Artist: Mystic Siva
Album: Mystic Siva
Released: 1970
World in Sound (WIS - 1002)
Genre: Psychedelic
Seeing this album described somewhere as a cornerstone of late 60's psychedelia was certainly enough to make me rush out and buy it so I could decide for myself. The 2001 CD re-issue is housed in a rather grand day-glo orange hard-backed digi-pack, somewhat fitting for the psychedelic masterpiece within. Although this is undoubtedly a pivotal release of the era, as it was actually recorded in 1970 I'd be more inclined to describe is as one of the finest reconstructions of the classic psychedelic acid rock sound that by that stage was already in decline. Here we have a bunch of incredibly talented and sussed musicians (amazingly still in high school and not a day over 17 at the time of recording) mixing up large measures of 'Anthem of the Sun', 'Happy Trails', 'Disraeli Gears', 'Are You Experienced ', and much of the Doors song book, with studied precision and adding a healthy dose of wide-eyed youthful vitality and awe. This is not to say the album is anyway derivative or unoriginal as every single track bursts with freshness of ideas and excitement. There is simply not a bad track here, not even an average track, in fact all eleven tracks can equally be described as standout.
A few of my personal favourites include the breakbeat driven 'Eyes have seen me', even in the title no effort is made to hide the 'Strange Days'-era Doors influence.
Then it's Hammond to the fore
and a blistering acid lead guitar solo in 'Spinning a spell' which does exactly what it says on the tin, Witchcraft indeed! 'Find out why' is a gently melancholic semi-acoustic number with ethereal keyboard work whose exquisite beauty peaks around 2:20, and finally 'In a room' with its crazed Hammond, wah-wah guitar and tripped-out King Lizard styled theatrics.
If you dig organ driven tracks with lots of liquid acid guitar soloing and drenched in the classic acid rock influences from 67-69, don't delay go hunt it down cause 'Mystic Siva' is an essential album for your collection.
Reviewed by Simon Allen - June 2003
The legendary quartet from Motown, home of the Stooges, SRC and MC 5 created one of the most wanted artifacts for psychedelic garage rock collectors – original albums of the orange masterpiece change hands for more than 1,000 US$. The "Teenage Sivas" were around 17, when their privately produced album came out in 1970. It presents 10 excellent original and intense tunes –an own unique sound, with mind blowing fuzz-wahwah guitars, hard-driven Hammond B3 and Doors influenced satanic vocals. The track “Supernatural Mind” was selected by the German Rolling Stone for their cd-compilation “Eight Miles High” (Rare Tracks No. 32). The original artwork was used and is presented in a luxury triple fold cardboard package. Includes a biography! – One of the “must have” 60´s/70´s psychedelic underground masterpieces!
Mystic Siva are another band that have found themselves on more than one WIS release. Their first self-titled collection dates from '69 / '70 has a blues edged feel in part, but explores a wider musical territory with keyboard led workouts and riff experimentation. There's a nice moody ballad in 'Find Out Why' for instance as well. Their second, Under The Influence, carries on in the same sort of style. Still organ led, 'Keeper of The Keys' has a funky vibe whilst 'And When You Go' is more of a progressive keys led number with a light airy tone. The vocals on both albums are not always the best, but they suffice. Unless you're into this kind of sound, you could find two volumes a little wearing, but either is worthwhile on its own. Head Shop's album is a great piece of acid pop-rock. The title track says it all "get yours at the head shop", hmm, well this guy certainly has! Good compressed sounding guitar on top of a solid bouncy riff makes this a feisty statement of intent. As was the trend of the times (thanks Vanilla Fudge) there is an extemporised work out of a pop staple. In this instance it's the Bobby Hebb hit 'Sunny'. Head Shop do a great job on this and manage to give it a sinister sounding edge that suggests clouds on the horizon. 'I Feel Love Coming On' has a great smouldering builder of an intro that pushes the keys up front to take on the acid guitar for ascendancy. It's then a matter of light and shade as the song ebbs and flows throughout. 'Infinity' picks up the pace and pounds out a fuzz filled acid pop-rock pleaser. An interesting and fulfilling album on repeated play, it also boasts a number of extra tracks as many WIS titles do in the form of demos, run throughs, and tracks left off the album. A good album all round.
One of the most sought after and difficult to find USA HEAVY PSYCHEDELIC albums from the late 60s! Mystic Siva is a quartet from Detroit that created one of the most popular psychedelic-underground artefacts, their "Orange Album", recorded in 1970 on one day.
With an average age of 17, those "teenage Sivas" showed best quality in songwriting - and wrote with "Supernatural Mind" a hit for the hippie-underground collectors.
Their talent in playing the instruments is outstanding and an own sound which is driven by aggressive & heavy fuzz-wahwah lead guitars, hammond B 3 organ and Doors influenced vocals, was the result.
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