MICHAEL OOSTEN (180G)

Limited 180 gram vinyl LP pressing of this 1974 album.. Keeping a band together was difficult in the late 1960's. Tough too, because Michael Oosten was writing songs that veered away from pop-song structures. There was also the relative ease and lack of responsibility required for hauling around a guitar. So, Oosten took off, with a Martin guitar in tow, playing coffeehouses and clubs across the country. By the end of 1973, he was ready to record an LP - five Psychedelic Folk/Rock tracks, ranging from the brightly smiling 'Sunny Day' to the epic 'Hungry Horse Montana,' where Oost switched seamlessly from Celtic picking to Middle Eastern chord progressions. Oosten filled out his Folk/Rock/Psych sound with the help of a few friends: piano from Tom Hennick on 'Hey Babe,' vocals from Jan Reek on 'Garden,' and bass from Al Byla on 'Sunny Day.' Oosten's wayward vocals puts US in mind of other meandering favorites from various eras (Incredible String Band, Perry Leopold, or the Meat Puppets, to name but three), and Oost proves himself a stellar guitarist in an eccentric and percussive mode.