Really brilliant acid prog folk rock...really revered in Canada...in
the Canadian Rock Hall...you'll hear why!!
An aural fantasy of brilliance
Truth & Fantasy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ykxb1zi ... re=related
Perth County Conspiracy, also known as Perth County Conspiracy (Does Not Exist) was a Canadian folk music group based in Stratford, Ontario. It was formed in 1969 and was active until at least 1977. The founding members were guitarist-singers Richard Keelan (formerly of the American band The Spike Drivers) and Cedric Smith, who were joined by Terry Jones (guitar, vocals), Michael Butler (bass) and George Taros (piano, vocals) and other friends and family members.
After two major label albums for CBS, the group went independent and released a string of records on their own. Bob Burchill (guitar, vocals) joined the group in 1973. They lived together as a commune, similar to the Grateful Dead. The music is characterised by its message-oriented lyrics and unconventional arrangements. The 1970 self-titled album features Shakespearian dialogue and audio collage elements mixed with folk and folk rock music that might place it in the genre of psych folk.
Perth County Conspiracy recorded several albums of material including at least two on the Columbia label.[1]
[edit] Discography
1970 The Perth County Conspiracy (CBC Radio)
1970 Does Not Exist (Columbia) EKL-375
1971 Alive (2 LPs, Columbia) GES-90037
1973 What School Bus Tour (Rumour/Mushroom) RUMOUR-II
1975 Kanada (Rumour) RUMOUR-IV (also released as Amiga 855 424 in GDR)
1976 Breakout To Berlin (Rumour) RUMOUR-V
1977 Ten Lost Years - And Then Some (Rumour)
Richard Keelan and Cedric Smith put together this trio in Stratford, Ontario, in 1969. After recording two albums on the independent Rumour label they were signed to Columbia. Their first of two hits was with an edited version of You've Got To Know, a cut from their first Columbia album. Their Does Not Exist album (Columbia ELS-375) came in a beautiful gatefold sleeve and is full of hippie folk/psych with appealing melodies and harmonies, which reach their zenith on the exquisite final cut, Crucifixation Cartoon. There's not a bad track on this album and lots of other pretty good ones (Midnight Hour, Easy Rider (a song about the film), You Have The Power and the gentle Lady Of The County). All are originals and some are preceded by narratives. The opening cut features an extract from one of Dylan Thomas' poems, Truth And Fantasy begins with a narration and later on side two an excerpt from William Shakespeare's As You Like It is put to music. There are similarities to the Incredible String Band and Everyone Involved here. Recommended if you enjoy stoned hippie folk/psych.
(taken from "Dreams, Fantasies & Nightmares")
Terrific progressive folkpsych LP with a lot of brains and $$$ put into it, still underrated but really one of the best of its kind. Pretentious and theatrical but successful simply on strength of the talent and production value that went into it. A personal fave with several strong tracks and a peak in the deep acid introspection of "Crucifixation Cartoon". Richard Keelan had previously been in US 1960s folkrock band the Spikedrivers.
(Patrick the Lama in "The Acid Archives")
Tracklist:
- Midnight Hour
- Epistle To The Borderliner
- Easy Rider
- Truth And Fantasy
- Don't You Feel Fine
- You Have The Power
- Keeper Of The Key
- Lady Of The County
- Listen To The Kids
- Trouble On The Farm
- Excerpt From "As You Like It"
- The Dancer
- Crucification Cartoon
Personnel:Personnel:
Richard Keelan (gtr, mandolin, vcls) [ABC]
Cedric Smith (gtr, vcls) [ABC]
Michael J. Butler (bs) [ABC]
Terry Jones (gtr, vcls)
George Taros (piano, vcls)
Bob Burchill (gtr, vcls) [C]
Judy Crocker (piano, flute) [C]
David Jeremy Balser (perc) [C]
Band origin:
Stratford (Ontario/Canada)
The Dancer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhHTKNB6 ... creen&NR=1
Richard's Down
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8V2SZuPM ... re=related
a 1970 Columbia Records promo poster with Bruce Cockburn
