Seeds and Sky Saxon album reviews

The Seeds

album by The Seeds (1966)

The Seeds' 1966 debut LP is a sneering explosion of crude anger, early psychedelia, and outrageous punk attitude. Mean, lean, and still impressive today.

A Web Of Sound

album by The Seeds (1966)

The Seeds' second album adds bleary psychedelia to the punk of the debut album, and contains some of the band's most beloved classic moments.

Future

album by The Seeds (1967)

Either a psych-pop masterpiece or a bloated mess, depending on your mood. Some of the most daring music of the 1960s is in the grooves of this classic LP.

A Full Spoon Of Seedy Blues

album by The Sky Saxon Blues Band (1967)

Bare-bones blues songs make up this unexpected 1967 album by The Seeds (under a different name). The black sheep of the band's canon, but with its own mojo.

Raw & Alive – The Seeds In Concert Merlin's Music Box

album by The Seeds (1968)

A studio album with fake audience sounds overdubbed. With songs both old and new this has long been many fans' favorite. Finally released 'clean' in 2014.

Lovers Cosmic Voyage

12" record by Sunlight (1976?)

Fifteen minutes of untutored piano and off-the-cuff vocals make up this obscure and strange vinyl Sky Saxon LP from 1976. Serene, blissful, and way weird.

Fallin' Off The Edge

album by The Seeds (1977)

A sixth Seeds album, released in 1977 and comprised of 1960s rarities and outtakes. Some of the band's best performances can in fact be found here.

Golden Sunrise

album by Fire, Water, Air (1977)

Members of the Source Family released this in 1977 on 8-track tape; parts include Sky Saxon. The music veers between light folk and heavy guitar psych.

Heavenly Earth – Fruitarians Vegitarians

album by Sunlight Rainbow Stars New Seeds (1977)

Live album documenting a gorgeous if combative live show by Sky Saxon and guitarist Rainbow Neal at a small club. Old Seeds songs plus some fine new ones.

Yodship Suites 1 and 2

album by Sky Saxon, etc. (1977)

Stoned, rambling jams by Sky Saxon and assorted Source Family musicians, Long and free-form psych of a very idiosyncratic nature. Obscure vinyl LP.

Yodship Suite 3: In Praise Of Our Father

album by Sky Saxon and Spirit of 76 (1977)

One of the most obscure releases in Sky Saxon's career, this final Yodship record was a one-sided disc with formless music and a catatonically druggy vibe.

Bad Part Of Town

compilation by Sky Saxon and The Seeds (1983)

At the time this 1983 compilation album was a welcome source for Sky Saxon's early 1960s teen-pop attempts and The Seeds' wonderful post-GNP singles.

New Fruit From Old Seeds: The Rare Sky Saxon Volume One

album by Sky Saxon and The Seeds (1983)

Another compilation album bringing together some of Sky Saxon's early 1960s teen crooner singles and The Seeds' latter-day psych sides. Excellent cover.

Masters Of Psychedelia

album by Sky Sunlight Saxon Universal Stars Peace Band (1984)

Sky Saxon released this album in 1984 featuring one side of newly-recorded heavy-metal psych songs and one of sparser recordings from the late 1970s.

Starry Ride

12" EP by Sky Sunlight Saxon and The Stars New Seeds Band (1984)

Psycho Records put out this clear-vinyl 12" EP from Sky Sunlight Saxon in 1984, featuring two previously released garage rock songs and two spacey new ones.

...A Groovy Thing

album by Sky "Sunlight" Saxon/Fire Wall (1986)

The French version of Sky Saxon's 1986 Fire Wall LP Destiny's Children was called ...A Groovy Thing with alternate cover art but all the same songs.

Private Party – Live At The Cavern Club

album by Sky Sunlight Saxon and Purple Electricity (1986)

A shambolic live album from a 1986 gig at LA's Cavern Club; this is a severely stoned Sky Saxon and a pick-up band playing wild versions of Seeds classics.

Destiny's Children

album by Sky Sunlight Saxon and Fire Wall (1986)

The U.S. version of the ...A Groovy Thing LP was Sky Saxon's first serious 1980s comeback attempt, featuring peppy garage rock from his band Fire Wall.

Takes & Glories

album by Sky "Sunlight" Saxon and The Original Seeds (1987)

A very odd German album with old 1960s recordings with slapdash new overdubs plus a handful of new recordings – by Sky Saxon, but *not* the original Seeds.

Evil Hoodoo

album by The Seeds (1988)

A compilation of Seeds classics that remains an excellent introduction to the band for new listeners, though both the CD and LP versions are out of print.

...In Search Of Brighter Colors

album by Sky "Sunlight" Saxon/Fire Wall (1988)

In France, Sky Saxon's second and final Fire Wall album was this burned-out paisley underground classic, released in the U.S. as World Fantastic.

World Fantastic

album by Sky "Sunlight" Saxon/Fire Wall (1988)

The U.S. version of Sky Saxon's final Fire Wall LP had a different name and cover than its European counterpart plus some exclusive songs not found there.

