UMBRA - Same [USA Denver Hard Psych Acid Rock]

BANDA AMERICANA FORMADA EM 1969 POR ESTUDANTES, SENDO O ÁLBUM O PRIMEIRO LANÇAMENTO DE UM POWER TRIO DE ROCK PESADO INFLUENCIDO PELO ACID ROCK QUE ESTAVA ATIVO EM DENVER DURANTE OS ANOS DE 1971-72!! 

AQUI TEMOS MATERIAL DE ARQUIVO COM GRAVAÇÕES PRODUZIDAS A PARTIR DE FITAS DE BOBINAS, OS CHAMADOS REEL-TO-REEL, DE 2 E 4 TRILHAS GRAVADAS NA CASA DE UM DOS MEMBROS DA BANDA!!

VALE DIZER QUE O LP, QUE TEM PRODUÇÃO LIMITADA, VEM COM UM LIVRETO CONTENDO 8 PÁGINAS COM FOTOS, LETRAS E HISTÓRIA DA BANDA!! A SONORIDADE É UMA MISTURA DE FUZZ, FREAK E ACID ROCK PESADO, GARAGEIRO E CRU COMO DEVE SER AS GRAVAÇÕES CASEIRAS!!

Steve Faulkner, que ocupou a cadeira de baterista da banda (por um tempo), descreve a Umbra como "um grupo jam progressivo e psicodélico". Steve lembrou que as faixas foram colocadas em um gravador de 4 e 2 canais e gravadas na casa de um membro da banda (o que eu obtive a partir de informações de bits, essas faixas datam de 71-72). 

A maioria dos membros da banda era de escolas secundárias locais de Denver, com exceção de Nick Melliadis, que veio de Nova York. O nome Umbra foi escolhido pela banda enquanto examinava o dicionário - um exercício comum com bandas naquela época (e talvez até agora). “Umbra se traduz em "sombra na lua", afirmou Steve. “Queríamos um nome que fosse curto, misterioso, fácil de lembrar e que soasse legal.”

O grupo original era composto por Steve na bateria, Eric Frazee na guitarra e Terry Lewis no baixo. Eles se juntaram um pouco mais tarde aos irmãos gêmeos Gary e Larry Mann. Larry saiu em 1971. Nick Melliadis (também conhecido por Nick Stoner) juntou-se à Umbra no final daquele ano. Nick tocou guitarra, gaita e cantou os vocais principais com Gary. Gary iria embora no final de 1974 ou início de 1975. 

Parece que a banda se desintegrou lentamente depois disso. As informações sobre essa banda são escassas na Internet, o que torna esta descoberta bem-vinda e um lançamento valioso. Você não vai achar que esta gravação é de última geração, mas vai ouvir e experimentar música crua e espontânea enquanto ela acontece. Isso foi influenciado por drogas? Claro que sim!!

O que estava disponível para sonhadores de hard rock desconhecidos como Umbra em Denver em 1971-72? Shows de fim de semana. Nada além de shows de fim de semana. Mas havia uma vantagem nisso: bandas como Umbra podiam misturar material original com covers e ganhar dinheiro suficiente para sobreviver. Ou, no caso da Umbra, para ganhar dinheiro suficiente para construir um estúdio caseiro, onde gravassem anúncios para promover seus próximos shows - e, eventualmente, gravassem as oito faixas desse disco. 

Tudo foi gravado ao balançar as faixas para frente e para trás entre gravadores de fita bobina a bobina de duas e quatro trilhas. Introduções espaciais e efeitos estranhos foram criados gravando licks de guitarra e, em seguida, regravando-os, reproduzidos ao contrário em velocidade dupla. O que soa como uma flauta foi o resultado de soprar por cima de um pescoço de ganso de 14 ”(acredite ou não).

