This long-overlooked record is primarily composed of quietly plucked acoustic guitars overlaid with Elyse Weinberg's hearty vocals, which bear some resemblance to other endearingly hoarse performers like Janis Joplin and Melissa Etheridge, and her Toronto contemporary Joni Mitchell. The air of psychedelia is fairly faint, springing up in the mystical traces of sitars that appear in songs like "Deed I Do," and in lyrics that refer to lovers with names like "Sir John Velveteen." In its day, sometime in 1968, the record drew praise from many circles and even earned Elyse a spot on The Johnny Carson Show. Quiet acoustics only occasionally take a backseat here, including "Spirit of the Letter," which is a full-on rock song, and somewhat surprisingly, largely better than many of the quieter songs. Perhaps the record's most noteworthy track is "Houses," a gorgeous song about the impossibility of trading places; beautiful on its own, its brilliance is amplified by featured guest Neil Young. by Karen E. Graves
Tracklist:
1 Last Ditch Protocol John Velveteen 2:28
Written-By – Cynthia Friedland
2 Deed I Do 2:53
Written-By – Bert Jansch
3 Iron Works 2:53
Written-By – Maureen
4 Spirit Of The Letter 2:22
5 Here In My Heart (Underneath The Spreading Chestnut Tree) 3:12
6 Band Of Thieves 2:46
7 Sweet Pounding Rhythm 2:38
8 Meet Me At The Station 2:30
9 Simpleminded Harlequin 2:22
10 Painted Raven 1:20
11 Mortuary Bound 3:26
Written-By – Maureen
12 If Death Don't Overtake Me 4:25
- Bonus Tracks -
13 Houses 3:10
Guitar – Neil Young
14 What You Call It 3:05
Créditos
Arranged By – Don Gallucci, Jeremy Stewart
Guitar [Six And Twelve String], Vocals, Artwork By [Drawing] – Elyse J. Weinberg
Jew's Harp [Mouth Harp], Artwork By [Printing] – Brent
Performer [Basic Tracks] – The Band Of Thieves
Sitar, Tabla – Colin Walcott
Spoons, Artwork By [Drawing] – Maureen
Don Gallucci Arranger
Neil Young – Guitar, Vocals
