***Recorded in 1970 and 1971, after a difficult spinal surgery following a severe warehouse accident. “…the basic home fidelity, with vocals recorded in a bathroom for echoing ambience, adds to the strangeness, the tunes also sounding on occasion like holiday carols by and for celebrants not quite certain they'll live to see another Christmas. Though not every fan of rare psychedelia will agree with this assessment, it sounds immeasurably better than Microminiature Love, as the songwriting is substantially superior; the melodies far more varied and affecting; and the vision far more likably personal.” —Richie Unterberger, AllMusic. Released in 1974 and rescued from deep inside Yonks’ storage space/weirdo museum. While they last!
LP $31.50
01/20/2017
***Recorded in 1968 (not 1969, as previously reported), not terribly long after the material eventually released as "Microminiature Love", Grimwood sounds like it emanates from another universe entirely. Straightforward on the one hand, yet fascinatingly and psychedelically abstruse on the other, Grimwood remains an essential "outsider” acid-folk document that sits comfortably (and irreplaceably) alongside Spence, Grudzien, Tweddle, and a few select others. “ Released in 1974 and rescued from deep inside Yonks’ storage space/weirdo museum. While they last!
LP $31.50
01/20/2017
***Self-recorded in 1971 & ’72, 'Michael Lee Yonkers' has often been referred to as Michael's "country” album. It is many folks’ favorite of his early works, and is likely the weirdest. The roughhewn quality of these recordings has caused listeners to make comparisons with other “real people” outsiders like Grudzien and the Holy Modal Rounders, but there are more obvious, well-known comparisons (Townes Van Zandt) that are at least as appropriate. There are clear references to various classic country stylings in these songs, even as Michael's unique distillation of their influence lends a delightfully skewed mischievousness to the proceedings. Released in 1974 and rescued from deep inside Yonks’ storage space/weirdo museum. While they last!
LP $31.50
01/20/2017