The Fugs (album)
The Fugs' second album is another combination of garage and rock with poetic lyrics influenced by the Beats. However, the record's final track is a landmark in the evolution of psychedelic music, arguably the first ever "freak out" of any real substance.
"Virgin Forest"
Arguably the first ever extended "freak out" in popular music history, this is the closest to avant garde rock music came prior to the release of the Mothers of Invention's Freak Out three months later. It is basically a suite of performance art pieces.
The track begins with a crescendo of noises.
These soon fade away to a slow groove punctuated by seemingly random percussion which soon overwhelm whatever conventional musical rhythm was there.
About two minutes in the spoken word vocals come in for a moment.
Then there is a section seemingly referencing Tarzan, which is eventually drowned out by gobbles.
The tribal music continues with a bit more force after the gobbles. This section is one of the longest in the piece.
About 6 minutes in, there is more spoken word recitation with what sounds like electronic instruments in addition to the typical percussion.
At about 7 minutes a piano piece begins with flute accompaniment which eventually builds to full band; this lasts about 2 and a half minutes, making it perhaps the longest part.
The finale is a piece that appears to both mock choral music and maybe the Beach Boys...
Why don't we start the psychedelic era here? Well, because nobody listened to this album.
Performance
- John Anderson – bass guitar, vocals
- Lee Crabtree – piano, Celesta, Bell (instrument)|bells
- Pete Kearney – guitar
- Betsy Klein – vocals
- Tuli Kupferberg – maracas, tambourine, vocals
- Vinny Leary – bass, guitar
- Ed Sanders – vocals
- Ken Weaver – conga, drum kit, vocals
Production
- Richard Alderson – engineer
- Bill Beckman – cover design
