Rust - Come With Me (1969 British Psychedelic Rock)

Originally released in 1969 on the independent German label Hor Zu. A minor masterpiece of British psychedelic pop full of gorgeous keyboard sounds, weird & sparse arrangements, treated piano, general garage mayhem, fuzzed-up guitar, distorted vocals and sound effects. For fans of the Deviants. Miniature LP sleeve with original artwork.

Upon a first listening of these guys you may be tempted to write them off as one of those bands whose groovy shtick consisted of phased guitars and distorted vocals. The first song proper, "You Thought You Had It Made" doesn't do much to dispel this. By the time you get to "Please Return", however, you will notice that something very peculiar is happening-they're writing some fantastic songs! This song, especially, is a wonderful melodic metaphor for loneliness that wouldn't have been lost in a John Donne anthology with a great, understated guitar solo to boot. It doesn't stop there, brace yourself for "Should I", a song that reaches heights sublime you will not here very often on music from this era; and that chorus: "Should I ask the sunset for another dance/ Should I ask the stars for some more romance/Should I have a home now shuffling my feet/Should I laugh at dirty faces talking in the street?" The title track is a winner for the chorus-there's also a neat intro to the song that opens the album.

It is too bad they can't sustain this kind of quirky greatness throughout the album. Although the playing is first rate (the drummer especially shines at times), it's hard to top finer moments of the earlier songs. The next few songs are some of the standard psychedelic fare you often heard in this time period. "Think Big" recalls Evil Hearted You-era Yardbirds; "Rust" is a decent enough song whose vocal and lyrical styles evoke some of Syd Barret's work on the first Floyd album; "Delusion" might make you think of some of the heavier moments of the Amboy Dukes. "The Endless Struggle", though having very heavy metaphysical lyrics, doesn't quite reach the majestic heights of "Please Return". In all, this album doesn't so much represent what the mainstream of the sixties was like, but is nevertheless one of those turns down a strange alley that, although not leading to anywhere particularly special, remain unforgettable in the least.

01. Come With Me (Introduction)
02. You Thought You Had It Made
03. Please Return
04. Should I
05. Think Big
06. Rust
07. Delusion
08. Doesnt Add Up To Me
09. Find A Hideaway
10. Come With Me
11. The Endless Struggle

Post by CGR