers to a psych-rock scene they were consciously part of.

I find Shirati Jazz's hypnotic percussive melodicism pretty psychedelic after decades of listening to psych. I hope other people hearing it have the same reaction. So hope people get to hear about them.

Yeah, and Jerry Garcia said, "Acid music is whatever music you listen to on acid"---really listen to, or try to---and also, once you're relatively clean and sober, whatever music takes you on a trip, which is not so easy a task for rock these days, when so much of it, no matter how "wild," soon fits so tightly into some historical slot---but old and new music from Africa, Latin America, and Asia can still pull my old jaded cratedigger ears into some new views (at least in passing) of glories long faded, and ones I was still totally unfamiliar with, whether I knew that or not. Psychedelic, not nec. "psych." But something with rock appeal, expansive and immersive---not something to fall asleep into--for me, drones can be tricky---but uhhhh, kaleidosopic deep focus, and I'll leave it at that (for now).

Also some old and new music from America, Canada, Europe, Middle East can still get me going sometimes--- Rachid Taha's Made In Medina still sounds like a (tuneful) psychedelic blowtorch, for instance.

kaleido*scop*ic deep focus, that is---damn, sorry!

the current line-up of Death, w 2 out of 3 originals, ain't bad, judging by last year's N.E.W. It's no Death...For The Whole World To See, but what is, nowadays? Not too many new/robustly maintained sources for that kind of sound, however you tag it. Hope to catch them on this tour--from Drag City News, so adjust your hype shades accordingly:

What's harder to accept - that three African-American brothers in mid-70s Detroit channeled proto-punk music in total obscurity and weren't TRULY heard doing so for over thirty years - or that it's been over seven years since we all finally got it with the release of For the Whole World to See? Both spans of time seem interminable, and yet, the freshness of Death's music has sustained them through the years of touring since then, supplemented by two additional archival releases and last year's all-new album (yeah, N.E.W.). The recognition has rolled in waves ever since then, but even YOUR cynical ass (what happened to you?) has got to recognize that the honoring of Death in the official Smithsonian African American History Museum in Washington, DC is pretty fucking amazing!

The museum will display the story of DEATH from their days in as a young band in the '70s and showcase their incredible (-ly unknown at the time) evolution in rock n roll music! On September 24th the opening ceremony features a dedication from President Barack Obama and the First Lady Michelle Obama. And hey - this thing is open to the public, so let's all be there, shall we? The Smithsonian will be celebrating this inaugural event all throughout our nation's capital. The ceremony starts at 9am, so get your rest - the night concludes with a Death performance at The Black Cat!

DEATH doesn't stop there, though - with another date in Philadelphia, a trip Las Vegas AND a European tour on the horizon it's safe to say DEATH are is STILL ready for the Whole World To See...them!
DEATH ON TOUR!

8/26 at Psycho Las Vegas in Las Vegas, NV
9/24 at Black Cat in Washington, DC
9/26 at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia, PA
9/29 at Toneladas in Valencia, Spain
9/30 at Caracol in Madrid, Spain
10/1 at Hyttrao in Athens, Greece
10/2 at Moth Club in London, UK
10/2 at Lido in Berlin, Germany
10/5 at Locomotiv Club in Bologna, Italy
10/6 at Marula Cafe in Barcelona, Spain
10/7 at Doka in San Sebastian, Spain
10/8 at Helldorado in Vitoria, Spain
DEATH ONLINE:
Drag City- http://www.dragcity.com/artists/death

Info on artists and events on this site, whether you want the app or not:
http://afropunkfest.com/brooklyn/afropunk-fest-app/

Jim Fusilli's AfroPunk '16 coverage still behind the WSJ paywall currently, but here's his playlist:

https://play.spotify.com/user/wsjrock/playlist/6duxTIuzsUwvW9bObbarAe?play=true&utm_source=open.spotify.com&utm_medium=open

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CrdVhDyW8AEnjVg.jpg

If can't see it, says:

Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber Plays Ornette, Sunny, Wayne & Sugar

Sept 10 The Bop Stop @The Music Settlement Cleveland OH

A territory band....a society music guild aspiring to the condition of all that is molten, glacial, racial, Spacial, oceanic, mythic, antiphonal, and telepathic.

Warning---more excited Drag City prose a head (these guys are getting a lot closer geographically speaking than I ever thought they would):

DEATH'S CEASE FIRE/TAKE IT BACK SOUTHERN TOUR

Detroit, Michigan's DEATH is living proof that raw talent, ambition and honesty WILL prevail in an ever changing music industry - stick n' poke that to your arm! DEATH was conceived by band leader and guitarist David Hackney (1952-2000) in 1973. Although no one at the time would disagree that the unique Rock-N-Roll sound of DEATH was revolutionary, revolutionary enough in fact to be included in the new African American History Museum at Smithsonian in Washington DC. But you already know this! Since the rediscovery of DEATH in 2009, the band has wisely chosen their tour routes to bring their fun loving, proto-punk-rocking jams to fans of all ages in all places!

