"The Electric Prunes are back with an album which might easily released by their..sons!!"
The Electric Prunes entered the 21st century after a 30 year of absence from the scene.
They are an already active band which keeps moving into the endless psychedelic roads of the past,with the characteristic sound of M.Tulin's
bass the familiar voice of James Lowe while Ken Williams keeps spreading his poisoned guitar's feedback around.
"Feedback" is not so different from their great comeback album "Artifact",five years ago.It could have been easily released by the sons
of the, round 60 years old, musicians,as these young men searching desperately in their fathers records for...fresh ideas,in the last decades which are starving for something new!!
A very good example is B.Dylan's "Modern Times" album which became #1 in the US charts last year.Everything is possible in music
during this "mad" decade.The Electric Prunes couldn't be the exception.
All these thoughts might have not any value if "Feedback" was not a perfect album with inspired tracks and fantastic production.
It's very enjoyable from tip to toe and i'm sure it will satisfy not only the old fans but the younger too,if they keep their ears open...
This is the result of Feedback's artistic quality and not because the older generations "knows better" as someone could said.
TOP TRACKS : Tulip Between The Eyes,Flying Blind, I'll Give You Feedback. (7 to 10) Philip Chrisopoulos
POP+ROCK Magazine Issue#331 Febr.2007
Roctober Magazine
The Electric Prunes started as a Frat/Surf outfit called The Sanctions, then , Jim and The Lords. Eventually , they were discovered by Jim Hassinger , the brilliant engineer who had just completed The Rolling Stones' magnum opus , "Aftermath". He not only helped them redefine their sound to suit the emerging Psychedelic market , but , he also taught Singer , Jim Lowe , a thing or two about engineering (Lowe went on to become a successful engineer in his own right , with albums by Todd Rundgren , Sparks and Foghat to his credit.). With an updated look , name , and SOUND , The Electric Prunes hit the big time with their second single , "I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night" , which , for all it's innovative guitar work and studio effects , was only the beginning. Over the course of two great LPs and several superb singles , they displayed tremendous growth and creativity. The band began to fall apart in the Late Sixties. They did'nt find God , but , Hassinger did release two quasi - religious LPs , with very little group involvement (One notable exception being the moderately successful "Kyrie Eleison " , featured in "Easy Rider".) , under the guidance of latter - day cult hero , David Axelrod. The group carried on in an altered state (Personnel - wise.) , even joined briefly by that wild Punk heathen , Kenny Loggins. A bogus set of Prunes took over in the wake of an official split ( In 1987 , I briefly worked in Dallas with a woman who claimed that her Husband had played in The Electric Prunes . I never found out which lineup , if any , he'd supposedly played in , as I was soon fired on the grounds of being "Too creative". Yep.). In the ensuing years , a strong cult following grew in their absence , and a bootleg recording of a 1967 Swedish gig that proved that The Prunes were no mere studio creation , but a fiery live act that took no prisoners. In 1997 , when a legit release of said gig , with beautiful packaging , GREAT sound , and extra tracks , hit the streets , the argument was often raised that this was a truly underrated , innovative band , one that should be mentioned in the same hushed tones as The Velvet Underground and Love. Mojo magazine ran a small piece around that time stating that the surviving Electric Prunes ( Guitarist , Mike Gannon , passed away several years ago.)were conducting social reunions and playing music together for fun. They performed a very well - recieved set last year , at The Voxfest in San Diego (Joined by Moby Grape guitarist , Peter Lewis , who's working closely with the band , but has not signed on as a member....
"Moby Prune?!"). I had seen The Electric Prunes' soundcheck , and met Guitarist , Ken Williams , briefly , but , I was not prepared for what was about to hit me. The band positively nailed the original sound and FEEL of their many classics. On top of that , they were the best - dressed of the fest! They did everything you could have hoped for , from both sides of their first single , "Ain't it Hard" / "Little Olive" to the best tracks from both LPs , to their last , and finest , single "You've Never Had it Better " / "Everybody Knows You're Not in Love" (Which , Jim Lowe pointed out , was not about a girl having second thoughts when her ex became a big wheel , but actually about Bill Graham refusing to book The Prunes into The Fillmore for being "Too teenybopper" , then changing his tune when they got a hit record. You know where they told HIM to go . ). They also did a moody , slowed down "7 and 7 Is" , dedicated "To an old friend of ours who's now a guest of The State of California...." (Arthur Lee was released about six weeks later.). This was a devastating set , and , if you should find yourself lucky enough to see them in the future , "Get yourself together , you've never had it better.".
