Blue Bus: Your Mind´s moving too fast (1967-70, Very Rare US Psych-Garage)

BAND/ALBUM INFO

A teenage garage band who appear not to have released a 45 in their lifetime. One track, Black Candles, resurfaced on the Euro CD version of The Magic Cube in 1999, not long before the retrospective LP appeared on a German label.

Unless there's an insert missing, no historical background is provided except for a list of personnel against each track. From this it can be gleaned that they recorded these demos between 1967 and 1970 with a fluid line-up featuring several different combinations of the above in two's three's and four's. They were built around guitarist/vocalist Roman Oles, who appears on all cuts except the sole cover, Love's Signed D.C..

Their repertoire runs from surfy garage instrumentals through folk-punk and on to psychy-garage. I'd guess this band to be from South California: - there's a strong Byrds flavour in the minor-mood material and especially in the closing Jam #1, which could be uncharitably described as someone attempting Eight Miles High after a few pints too many; a nod in the direction of The Electric Prunes with some siren-like sustain and feedback; and the excellent People Looking At Me has a whiff of Love in the belligerent strumming and hispanic flavour. (M.W.)

LINK: OLLY OLLY BLUES