Long a much sought after and popular bootleg, Iron Butterfly's Live at the Galaxy 1967 is finally officially available on CD for the first time from the folks at Cleopatra Records. Recorded in 1967 at Los Angeles' Galaxy Club, this early version of the band featured Doug Ingle (vocals, organ), Danny Weiss (guitar), Jerry Penrod (bass), Darryl DeLoach (vocals, percussion), and Ron Bushy (drums) at the time of their debut record Heavy. Not long after, the band imploded, with Weiss, Penrod, and DeLoach leaving, and Ingles & Bushy had to regroup with new members to prepare to record their legendary In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida album.
This is a very energetic set, surprisingly 'heavy' for the time and dripping in psychedelia. Weiss' guitar riffs and solos are quite aggressive, with tunes like "Real Fright", "Evil Temptation", "Possession", and "Filled With Fear" really packing a punch and for 1967, the heaviness factor is something to behold. DeLoach sings a handful of tunes here, and he brings an early punk flavor on board with his Iggy Pop styled delivery, giving those songs a frantic, Stooges feel. Those more familiar with Iron Butterfly's later material might find the aggressiveness & speed of those songs kind of jarring, but it's cool to hear some of this early 'metal/punk' riffing coming from the band at this early stage. Ingle's familiar organ permeates all these songs, and while his vocals are not yet as refined as they would later get, you can hear his emotional crooning on the bluesy "Lonely Boy". For unabashed psychedelic noise, the band pulls out all the stops on the raucous "Iron Butterfly Theme", with Weiss' guitar dripping with feedback, distortion, and rage.
The sound quality here isn't great, but hey, it's a glorified bootleg after all, and completely listenable. Overall, a nice little package from Cleopatra Records of a live recording of one of America's most important psychedelic bands from the 1960s.
Track Listing
1. Real Fright
2. Possession
3. Filled With Fear
4. Fields Of Sun
5. It's Up To You
6. Gloomy Day To Remember
7. Evil Temptation
8. So-Lo
9. Gentle As It My Seem
10. Lonely Boy
11. Iron Butterfly Theme
12. You Can't Win
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