H.P. Lovecraft Gets Its Due

When one thinks of music in the late sixties, the mind usually wanders to the major scenes of the time. We think of San Francisco hippies with flowers in their hair, Los Angeles freaks, London mods, and gritty New York artists with heroin problems. It's easy to forget that every major city had its own take on the music of the era. In Philadelphia, Todd Rundgren was putting his own spin on psychedelic rock with Nazz. Detroit eschewed the peace and love entirely, instead opting for all-out brutal noise attacks. Canterbury, UK, was experimenting with a fusion of jazz and psychedelia.

The subject of today's post comes to us from one of these forgotten scenes - and from the "criminally under-appreciated" file, as well. H.P. Lovecraft formed in Chicago in 1967. Based around the dual vocal attack of guitarist George Edwards and organist Dave Michaels, and further embellished by Michaels' jazz chops, the band managed to make a name for itself in its home city. Their hastily-recorded 1967 self-titled debut was an amalgam of several disparate influences - from feelgood psychedelic pop (a cover of the Youngbloods' "Get Together" - which itself was a cover of a Chet Powers song), to folk standards ("Wayfaring Stranger"), to jazz ("That's How Much I Love You Baby (More or Less)." These influences were masterfully blended by the band, which managed to put its own stamp on everything without sounding like a group of rip-off artists.

Encouraged by the results of their first record, the band moved to San Francisco. It was there that they recorded H.P. Lovecraft II (1968), their finest studio effort. From the beginning acoustic 12-string notes of "Spin, Spin, Spin," one gets the sense that the band had matured quite a bit in the year between their first and second records. The song is completely devoid of drums, and the often-upbeat sound that characterized the band's first record is noticeably absent. The wind chimes, heavily effected vocals, and tinkling piano of "Electrollentando" take the departure even further, creating something of a psychedelic dreamscape. Indeed, it seems the band was trying to do something different on its second album - a claim that is certainly supported by their move to San Francisco. However, H.P. Lovecraft II is not a mere rehashing of the Bay Area scene of the time. Much like it did with their musical influences on the first record, the band put its own unique stamp on the San Francisco experience. Perhaps reflecting further influence of its namesake, H.P. Lovecraft's second album is wrapped in a strange darkness that is absent from most other San Francisco offerings. Today's post is "It's About Time," the second track on the LP. Despite the fairly positive lyrics, this is not sunshine pop. Note the instrumental interlude, laden with tape-delayed guitar and stereo-panned organ, coming to a rousing climax with a descending string line. You won't be finding this on a Moby Grape record.

Not to be judged by its cover.

It's About Time