Friendsound

Yesterday's New York Times had a brief obituary for Drake Levin, who was best known as guitarist for the 60s-era pop group Paul Revere & the Raiders. I mainly know his music through his work with Brotherhood and Friendsound, the bands he formed with Phil Volk and Michael Smith after the three split the Raiders.

Brotherhood and Friendsound operated in tandem. They had more or less the same personnel and recorded for the same label at the same time. Friendsound's sole LP has got to be one of the stranger things RCA ever put out. A couple tracks resemble songs but mostly it's a weird amalgam of jamming and experimentation with tape effects. On some tracks, like this, it really works:



Friendsound: "Love Sketch" (RCA, 1969)

By contrast, Brotherhood's two LPs were more song-oriented. This is a track from their self-titled debut with Levin on lead vocal.



Brotherhood: "Doin' the Right Thing (The Way)" (RCA, 1968)

Provided there's sitar involved, I'm a sucker for cosmic philosophizing.