John Battles 1122 W. Northshore Chicago , Ill. 60626. Ph. (772) 465 4520 e-mail chicagobattles@comcast.net
First Name: PURPLE OVERDOSE
Comments: We are proud to be friends and have play together with our Masters in Greece back in October 2002.We are always remember you guys hoping one day to meet again in Athens.
Electric Prunes - Stockholm "67 - album review
If you ever wondered what it was like to be around in the sixties, this album may just be what you need to re-create that era in your living room. This has to be one of the finest live recording of any sixties band ever to have been released, the quality is exceptional. The Electric Prunes have exerted their influence over many bands down the years, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, The Damned and The Stone Roses are all indebted to this band in one way or another. The gig was recorded (without the band's permission) by the Swedish Broadcasting Corporation and features them going through their paces live on stage at the Konserthuset, Stockholm, Sweden on December 14th 1967. The recording features their two best known songs, ' I had too much to dream (last night)' and 'Get me to the world on time' amongst others and a couple of psyche tinged workouts on standard R&B covers of the time, just for good measure.
The recording had been doing the rounds as a bootleg for a number of years, but didn't feature the entire show and so when this album gained it's first official release in 1997, it was the first time that this great band could be heard playing whilst at the height of their powers all those years ago.
The album opens with an introduction by the Swedish compere and then we proceed to be treated to a bit of pre-flight checking of guitar tuning, which far from detracting from the performance, actually adds to the tension and neatly segues into the the cataclysmic opening of 'found sounds' and feedback roar that introduces 'You never had it better' which cracks along at a fair old pace. Then follows the wonderful 'I had too much to dream last night', which is very well executed and has the same sense of urgency that's contained in the original studio recording, but benefits also from the atmosphere conjured up that cold night in Stockholm; the song is prefaced by James Lowe taking time out to apologize for America's military goings on in Vietnam ( he would have to do the same thing, but this time for the war in Iraq on their 2002 European tour) as means of preventing a repeat of an incident in Amsterdam, Holland whereby the band had to take the heat for the war from a righteous and confrontational audience and leave the stage before a note is played . 'Try me on for size' is up next and James gamely encourages the audience to yell out 'curse words' beforehand, but the well behaved audience appear to be content to take in the sounds rather than participate in a 'swear fest'. Next up is 'I happen to love you', which although it is a great Gerry Goffin and Carole King ballad, in the hand of the Prunes it has more edgy feel to it than you would normally expect from a Goffin-King composition. 'I got my mojo workin' follows and ,as said earlier,has all the usual Prune sounds applied to it and takes on a whole new persona in the process. 'Long days flight ('til tomorrow)' is another great band composition that contains all the precussive propulsion and feedback howling and screaming that you could want towards the end of the song. Then follows a Prune take on 'Smokestack Lightning' that starts off pretty straight and then stretches out into an elongated free form, but tight flight of fancy. Last of all is 'Get me to the world on time' which kicks off with some nice growly fuzz bass and percussion before going into the main body of the song and concludes with an apocalypse ending that the Prunes have the patent on.
This is a great historical document of a pioneering psyche band who's influence is felt even in the music of today and have only in recent years been afforded the credit they richly deserve for being bold enough to experiment on their singles and so ushering in the psychedelic era. If you get the chance to see them performing live, do so, as they are just as mind boggling now as they were then!
When I picked up the mail yesterday I found the Electric Prunes CDs my brother Patrick ordered for me after he saw the band a week or so ago in DC. Pat said the show was incredible, as was their 2006 album Feedback.
