Various Artists: Brown Acid: The Fourth Trip (2017)
As I’ve explained about earlier volumes, Brown Acid is an ever-expanding series committed to unearthing and compiling decades-old 7-inch singles (see above) released by independent heavy/hard/psych/acid/garage rock bands – none of which ever landed a major label recording contract.
Following Riding Easy Records’ usual M.O., The Fourth Trip assembles another ten songs spanning the years 1969-1975, travels to many of America’s rock ‘n’ roll backwaters plus one foreign country, but is notably the first set to revisit bands already featured on earlier sets.
These are Melbourne, Australia’s Ash, back with another savage riff-monger called “Warrant” (B-side to their ultra-collectible “Midnight Witch”) and Los Angeles, CA’s Zekes, whose eight-minute, Grand Funk-inspired, cowbell-powered peace-and-love anthem “Comin’ Back” (1970) was taken directly from the original 1/4-inch tape.
The Fourth Trip also extends its underground purview beyond the ridiculously rare to the merely ludicrously rare by including Lewiston, ID’s Stone Garden and their relatively well-known psychedelic favorite, “Oceans Inside Me,” which I’ve previously covered here on VinylSpinning.
Then it’s back into the deepest, proto-metallic underground, headlined by Daingerfield (*), TX’s Kanaan, who give the MC5 a run for their money with the explosive garage punk of “Leave It” (1969), and Canton, OH’s Wrath, whose full-tilt-gonzo instrumental “Rock ‘n’ Roll Fever” (1975) may remind you of vintage Ted Nugent.
Just a few steps down the “holy shit!” meter are Columbus, OH’s Headstone with another organ-infused Grand Funk disciple called “Carry Me On” (1975), Appleton, WA’s Bungi with a late-to-the-revolution hippie rocker named “Numbers” (1972), and Youngstown, OH’s Erving Forbush (is it a band, man, or vegetable, I know not) with a Yardbirds-styled rave-up dubbed “The Train” (1971).
Last and, yes, least, comes Chicago, IL’s Bad Axe whose nail-biting “Coachman” (1973) showcases a token Arabian lick and manic rhythm section (the bass player is s beast) and Logansport, IN occultists Axas, whose dreamy falsettos, cliché lyrics, and fluttering synthesizers turn “Lucifer” (1975) into a half-baked séance.
In other words, this Fourth Trip ain’t perfect, but no Brown Acid set ever is, and most dedicated graybeard metal sleuths know it’s not about the destination but the (acid) trip, just like the titles say.
* No respect!
More Hard Rock Compilations: Brown Acid 1, Brown Acid 2, Brown Acid 3, Brown Acid 5, Brown Acid 6, Brown Acid 7, Brown Acid 8, Brown Acid 9, Brown Acid 10, Castle Donington Monsters of Rock, Hardrock ‘83, Hear ‘n Aid, Metal Massacre, Metal for Muthas, Metal for Muthas Volume II, New Wave of British Heavy Metal ‘79 Revisited, S.P. Metal, S.P. Metal II, Scandinavian Metal Attack, Speed Metal Hell, Warfaring Strangers: Darkscorch Canticles.
