GREYLOCK MANSION, GREAT PSYCH, HEAVY SOUNDS

GREYLOCK MANSION “SAME” (U.S. LYSERGIC) 2015 SEALED 60’S ACID SOUNDS Heavy, doomy organ material with flourishes of fuzz guitar throughout. Can I mention the singer sometimes sounds like Ozzy…. The informative liner notes let on that Greylock Mansion were heavily influenced by both Iron Butterfly and The Doors, as well as opening for acts as obscure as Brain Police from San Diego. And there’s your recipe ingredients for Greylock Mansion. This takes the best elements of all 3 bands: The heavy fuzz sinister sound of primo Iron Butterfly, the somewhat psychotic Morrison-like rantings and vintage organ of The Doors, and the cut-above psych-era songwriting of Brain Police. The Doors influence in particular shows up most prominently, and the closer ‘Mars’ is as heavy a long form 60s track as you will ever hear.

from the flyer enclosed
LYSERGIC SOUND DISTRIBUTORS unearths another unknown buried treasure of pure 1060’s underground psychedelia by GREYLOCK MANSION, a potent four piece band that emerged loudly from the Sonoran Desert city of Tucson, AZ in 1968.
There’s a total of nine original songs on the album, all of them restored and remastere from the original 1969 studio reels that had been in storage for more than 45 years. Six of these songs were never released, while three of the songs had been released on two private micro-pressings in 1970 and 1971.
The sound is a powerful brand of deep underground psych with dominant thick funeral organ and distorted fuzz guitar and effects, backed by heavy, precise drumming. The Doors and Iron Butterfly influences are evident, and a touch of early Black Sabbath’s slow, grinding sludge rears its head at times.
For all the desired heaviness, which is plenty, the lyrics may be even more interesting. They are generally dark, meaningful, thoughtful words that are masterfully constructed and thought provoking, with mystical, sci-fi and other-worldly themes like time travel, trips to Mars, death by spider (seriously) and funeral accoutrements, along with other wicked inventiveness! It’s hard to believe the lyrics and music were written by a 19 year old college student until you realize that student was Merl Reagle, who later became a master wordsmith, raconteur and the most famous crossword puzzle author in the U.S. Merl was syndicated in more than 50 of the largest newspapers in the country and made numerous television and movie appearances, and was even portrayed as a character on the enormously popular TV show, The Simpsons.
Greylock Mansion’s mix of original songs that meld science fiction, horror movie themes and Reagle’s lyrics, together with roaring fuzz guitar, doomy organ and spiritually mysterious psychedelia, is a robust and compelling blend that can finally and deservedly be heard and appreciated by fans of the heavy, ultra-obscure, underground psychedelic gems of the era. Their musicianship, melodic, yet heavy tunes and songwriting are superior to many of the “big name” bands of the time.
The cover art is a colorful, enigmatic portrayal of the very early 20th century mysticism that visually represents the name of the band, its sound and its subject matter quite accurately.
This is a fully licensed Lysergic Sound Distributors release, presented only as a limited number vinyl release. Included are inserts with pictures of the band and posters from live appearances, and a lyric sheet.
Track listing
A1
Catafalque3:49
A2
Dedication5:09
A3
Pretty for Petting2:46
A4
Spiders6:00
A5
Time Machine4:24
B1
Over My Shoulder3:11
B2
Sanctum Sanctorum5:48
B3
On the Mountainside4:13
B4
Mars9:02