Well, I shit you not — Feedback is truly one of the best albums I've heard in years. Anyone who's expecting an oldies nostalgia act is going to be wicked disappointed: these guys sound like they're still twenty years old with something to prove. Hell, even Lucius might like it. I also have the limited edition CD California but haven't even cracked it yet as I've had Feedback in constant rotation. I hadn't known there were new riffs to be yanked from the universe, but apparently there are, and a bunch of them are on this album. The songs are amazingly diverse, from psychotic raveup "Hello Out There" (the take-no-prisoners opening track) to "Circus Freak," which sounds like something the Ramones might have written if they could play more than three chords, to the instant neo-psychedelic classic "Morphine Drip" to "African Bees," which out-Zappas Zappa. Those of you who live and die by electric guitar are going to love this, but it's incredibly melodic, too. I kept hearing echoes of the Beatles, Dead Kennedys, Cramps, Mothers of Invention, Dandy Warhols & Brian Jonestown massacre, the Residents, Butthole Surfers, Fleshtones, Mogwai, Nick Cave, Olivia Tremor Control, Beta Band — only of course all those guys copped it from these guys.
The lyrics are also laugh-out-loud funny. "African Bees" is hilarious, and "Morphine Drip" is in the running for greatest love-gone-sour song ever penned. Over the years I've been consistently disappointed by comeback albums from artists I once loved, but this one sounds like the band just walked back onstage for a killer encore. After, uh, thirty years of tuning up.
Back in the 70s, Lenny Kaye had the prescience to open his classic Nuggets compilation with "I Had Too Much to Dream Last Night," one of the Big Bang moments in rock history (along with the drumbeats that herald "Be My Baby" and the chiming Rickenbacker 12-string chord that jump-starts "A Hard Day's Night"). I'd always wondered about the fuzztone opening of "Dream," and finally learned about it on Neotomic Aliviac, a cool new site dedicated to psychedelia: http://neotomicaliviac.blogspot.com
From Prunes lead singer/co-songwriterJames Lowe: "The opening sound came from a rehearsal recording session at Leon Russel's home studio one Sunday afternoon. We were recording on 4 track tape and to save money we used to flip the tape over at the end of the reel and use it going the other way. The engineer didn't hit record for about a minute when the tape was flipped and when it was played back the sound of Ken Williams testing his fuzz tone and tremolo settings came into the studio at earsplitting level. That is the sound you hear at the beginning of the song. We cut this piece of tape off and took it into the actual recording session a few weeks later not knowing exactly what we would use it for. So it was a happy accident turned into an intro."
You should definitely check out Feedback and order it via the band's website, http://www.electricprunes.net/. I'm tempted to offer a money-back guarantee to anyone who buys Feedback. But I won't be responsible for hearing loss.
Garage Rock Lives In Electric Prunes By ERIC R. DANTON | Courant Rock Critic
May 11, 2008
It's tough to sound distinctive when your band helped to inspire a rock 'n' roll aesthetic that has endured for 40 years.
Garage rockers have been emulating the Electric Prunes since the mid-'60s, which was easy enough for a while; the group had broken up ages ago, and only re-formed earlier this decade. By that point, the world had been saturated with fuzz-tone guitar riffs and swirling reverb.
It was a mental exercise, then, to keep in mind that the Electric Prunes were more than just a good garage band when the reunited rockers performed Friday at Pearl Street in Northampton, Mass. — they were one of the original garage bands.
They certainly looked the part on stage.These five were no sheepish duffers in baggy T-shirts and white sneakers; they came with a sense of style. Guitarist Steve Kara wore a flowing dashiki and tight, black-striped pants. Singer James Lowe's white hair reached to his shoulders, and he wore a shimmering faux-snakeskin coat that came to mid-thigh.
When he wasn't coaxing eerie tones from the theremin next to his microphone, Lowe was shaking tambourines or maracas and singing with dramatic flair over taut, economical bass lines.
Buzzing guitar riffs sometimes burst into squalling freak-outs that turned concise rock songs into trippy, sprawling jams, and rippling tremolo guitar chords gave way to stinging single-note licks.
Lo-fi rock gave way to flower power on a few songs, including the band's cover of the obscure Carole King/Gerry Goffin song "I Happen to Love You." "The Great Banana Hoax" split the difference, the trippy organ and circular guitar lick coming straight from the garage while the lyrics, hinting at the counterculture's obsession with mind-expanding substances, had a tie-dyed edge.
The loudest cheer of the night came for the backward guitar part that opens the band's biggest hit, "I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)." Although the song peaked at No. 11 on the charts in 1966, the echoing guitar, quietly throbbing bass and vintage psych-rock melody still sounded edgy, and very cool.
"So, you know one of our songs," Lowe observed. "That's pretty good for an obscure band from the '60s!"
