Brainticket - Cottonwoodhill LP

$22.98

Our Review:

Cottonwoodhill, originally released in 1971, the debut from Swiss psychedelic groove-meisters Brainticket, is simply one of the freakiest, LSD-trip inspired slabs of groovy musick of all times. Up there with Funkadelic's Free Your Mind And Your Ass Will Follow, even.

The first two tracks on side one, "Black Sand" and "Places Of Light", ease you into it, being laidback groovers laced with stabs of distortion; then the true "trip" begins, the utterly over the top, three-part "Brainticket", that starts on side one and spreads over all of side two, dense and propulsive and repetitive through the maddeningly-catchy psychedelic throb. The vocalist Dawn Muir exasperatingly recites in real-time an acid trip in full bloom, with orgasmic yelps and uncomfortably numb sermonizing. It's the perfect soundtrack to completely mad. In addition to wah-wah guitar, organ, flute, tabla, and sci-fi electronics, there's layers of musique concrete through tapes of car-crashes, explosions, clanging bells, clattering trains, cheering crowds and a panoply of noise panic.

One of the most intense albums from the Krautrock scene (even as this ensemble was Swiss) and was huge inspiration on Steven Stapleton. Not only did Brainticket make it onto the legendary NWW-list that accompanied his first record, but he also covered the almight "Brainticket" suite. We have to admit Stapleton's version pales in comparison to the original!

Along with Nurse With Wound, fans of Amon Duul II, Gunter Schickert, A.R. & The Machines and the more cosmic Funkadelic facets will be well served in checking this one out.