Crystalline - Axe Music (1970)

Crystalline[Axe]-Axe Music[1970]UK

[2012 Guerssen Release][69-71]

Axe did not make a lot of music,but they made some phenomenal music.Some of the best ever to emerge from the swamp of heavy British

psychedelia,certainly some of the rarest,ft is heavy but luckily never takes either of the two usual wrong directions: dexterity leading to wanky prog noodling,or high volume leading to endless bludgeoning riffs and not much else.

A masterpiece that certainly deserves to be heard and if you like bands like Jefferson Airplane,Bow City Runners,Sam Gopal,Cream,Stray etc.This will surely be to your liking .

England always brought great psychedelic bands,especially as more underground scene of that country,because for some like me,psychedelic pop that was hitting between 1967 and 1969 is very gooey and rarely we like,but in what more underground ,acid,traveled,dark,etc. traveled.Bands were coming out with more interesting proposals,including this group was heavily influenced by Jefferson Airplane ,but their sound was even more psychedelic,dirty, dark and also something heavy.
Axe (also known as Crystalline and Axe Music) was formed in 1967 in the town of Northampton,influenced by bands like Jefferson Airplane , Grateful Dead,etc. Love.In 1970 released this demo, which would be his only recording an album of acid rock with influences of folk, Indian music and lots of west coast wave,with female voice that sounded very influenced by Grace Slick while instrumentation shows various influences of Jefferson Airplane ,but you could say that they had some Cream,Sam Gopal,Them and even Black Sabbath ,also showed heavier,darker,lysergic and some of Carnatic music influences .
In 1991 Kissing Spell label re- released this album for the first time,but to date remains criticized the re -issue,because the songs mostly changed their original titles,in addition of adding effects to your recordings as backwards and phaser to make it sound " more psychedelic " and even include some parts re- recorded by a guitarist in a band current stoner / doom,but fortunately Guerssen Catalan label re- released this album with original recordings ( without any alteration ),although it is recorded in one of the few copies of the original LP of '70 ,as the masters of music are lost.This album just over 27 minutes is certainly one of the best psychedelic albums that came out of the united kingdom , as the musicians were really creative when composing and performing his songs in my opinion are 100 % masterpieces, especially " There from Here ," which has a lot of Indian influence,also feature much "Peace of Mind" that has very heavy guitars and an excellent version of " a House is not a Motel " Love the group.

1. Another Sunset,Another Dawn
2. Peace Of Mind
3. A House Is Not A Motel (Arthur Lee)
4. Here From There
5. Crimson Nights

All songs by Crystalline except where noted.

Axe Music (Line-Up Fll,1968)

John (?) - Vocals
Mark Griffith - Guitar (Later Shadows Bass Man)
Mick 'Zulu' Knight - Hammond Organ
Roger Milliard - Bass
Stevie Gordon - Drums

Axe (Line-Up #2,1969)

Vivienne Jones - Vocals
Tony Barford - Guitar
Graham Richards - Saxes & Flute
Roger Milliard - Bass
Stevie Gordon Drums

Axe (Line-Up #3,1969-1971)

Vivienne Jones - Vocals
Tony Barford - Guitar
Roger Milliard - Acoustic Guitar
Mick Knobbs - Bass
Stevie Gordon - Drums

This line-up were for a short time known as Crystalline.
Under which name they recorded the acetate demo tracks.