Contact Eric R. Danton at:
Eric R. Danton Rock Critic The Hartford Courant 285 Broad Street Hartford, CT 06115 tel: 860-241-6467 fax: 860-520-6927 edanton@courant.com www.courant.com/danton
The Electric Prunes live at The Turning Point in Piermont, NY on May 8, 2008.
UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL !
Talk about intimate settings! The TP is about the size of some people's living rooms! The stage is very tiny and the band was joking about how they might accidentally clock each other with a guitar neck and the ceiling is so low that they were in danger of bumping their heads! But this did not deter them from putting on an awesome show and the audience was into it all the way! Afterwards, the band graciously hung out and chatted with the crowd, enhancing the intimate feeling of the evening even more. It was a really great place to see a very cool band.
Submitted by Neil & Dawn of NY
Electric Prunes - BB Kings, NY, New York - May 07, 2008.
I saw them last night at BB Kings, they are unbelievable, One of the best live acts I've ever seen. The Doughboys opened for them, another treat unto itself. But The Electric Prunes produce sounds you hear from no other band, they are truly unique in every sense of the word!
Keith Crocker Baldwin, New York www.cinefear.com
The Electric Prunes: Not a Shrivel to Be Seen
Review of Black Cat Show
(The Washington Post - Wednesday, May 7, 2008; page C05)
Most of the classic guitar amplifiers of the 1960s came with built-in tremolo circuitry. Yet few hard rockers ever figured out how to use that feature and still sound cool ("Crimson and Clover" was neither hard rock nor cool) -- except for the Electric Prunes. The psychedelic garage rockers brought three original members, and enough tremolo to cause mass vertigo, to the Black Cat on Monday.
Singer James Lowe, bassist Mark Tulin and guitarist Ken Williams started playing together in Southern California in 1965, but went on a 33-year hiatus before getting back after it in 2001. They don't follow standard oldies-act decorum. For starters, they played their signature tune, the wondrous 1967 single "I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)," near the beginning of their set. Tulin, who spent much of his childhood in Arlington, said it was originally presented to them as a "country-and-western ballad." As rendered then and now, the song gave no hint at its roots, save its title.
They also failed to follow the Thou Shalt Stick to the Old Stuff commandment. Lowe, whose shaggy blond hairdo from the band's heyday has turned into a shaggy silver coif, told the audience: "The last thing you want to hear from an old band: 'We have a new CD!' Well, we have a new CD."
And, shock of shockers: The new stuff -- from "Feedback" (actually released in 2006) -- is really good! The spaciest of the fresh batch: "Morphine Drip," which compares romance to a death vigil.
The Prunes, who back in the day landed two songs on the "Easy Rider" soundtrack, did save time for material from their wild youth. Their first single, "So Hard, Baby," comes off as a power-blooze number influenced by the Rolling Stones. And before reprising "The Great Banana Hoax," Lowe explained that as kids they heard a rumor that "if you dried banana peels and smoked them, you could get high." The rumor was false, but it inspired a Prunes song that, all these years later, sure sounds as if its writer had been smoking something.
“The sound of three sixties guitars roaring down the time tunnel to today is the best possible antidote to modern ennui. At the front of The Royal Festival Hall a few mad fools danced like it was the old days, at the rear, a lot of heads nodded appreciatively. In the middle, I tapped a toe and wished for more evenings like this.”
Pete Clark
Review: Royal Festival Hall
London Evening Standard
In 1966 amid a flurry of feedback, tremolo and fuzz the Electric Prunes emerged from the confines of their Los Angeles garage onto the world stage. Their hit single, “I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)”, widely recognized as one of the first psychedelic hit records, heralded a transition in music and its presentation. Mojo Magazine writes, “Quite simply one of the defining moments of psychedelic pop. Its oscillating guitar effects and pounding bass announced the full possibilities of a new sound in under three minutes.” The follow-up single, “Get Me To The World On Time”, named one of the top 100 psychedelic records by Mojo Magazine, is recognized by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as the #20 psychedlelic record of all time. The band’s second album “Underground” is viewed as a “classic psychedelic masterpiece” and a cut from their “Mass in F Minor” concept album was selected for the soundtrack of the classic film “Easy Rider”. One magazine article referred to the Electric Prunes as, “the seminal philosophers of punk rock” and Mojo recently named the band “Essential Cult Heroes”.
