REPOST : Crystal Circus - In Relation To Our Times (2001 Akarma Records) 1968 (REQUEST)

Biography : Crystal Circus put out an extremely Strawberry Alarm Clock-sounding single in 1967, "In Relation (To Our Times)"/"Merry-Go-Round," and an entire album of mostly unreleased material credited to the band surfaced on CD in 2001. The Strawberry Alarm Clock connection was not coincidental, since Crystal Circus recorded for the same label, All-American, on which the Strawberry Alarm Clock had first recorded. Also, Crystal Circus were produced by Bill Holmes, who also worked on recordings by the Strawberry Alarm Clock. Certainly "In Relation (To Our Times)" closely approximates the sound of "Incense and Peppermints" without sounding too explicitly derivative. Its B-side "Merry-Go-Round" is a poppier effort, with sunshine pop harmonies and production not much unlike those on Turtles records of the period. The Crystal Circus CD In Relation to Our Times includes these and ten other songs, and was said to be an untitled 1968 album that had gotten to the pressing stage, but was never released. The album's actually decent pop-psychedelia, again in the mold of the Strawberry Alarm Clock. In fact the argument can be made that it's rather more solid than the Strawberry Alarm Clock's own LPs, though it's lacking a classic on the order of "Incense and Peppermints." 

While not a major find, this collection of material -- all previously unreleased, save the two songs ("In Relation (To Our Times)" and "Merry-Go-Round") from their 1967 single -- isn't at all bad pop-psychedelia. It's rather like finding an unreleased Strawberry Alarm Clock album that might make a decent candidate for the best LP that group ever made, had it borne the Strawberry Alarm Clock billing. Indeed, the Strawberry Alarm Clock influence is pervasive, especially on "In Relation (To Our Times)," but also on "Don't Say I Didn't Warn You," which sounds like the ultimate cross between the Strawberry Alarm Clock and the hardest-rocking sides by Paul Revere & the Raiders. Most of the other songs have nice, bouncy tunes with major/minor melodic alternations; pleasing sunshine pop harmonies; and appropriately psychedelic organ, fuzz guitars, trippy orchestration, vocal distortion, and odd effects. The lyrics might be superficially far-out, but again, impressions like those recorded in "Circus and Zoo World" are a good complement for this kind of candy pop-psych. Occasionally, they get into more of a straightforward garage-ish hard rock-soul blend, like on "Never Again," but it's the more ethereal and poppy numbers that stand out. Review by Richie Unterberger

Tracklist

01.In Relation (To Our Times) 2:24

02.Don't Say I Didn't Warn You 2:32

03.Girl Like You 2:12

04.Sittin' & Thinkin' 2:08

05.Twisted Conversation 3:38

06.Merry-Go-Round 3:26

07.Circus And Zoo World 2:49

08.Never Again 3:15

09.Castles (In The Sand) 2:58

10.Sweet High 2:51

11.The Difference Between Us 2:26

12.The World Of Seas & Rivers 4:33

Line-up

Bruce Turner - Guitar, Vocals

Greg Munford - Guitar, Vocals

Bob Feldman - Bass, Vocals

Jack Bielan - Keyboards, Vibes, Vocals

Gary Solomon - Flute, Sax, Vocals

Terry Rae - Drums, Vocals