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Sopwith Camel – s/t
Named after the World War I
flying machine, the Sopwith Camel were an American
psychedelic fivesome of Peter Kraemer, Norman Mayall (no relation to John, the name is actually misspelled
on the album from the correct “Mayell”), Martin
Beard, Terry McNeil and William Sievers. Sopwith Camel
formed in
Their self-titled album – their
first – displays the band at the height of the counterculture obsession. The problem is the resulting output reeks of
a desperation to produce something (anything?) that could be considered
psychedelic, that it ends up being nothing of the sort. This over conformity to noncomformity
hangs over every note and sounds incredibly dated, even for classic psych afficianados. While
there are moments of originality which offer something more provoking to the
listener – the tracks Frantic Desolation
and Maybe in a Dream show the band
exploring its abilities – the overall effect falls short of their
contemporaries. Their greatest appeal
will be to fans of West Coast psych.
On a curious note, the band may
be as well known for their promotional posters, than their music. In these, they share billing with none other
than 13th Floor Elevators, Grace Slick, Jefferson Airplane, and
Allen Ginsberg among others.
2 stars
out of 8
Tracklist
1- Hello, Hello
2- Frantic Desolation
3- Saga of the Low Down Let
Down
4- Little Orphan Annie
5- You Always Tell Me Baby
6- Maybe in a Dream
7- Cellophane Woman
8- The Things That I Could Do
With You
9- Walk in the Park
10- The Great Morpheum
11- Postcard from
12- Treadin’
(Bonus)
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