“Wiggly backwards distorted guitar gradually swelled in volume, like the hum of a thousand-pound bee crashing through your windows and onto your turntable. It was the kickoff for ‘I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night),’ one of the first out and out psychedelic hit records…there have been few other rock records that were as simultaneously experimental and commercial…At their best, The Electric Prunes devised arresting psychedelic rock with a sinister, otherworldly edge that walked a tightrope between innocence and madness.”
Richie Unterberger
Urban Spacemen and Wayfaring Strangers
In live performances their sonic combination of surf, psychedelia, tremolo and grit offered a unique auditory experience that was a far cry from the pop/folk music popular at the time. Touring extensively in the United States and Europe, they performed with contemporaries including Bo Diddley, Cream, The Who, Jefferson Airplane, Buffalo Springfield, The Doors, The Beach Boys, The Lovin’ Spoonful, The Drifters, The Soft Machine, The Turtles, The Left Banke, Tommy James, Paul Revere and The Raiders, Steppenwolf and The Spencer Davis Group. A recording made for Swedish Public Broadcasting and unearthed 30 years later was released in 1997 by Heartbeat Records as the “Stockholm ‘67” album.
In 1968, the Reprise recording artists disbanded. They have not played together since then. Not until now.
“They were incredibly tight and the level of musicianship was high indeed, scotching the old rumors that they didn’t actually play their instruments. We’d waited thirty-five years to see The Prunes. It was worth it.”
Keith Clark
Bristol Evening Post
Bristol, UK,
After coming together in 1997 to work on mixing “Lost Dreams”, an Electric Prunes compilation CD for Birdman Records, founding members and principal song writers James Lowe and Mark Tulin decided it was time to pull the “Strat” out of the closet, dust off the amplifiers and go back to making music. Their goal was solely to do something they enjoyed and to reclaim their lost dream. Fashioning an analog recording studio out of a garage on a hill above Santa Barbara they started writing and recording. They were joined by original band members Ken Williams (lead guitar), Quint (drummer 1967-68) and Joe Dooley (drummer 1968). Peter Lewis, from the legendary San Francisco band Moby Grape joined the recording sessions and added his unique musical presence.
“A lot our generation blew up their K-Mart amplifiers in their garages in 1966 trying to play "Louie Louie". You did better than that. Being cute doesn't help. I should know (no brag, just fact). Cute does nothing except make you a teen idol one day and a reviled joke the next. You need the chops to go with it. You've got them. The chops, that is. And I salute you. Wanna know why guys like me, who should be thinking about retirement, investing in money market accounts or renewing their AARP memberships still care 40 years after the fact? It's not weepy nostalgia. It's a way of life. It's timeless art. It's inspirational. Just as I can walk into a museum and marvel at Vincent Van Gogh's mind boggling use of oils to create a multi-faceted commentary, likewise, I can listen to those Reprise gems or the most recent CDs you've done and say, "Wow. That makes me think. That speaks to me. Every time I hear it, I get something out if it. It makes a statement, lyrically and musically".
Blitz McDonald
The result was the limited edition sold out release, “Artifact”, which demonstrated it is never too late to rekindle or rediscover your passion. The music is still buzzing, whirring and slithering with rawness only 60’s era garage music can produce. “Artifact”, voted the best new CD of 2001 by Blitz Magazine, was selected as one of top 10 CD's of 2002 by Music Dish Network.
“I give Artifact 3 thumbs up. No sentimentality required for listening pleasure. Just insert disk and bang head. It packs all of the Prunes’ signature elements – pile-driving psychedlipop, world music accents, a touch of smart-assed humor and a metric shitload of sonic sweet surprises. It’s magically delicious.”
Tim Horvath
Wiretap
In 2004, the Electric Prunes completed “California”. This CD presents the same eclectic and iconoclastic music found on the band’s first two Reprise albums. This music proves the hope, faith and promise from years before are alive, well, and kicking butt.
