The Paisleys Cosmic Mind At Play 1970 US Psychedelic Rock

The Paisleys Cosmic Mind At Play 1970 US Psychedelic Rock The Paisleys “Cosmic Mind At Play” (Peace Records 1970) During the counterculture years, concept albums were in vogue. Any band that had the gumption to create such progressive noise was usually thought to possess supernatural faculties. That said, the Paisleys command a pile of handclaps for laying down their own brain-bending voyage of adventurous twists and turns. “Cosmic Mind At Play” was to be the Minnesota band’s one and only album, which is a real pity because they seemed to have a lot going for them. Not a big-budget production, the disc bestows a definitive homegrown finish that sporadically splatters trickles of scruffy garage rock residue onto the psychedelic canvas. Archetypal hippy dippy psychobabble also blankets the album, as topics like spirituality, liberation and freedom are addressed. But a lighthearted persona still persists, making it evident the Paisleys didn’t take themselves too seriously. For example, the jolting pulsations of “Now” features the sound of somebody sucking on a joint, while “Musical Journey” entails snippets of a car advertisement and the voice of a sports commentator announcing the score of a baseball game. Although a trippy tie-dye vibe dictates “Cosmic Mind At Play,” a variety of moods actually enter the picture, running the gamut from edgy power pop stylings to the classical ambience of “Wind.” Contrary to the greater percentage of their peers carousing similar terrain, the Paisleys didn’t saturate their songs with overblown jamming. Relying on basic instrumentation to get their point across, the band was clearly influenced by the punchy rhythms and melodic sensibilities of the Beatles and the Who. Stunning harmonies, combined with catchy guitar riffs and inspired keyboard workouts further charge the album to heavenly heights. However, enough originality seeps through the grooves of “Cosmic Mind At Play,” allowing it to stand its own ground among numerous other concept confections of the era. Review made by Beverly Paterson/2013 Tracklist 1 Cosmic Mind At Play 0:00 2 Rockin’ 2:06 3 Now 4:09 4 Smokey Windows 7:21 5 Diddley 9:00 6 Wind 13:36 7 Musical Journey 18:55 Bonus Tracks 8 Something’s Missing 37:37 9 Medley: Comin’ On / City Of Light / Home Again 40:36 10 The Fool With The Jewel 48:02 11 Step Quietly And Quickly 51:24 12 Elf In A Magic Bottle 53:33 13 In Dreams / (Untitled Hidden Track) 59:41 Credits Bass, Vocals – Dick Timm (tracks: 1-10, 13) Drums, Vocals – Bob Belknap (tracks: 1-5), Greg Payton (tracks: 10, 13), Mike Cornelius (2) (tracks: 6-9) Lead Guitar, Vocals – Brad Stodden (tracks: 1-9), Dick Timm (tracks: 11), Rick Youngberg (tracks: 10, 12, 13) Liner Notes – Dick Timm Piano, Vocals – Bill Smith (44) (tracks: 1-9, 12, 13) Producer, Engineer – Warren Kendrick Remastered By – Bob Irwin, Kip Smith Notes Track 13 includes a hidden track after “In Dreams“, it plays like this: “In Dreams“: 0:00-5:03 “(Silence)“: 5:03-5:11 “(Untitled Hidden Track)“: 5:11-6:41 Original album issued as Peace LP 70P-1, 1970. Tracks 1-9 recorded 1969-1970 at Audio City Recording Studios, 3009 E. Lake Minneapolis, MN. Tracks 10-13 recorded 1968 by Richard Timm. All tracks stereo, except for 8, 9, & 10, mono.