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AMERICAN BAND FORMED IN 1969 BY STUDENTS AND THE ALBUM WAS THE FIRST RELEASE OF A HEAVY ROCK POWER TRIO INFLUENCED BY ACID ROCK WHICH WAS ACTIVE IN DENVER DURING THE YEARS 1971-72!! HERE WE HAVE ARCHIVE MATERIAL WITH RECORDINGS PRODUCED FROM 2 AND 4 TRACK REEL TAPES RECORDED IN THE HOME OF ONE OF THE BAND MEMBERS!! IT IS WORTH SAY THAT THE LP, WHICH HAS LIMITED PRODUCTION, COMES WITH A BOOKLET CONTAINING 8 PAGES WITH PHOTOS, LYRICS AND THE BAND HISTORY!! THE SOUND IS A MIXTURE OF FUZZ, FREAK AND HEAVY ACID ROCK, GARAGEIRO AND RAW AS HOME RECORDINGS SHOULD BE!!

Originally recorded in the early 70s, but never officially released. This first time issue 2019, though the year on the CD package says 2018. Comes in a digi-pak with a 16-page informative insert booklet. TRACKS: Jupiter Probe, C. Mr. Me, Harp Strings, Denver Over Glide, Ho Pideous, Bloon-Moan, Ides, and Siberia. DESCRIPTION: Umbra was founded in 1969 in Denver, Colorado and continued to solidify into 1970. Steve Faulkner, who held down the drummer’s chair in the band (for awhile), describes Umbra as “a progressive, psychedelic, jam group”. I had the privilege of listening to the band’s “garage” recordings from that period and have to say this was a very diverse and talented ensemble (this release is the set of recordings he heard). Steve recalled that the tracks were put down on a 4-track and a 2-track recorder and recorded at a band member’s home (what I gather from bits information, these tracks date from 71-72). Most of the band members were from local Denver area high schools with the exception of Nick Melliadis who came from New York.

Steve attended South High School which wasn’t a good fit for him back then. “I didn’t care much for high school so I dropped out to pursue my music.” It was a decision that worked very well for Steve. He did achieve his GED, but more importantly acquired a rich and deep education in music with his adventures from Umbra up to the present day (his website is where I picked up most of this information). The name Umbra was selected by the band while perusing the dictionary – an exercise common with bands back then (and maybe even now). “Umbra translates to ‘shadow on moon’,” stated Steve. “We wanted a name that was short, mysterious, easy to remember, and sounded cool.” The original group was comprised of Steve on drums, Eric Frazee on lead guitar, and Terry Lewis on bass.

They were joined a little later on by twin brothers Gary and Larry Mann. Larry left in 1971. Nick Melliadis (alias Nick Stoner) joined Umbra later that year. Nick played guitar, harmonica, and sang lead vocals with Gary. Gary would leave in late 1974 or early 1975. Seems the band slowly disintegrated after that. Information on this band is in short supply on the Internet, which makes this a welcome discovery and valuable release. You won’t find this a state of the art recording, but you will hear and experience raw and spontaneous music as it happened. Was this influenced by drugs? Hell, yes!!!

What was available to unknown hard rocking dreamers like Umbra in Denver in 1971-72? Weekend gigs. Nothing but weekend gigs. But there was an upside to that: bands like Umbra could mix original material in with covers, and make enough money to survive. Or in the case of Umbra, to make enough money to build a home studio, where they recorded ads to promote their upcoming shows—and eventually, laid down the eight tracks on this disc. Everything was recorded by bouncing tracks back and forth between two-track and four-track reel-to-reel tape recorders. Spacey intros and weird effects were created by recording guitar licks, then re-recording them played backwards at double speed. What sounds like a flute was the result of blowing over the top of a 14” goose neck (believe it or not).

01 - Jupiter Probe

02 - C. Mr. Me

https://youtu.be/-bWHguGYlvw

03 - Harp Strings

04 - Denver Over Glide

05 - Ho Pideous

06 - Bloon-Moan

07 - Ides

08 - Siberia

https://mega.nz/file/goUzUYhA#O5f9kA8EL97ChlSErrthUiIWEKjBLeDMXx7Forx1qeA