Iron Butterfly - Ball

It should be pretty obvious that i like Iron Butterfly quite a lot. For my money, i think they were truly one of the most innovative, experimental, and just plain enjoyably adventurous bands of the 60s, and their 3rd album Ball has everything. The opening minute is the most gloriously frightening thing i can think of (picking up right where Heavy left off in the explosive noisescape department), and even the admittedly ridiculous moments are still enjoyable (Lonely Boy makes me laugh every single time i listen to it). Doug Ingle is clearly not from the same reality that you and i inhabit, but he sure is fun. Erik Brann's psychotic guitar leads remind me of Robin Trower, his tone is completely unhinged (like his amp is really about to explode), but somehow it doesn't sound obnoxious or out of place at all.

The songs are all over the place, but i think they are supposed to be. This band isn't so much an image as a juggernaut. They just walk into the room, crank everything up to 11, pummel you for half an hour, and you can't stop them or walk away. You're scared, then you're laughing, then you're really confused but headbanging. I have this weird urge to clap after every track.

Heavy might be a technically better album (and i like it a lot), but Ball is just a glorious collection of bizarre music that sounds like it came from a completely different universe.

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