“The Electric Prunes return with copious amounts of their trademark fuzz ‘n feedback on their latest release, California (PruneTwang Music). These 13 tremolo-filled tracks take you on a trip with sonic stops that cover the spectrum of sounds that were born on the West Coast in the sixties; from the dreamy simplicity of the San Francisco sound to the more refined rumblings that emanated from LA to the gritty garage-feel of San Fernando, the band’s city of origin. The simple-is-better songwriting formula that keeps the older folk yearning from the good “ol daze” while attracting a demographic that was barely a twinkle in the paternal eyes, remains the modus operandi for the Prunes as they combine razor-sharp hooks and sing-along melodies in equal parts.”
Classic Rock Magazine
Continuing their dedication to growth and creativity, in December of 2006 the band released “Feedback”. This collection of ten unique and individual songs marks a return to the sounds, imagery and humor that signified their 1960’s material. With all their landmark sounds - vibrating guitars, intense vocals, pounding drums. driving bass, and soaring solos - “Feedback” is lust in a long line. Feedback was recently voted one of the top 10 cds of 2007 by Classic Artists Today.
“When was the first time you heard music that was indefinable, a blast from the past yet modern at the same time. Ever play a CD you knew instantly was something out of the ordinary; something special you would insatiably crave forever more. Welcome to a day in the life of an Electric Prunes fan. Welcome to Feedback, lust in a long line. The Electric Prunes have produced three new CDs since resuming recording and playing live a few years back. Artifact, California and now, their latest release, Feedback. The echoes of the past material reverberate through every innovative cut on this new offering. It is pure unadulterated PruneTwang from start to finish. This band has always dodged classification. They live and play outside the box. With Feedback they continue their legacy of playing what they want, how they want. “
muzikmanreviews.com
“I swear to God within 10 minutes you are transported. No movie, no record can capture being in that room and hearing them play”
Steven Van Zandt
New York, NY
Following a successful appearance at Steven Van Zandt’s “Cavestomp” garage-psychedelic festival in New York City, the band decided to take their message of the reclamation of the heart and soul on the road. The band performs on an international basis, including appearances at festivals such as at Bay Pop (San Francisco), Canterbury Fayre (Canterbury, UK) VoxFest (Los Angeles), The Purple Weekend Festival (Leon, Spain), Fuzz Fest Northwest (Portland, OR) and The Underground Garage Festival (NYC). Festival appearances, as well tours such as the 2002 Rewired Tour of the UK and Greece and the 2004 Undone Tour of Europe prove that people are ready to re-experience (or in many instances experience) the wave of feeling and energy that are synonymous with the 1960’s. The band’s shows are not an attempt to recreate a musical past or some tired oldies show. Instead it is the past, in the present form, alive and rocking, playing the music as it can only be performed by those who were there when it all started.
The west coast band’s first British show since 1967 had everything, great songs and a healthy dose of self-mockery. ‘The only difference between the 1960’s and now is that you’ve all got your clothes on.’
Dave Ling
Combining their classic songs with new material, an Electric Prunes live performance brings to the stage the passion, power and commitment that were the foundations of music in the sixties; a sound and feeling missing from much of today’s music. The visual stimulation of a swirling light show; the olfactory sensation of burning incense; the sensory onslaught of whirring, churning and vibrating music - A truepsychedelic experience.
“This band of seasoned veterans really is a unit hitting on all cylinders musically and visually. I cannot think of too many bands that have their act together like this that started back in the ‘60’s. They have all the experience and a multitude of maturity that enables them to be a step ahead of their contemporaries, even if they did have a layoff that lasted over 30 years, they still can kick some major ass. Whether you can remember this band when they first formed or you are just discovering them, this is something that is completely enjoyable for all music fans. The Electric Prunes are one of the granddaddies of garage rock and it is nice to see they have reformed to reaffirm their position as active rock n roll legends.”
Keith Hannaleck
Since returning to active duty the band has limited their live performances. The overwhelming positive reaction to their sold out December 28th, 2007 show in Los Angeles convinced them to hit the road with a vengeance in 2008. They invite you to join them in rekindling the passion. Rediscover your inner passions and desires. The Electric Prunes are back and making music. You can do the same. Take a few steps back then…Come flying.
“The Electric Prunes are the best example of American psychedelia…”
Will Shade
Psychedelic Dreadnaught
They say …..
“When The Electric Prunes’ ‘I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)’ hit the Billboard Top 40 on January 21, 1967, it became the tune that broke psychedelia overground. The song’s limbo between hard-pumping garage rock and hippie tripping gave the music industry something familiar to latch onto amidst the weirdness. A new trend was born.”