Next month DEATH are at it again, this time escaping the frigid winter of Vermont and heading down south for warm temperatures and red hot fandom. The revolution of DEATH is alive and well, and with the release of
N.E.W. still resonating in our brains, who knows what the band will have in store on this trip! This is the first time in a LONG time that DEATH has toured the southeast, so don't miss out!

2/9/17 at Gramps in Miami, FL*
2/10/17 at Local 662 in Tampa, FL*
2/11/17 at The Wilbury in Tallahassee, FL*
2/13/17 at Will's Pub in Orlando, FL
2/17/17 at Siberia in New Orleans, LA
2/18/17 at Saturn in Birmingham, AL
2/19/17 at Exit/In in Nashville, TN
2/20/17 at The Earl in Atlanta, GA

*w/ Jacuzzi Boys

DEATH Online:
Drag City-http://www.dragcity.com/artists/death
Official Site-http://deathfromdetroit.com/
Twitter-https://twitter.com/thedeathband
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/deathworldwide/?fref=ts
Instagram-https://www.instagram.com/deathworldwide/

There's supposed to be a section on African Rock in the latest Vernon Joynson A Melange of Musical Pipedreams and Pandemonium.
Has anybody read it and can they tell me how good that section is.
I'm looking for a good source o the subject anhd am in 2 minds about buying this,. I have the previous version of this Australia, Commonwealth, Japan, South America etc etc book Dreams, Fantasies and Nightmares from Faraway Lands Revisited so wondering if i need to splurge again.

Thanks for the mention of those, well try to check them out. Algiers' debut is a ghost train express in a
soul mine (or "post-gospel", as some say); The Underside of Power takes it to a scary-sublime roller coaster.

Both are bad trip good trip bad trip good and continuing.

So has n obody picked up taht latest Vernon Joynson book. Thought at least somebody here might have.
Were dow's comments intended to be on this thread?

Yep. Also digging Araminta by Harriet Tubman: veteran jazz-rock-etc. power trio x trumpet of Wadada Leo Smith, who's more consistently aggressive (or less passive-agressive) than electric Miles, though some of it might be descended from Jack Johnson and/or something else involving Sonny Sharrock, though no keyboards or any instruments beyond those of trio and intermittent guest---they got pedals etc., no need for more. Not sure about some of the fades yet, but some killer tracks like "Nina Simone", with sonic knives all around, as in her dreams (just because you're paranoid doesn't mean someone isn't out to get you). Also they could be part of her armory; she could get pretty militant on concert tapes.
Some other tracks here: http://sunnysidezone.com/album/araminta

Somebody torrented one of teh Harriet Tubman lps a couple of months back. I hadn't come across them before that.

But at the moment I really want to find out about that book before spending €40+ on it.

Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber's All You Zombies Dig The Luminosity incl. elements of jazz and hip hop/use of tape effects (in fact the whole thing might be tape, sound quality/ambience/timbre etc not quite the bandcamp usual)m but def black acid rock, in fact it pertains to The Electric Kool=Aid Acid Test's distinction between Leary & co.'s set and setting (preparing mind and its surroundings for thee trip) vs. Merry Pranksters' WHEE HONK HONK HAPPY BIRTHDAY LET'S GO LET GO UH-OH, complete with untrained honking ect. because no matter how carefully you groom, you don't know what's around the next turn, and being a control freak can make it worse---or that's the idea anyway.
Not quite the same here, because, as a prodigal Prankster eventually observes on the book, Kesey and his favorites could be like high school golden boys etc,, and this album conveys more of a sense of something precarious, something at stake on both sides. The punk stakes a claim to "My Black Uncertainty", gets equally powerful push-back from "Throw Some Light", cosmic ballads meet guitar skidmarks upside the heart and "Quoth The Raven" and two versions of "Are U Insane?" Not a rhetorical question. Also, what's with put-downs of gentrification if you're from the projects or just can't take upward mobility or even running place for granted anymore, no matter where you're from. Or is that just bullshit rationalization, also(that one gets pushback in the same song). Anyway, science friction etc(zombies can be strength in numbers btw, or that's a suggestion here):
https://burntsugarthearkestrachamber.bandcamp.com/album/all-you-zombies-dig-the-luminosity

"prodigal Prankster observes in the book," I meant. Think it's Sandy who leaves and comes back and sees things this way now, the jocks and the cheerleaders and the geeks and so on (and if you ever catch any of the Pranksters' posted home movies, when they're playing on the beach and cavorting on the bus and so on, can seem just like his take).

Not that they didn't take things pretty far.

(that one gets pushback in the same song): maybe not in the words, not all of which I've caught, but the sound, the very electric instrumental activity vs. quiet voice.

If this link doesn't work, search YouTube for: DEATH--Live in Paris!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DPGADAkT3I

dig this: Various – Function Underground: The Black And Brown American Rock Sound 1969-1974. it's on spotify!

stumbled across it while making a lil playlist for myself via "maggot brain" thread.

Thank you, budo jeru!!!