The Illusion "If It's So:" Best Unknown Psych Album Ever?
![[cover.jpg]](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_b3bCjnVnXo4/SW5drCxbrzI/AAAAAAAAEUA/52iVB9ypfn8/s1600/cover.jpg)
The cover
of the 1970 album by a Long Island psych band I have never heard of is the
reason I pull it from the rack. What am I looking at? Dream, hallucination or
illusion, there are native Americans lying on a hillside with dandy looking
transparent men hovering about> If It's So? If what is so? No matter. As
soon as George's Song Shop proprietor John George drops the needle on the first
track of side one the store fills with the sound of 1970. Wailing fuzz
guitars compete with organ and multi-tracked vocal harmonies. I hear cowbell.
The music swirls and swells and drops to a whisper before hurling forward
again. I hear a few minutes and am sold.
Fast
forward to last Wednesday.Dinner with friends here and I put the record on
while we eat, unlikely dinner music. What IS this, Paul? The Illusion? Never
heard of them. Amazing....This afternoon I pull up the 'official' website:
http://distortedrock.tripod.com/
For more
on The Illusion, visit the wonderful Red Telephone site:
http://www.redtelephone66.com/2010/09/the-illusion-if-its-so-1970/
I bought this album when it came out and my friends and I played the heck out of it. Forgot all about it till very recently. It's one of those records that I go, geez, I wonder how it holds up after all these years. I know that if I find it, it will be a great one to hear my new Shure V15mx shine (old cartridge, new stylus).
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I think it holds up pretty well. I think their vibe is stronger than their song writing. probably why they didn't go further.
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