Leila Regan-Porter
Defining Moments In Music
“Their ears rang not with angry voices of teenphobic neighbors but with joyous screams of recognition as that aperitif of guitar feedback excited the senses giving way to a bass line that raced like an athlete’s heartbeat.”
Mark Paytress
Record Collector
“From the mind expanding opening to the screaming-droning guitars to the (I Can’t Get No) satisfaction-derived drums, The Electric Prunes’ I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night) induces speedy sonic flashbacks to the first chimes-of-freedom-flashin’ daze of 1967.”
Don Waller
Mojo Magazine
“The Electric Prunes? Fuck ‘em. They dissed me.”
David Axelrod
Mojo Magazine
“’Get Me To The World On Time’…Mind-melting lyrics, shrouding a basic teenage horniness, a killer Bo Diddley beat and a whole battery of effects meant to induce freaking-out: fuzz, wah-wah, reverb. ‘Here I go go, go,’ the band gibbers on the fade, as the guitarist shoots for the stars. “
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Psychedelic Years
“’Artifact’ is a surprisingly fresh slice of psychedelic pop/rock… Not a lot of bands from the 1960's can re-group after three decades, let alone make as fine a record as this, and for that reason alone, ‘Artifact’ is well-worth seeking out. “
Matthew Greenwald
All-Music Guide
“Not only were The Electric Prunes one of the most daring bands of the sixties, but here it is years later and they’re still creating adventurous music. There’s little dispute that their new album, “California”, is possibly their greatest offering to date. Although the disc turns and churns with the same kind of psychedelic garage punk mentality that allowed The Electric Prunes to be so appealing in the first place, by no means are these tracks mere rehashes of what went before. “California” advances and expands on the past, while maintaining just the right amount of old school quirkiness. Providing a nice balance of experimental etchings and raw boned rock and roll, “California” is simply breathtaking. There will never be another band like The Electric Prunes, and this awesome album consistently confirms their genius.”
Beverly Paterson, Lance Records
“Got the "FEEDBACK' cd and it is BRILLIANT !! These days, I rarely listen to, or buy, new CDs. I don't know... something about the 'spirit of Rock N Roll' got lost in recent years. FEEDBACK definitely has a Zappa-est tone to it. It is great that you can be remembered as a 60s band, and yet forty years later; present a new and unique sound again. That's quite an accomplishment that very few artists have been able to do ! Fans of the 60s sounds and of The Electric Prunes should be spreading the word that the band still 'has IT'.”
Roy Harper
“The band's latest album, ‘Feedback,’ continues their tradition of unique brilliance, leading it to be their most masterful venture to date. Even in the late sixties, when rock music knew no limits and was becoming increasingly stranger by the hour, The Electric Prunes belonged in a category all their own. A few years ago, the legendary Southern California band got back together and started recording again. Much to our delight, they remained totally committed to their original vision and wound up creating material rich with inventive impulses. Streaking their tunes with waves of reverb, distortion and quirky lyrics, The Electric Prunes sound exactly the same as they did in the sixties, yet their ideas are fresh and vital. The band's latest album, Songs such as "Hello Out There," "Circus Freak," "I'll Give You Feedback" and "Flying Blind" squirm and snarl with a sense of urgency. The vocals swell with intense emotions, the guitars squeal and hiss and the drumming is tight and tough. Something else that's really cool about these particular tracks is how they often throw the listener for a loop. The instruments twirl around and around, then suddenly a peculiar break appears, which in turn renders the cut into another dimension. Set to a jaunty tempo and noggin bobbing hooks that dig deep into the brain, "African Bees" carries a touch of new wave goofiness in the vein of Devo and The B52's, while "Batch Of Violins" is a tongue in cheek tribute to lounge lizard music. "Itzomad" slithers and slides with psychedelic scented signals of the Middle Eastern variety and the mellow but decidedly trippy "Innerlight Transcendence" sort of resembles Pink Floyd in certain parts. An astonishing array of garage punk, head music, art rock and oddball pop is what "Feedback" promises and delivers. To be sure, The Electric Prunes recorded a slew of superb music in the sixties. But they've progressed by leaps and bounds since then, and have developed into a band that's here and now.”
Twist and Shake Magazine
Electric Prunes Main Profile
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