Rutanen, Roy

***Roy Rutanen’s self-titled album has remained a very well-kept secret among psychedelia and acid-folk collectors ever since its original release in 1971 on MCA in Australia. Now is the right time for Rutanen’s glorious music to shine through, with his unique combination of moody acoustic bliss and acid-drenched solos, as evidenced on ‘The Trip Song', a 10-minutes magnum opus that might well be a candidate for top 10 psychedelic tunes of all time! (Tell me too that ‘Plastic People’ doesn’t make you instantly think of Rodriguez). And like Rodriguez, despite the far flung nature of his record’s release, Rutanen is actually American. But during his time in Vietnam, Rutanen used two R&R periods to visit Australia. He liked it so much, he decided to fly straight back upon his discharge from the US Army. Rutanen's early recollections of Australia were of having good times, making many good friends: "I smoked a lot of pot and indulged in other highs,” Roy said. "I lived right on Manly Beach in Sydney and went to sleep at night with the sound of surf coming in through the open balcony doors.” He started putting his name about in the scene and playing his own songs at some local venues, which led to the album being recorded, and then more or less abandoned by MCA. What could have been the solid foundation for a promising career in the music industry was abandoned due to the lack of label support, subsequently surviving as a one-off release, accessible only to a select few who could afford the steep price ($650+) commanded for original copies. Edition of 300 copies on black vinyl.