Sunday, May 4, 2025

Lovecraft - Brother I Wonder


Drummer Michael Tegza is the only original member from two years prior when the band was H.P. Lovecraft on Phillips Records. For this 1970 Reprise release, they are dubbed Lovecraft and have abandoned the psychedelic Jefferson Airplane sound for a progressive Crosby, Stills & Nash-meets-Uriah Heep flavor. In 1975, drummer Tegza re-formed the band again and separated the two words, their Love Craft album, We Love You Whoever You Are, took things into an almost Santana-goes-soul direction.
Valley Of The Moon is a surprisingly good album mixing leftover psychedelia with good harmonies. There are no throwaways here, just 11 fabulous songs, one better than the next. The arrangements are uniformly excellent, bolstered by superb playing from Tezga, guitarist Jim Donlinger, bassist Michael Been, and multi-instrumentalist Marty Grebb, formerly of the Buckinghams & Aorta, and soon after, the Fabulous Rhinestones. Every song was outstanding - tight musicianship, great vocals and just plain good songs.  From: http://therockasteria.blogspot.com/2020/10/lovecraft-valley-of-moon-1970-us.html