Just Imagine

album by Sky Sunlight Saxon Dragonslayers SSS (1989)

The first of two albums with his new band Dragonslayers, Sky Saxon's Just Imagine showcases his usual sweaty garage rock plus some unexpected acoustic folk.

Breakin' Through The Doors

album by Sunlight Sky Saxon and the Dragonslayers (1990)

The second and final Dragonslayers release was a CD-only album largely comprised of wild Seeds covers plus punchy Roky Erickson and Steppenwolf songs.

A Faded Picture

album by The Seeds (1991)

A 1991 compilation CD that focuses on some of The Seeds' lesser-known and more psychedelic songs. A good overview of the band's hidden side.

Flashback

album by Sky Saxon's U.S.A. (1991)

Chilly synth-pop by Sky Saxon (with Dana Smith), Flashback is arguably the most atypical release of his varied career. Sky like you've never imagined him.

Travel With Your Mind

CD by The Seeds (1993)

A good CD-only compilation of Seeds hits and new rarities from the 1960s. Has remained in print since its release, though Big Beat's CDs have overtaken it.

Down The Nile

CD by Fast Planet (1994)

The final Sky Saxon studio album for nine years, Down The Nile features his band Fast Planet on a collection of excellent hard-edged psychedelia.

Rockin' The Croc/West Coast

live cassette by Fast Planet (1995)

An obscure live cassette from Seattle by Sky Saxon's band Fast Planet, featuring a lively show full of Seeds and new songs. Currently unavailable anywhere.

Flower Punk

3-CD box set by The Seeds (1996)

Now out of print, this 1996 CD box set was an excellent place to get nearly all of The Seeds' 1960s output in one handy package, plus bonus tracks.

Early Sky Saxon

album by Richie Marsh and the Hoodwinks (2001)

A super-rare and quite unnecessary compilation of some of Sky Saxon's pre-Seeds, pre-psych singles. Only seven of the twelve known tracks are on this set.

Golden Vaults Volume 1: Timeless

CD-r by Sky "Sunlight" Saxon (2001)

An obscure 2001 CD-r compilation of Sky Saxon recordings including many tracks not available elsewhere. Hard-to-find treasure trove for lucky listeners.

Rare Seeds

album by The Seeds (2001)

Rare Seeds isn't really a Seeds album per se. Rather, it's the second half of a disc called Raw & Alive/Rare Seeds, issued

Happy Now

CD-r by Happy Hour Band (2003)

The first new music in nine years from Sky Saxon was this 2003 CD by Happy Hour Band, featuring Djin Aquarian on several acoustic psychedelic tone poems.

Sky Saxon Presents "A Starlight Date With Richard Marsh"

album by Dick Marsh, etc. (2003)

The ultimate place to get all twelve of Sky Saxon's known 1960-1964 single sides on one compilation is this 2003 vinyl LP from Norton Records.

Red Planet

album by Sky Saxon and The Seeds (2004)

A satisfying return to Seeds-esque garage rock was this 2004 comeback LP/CD featuring Sky Saxon but no other original Seeds. A fantastic album.

Transparency

CD by Sky Sunlight Saxon (2005)

As part of Sky Sunlight Saxon's 2000s-era re-re-resurgence he recorded a fantastic and often strange album called Transparency. His

A Spring Honeymoon With God & Family

CD-r by King Arthur's Court (2005)

Sky Saxon joins Djin Aquarian on some densely psychedelic musical explorations full of weird burbles, cosmic consciousness, and appreciation of nature.

Tyrants In The House

album by Sky Sunlight Saxon and Flights (2006)

Tyrants In The House was an album of socially-conscious musings by Sky Sunlight Saxon and Flights – a collaboration with multi-instrumentalist

SOS Radio

album by Atlantic Rising (2007)

One of Sky Saxon's more mysterious albums, especially given its more recent provenance and continued availability, is 2007's SOS Radio

The King Of Garage Rock

album by Sky Sunlight Saxon (2008)

The last Sky Sunlight Saxon album to be released in his lifetime was a fitting final word for his monumental career: The King Of Garage

Back To The Garden

CD by The Seeds (2008)

One of Sky Saxon's final albums, Back To The Garden is from a 1990s project with Mike Oak and features Seeds keyboardist Daryl Hooper on three songs.

Dragonslayer

album by Sky Sunlight Saxon (2008)

A mysterious vinyl album called Dragonslayer was released in about 2008 on Water Records, but details are impossible to find about

Sir Majik Love Her's Le Chateau

CD-r EP by Sky "Sunlight" Saxon and Dana Smith (2008)

For sale occasionally as a limited-edition promo CD from Global Recording Artists' website, Sir Majik Love Her's Le Chateau features recordings

Singles As and Bs 1965-1970

compilation by The Seeds (2014)

The final CD release by Big Beat of Seeds classics, this new compilation collects all the single sides including rare versions and the four 1970 MGM tracks.

In Praise Of Our Father

LP by Sky Saxon (2016)

The psychedelic 2016 In Praise Of Our Father reissue combines Yodship Part 3, Lovers Cosmic Voyage, and two unreleased Sky Saxon tracks.