Pearls Before Swine – One Nation Underground (ESP Disk 1967)

Legendary and highly influential psychedelic folk band from Florida, USA. ‘One Nation Underground’ was their debut album, and a true masterpiece. I wouldn’t have removed a single second from it. The heart and brain behind the band was Tom Rapp, a true poet with a strong social conscience. He later had a solo career, and in the 80’s he became a civil rights lawyer. Anyway, ‘One Nation Underground’ is filled with his great and memorable songwriting. The opening song ‘Another Time’ is simple, but so incredibly haunting and beautiful. It gets me every single time! Other highly atmospheric songs are ‘Ballad To An Amber Lady’, ‘Morning Song’ and ‘Regions of May’. But there are also some more rocking moments here, especially ‘Uncle John’ – one of the classic anti-Vietnam songs from this era. Rapp sings it with such conviction and anger that it gives me shills. ‘Drop Out’ on the other hand, is inspired by the LSD guru Timothy Leary, who was a highly experimental and also influental counter cultural icon in the 60’s. Great melody on this one! It’s not so much more to say. ‘One Nation Underground’ is simply one of the very best albums I’ve heard from the 60’s, regardless of genre, and you have no other alternative than to get it.