Notes

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Size: 49.1 MB
Bitrate: 192
mp3
Ripped by: ChrisGoesRock (From Vinyl)
No Artwork
Voxx US 1986

“Part Led Zeppelin, part Beatles, The Steppes were one of the finest American guitar / psych / rock bands of the eighties. Featuring the Fallon brothers skilfull Irish song-writing and duel vocal harmonies, Tim Gilman's Quicksilver like guitar and Jim Bailey's solid drumming; The Steppes won over audiences across Europe & the 'States, releasing 5 albums on Voxx in the process.

Drop Of The Creature was recorded in 1986 and was released in 1987. Almost immediately, the album catapulted The Steppes on to the international stage. Featuring a front cover photo of the band dressed as Edwardian dandies with a purple, tie-dyed back drop and a shot of a ruined castle on the reverse, it was an album that oozed atmosphere and style. Recorded on a low budget, basically live, but with some guitar and vocal overdubs, its diversity allows repeat listenings without tiring and is proof that big budgets do not necessarily produce good music. The opening cut, A Play On Wordsworth, is a frantic and inspired fusion of West Coast acid guitar exploration and poetic vision. Its afterburn is cooled by the wistful acoustic charm of Somebody Waits. Holding Up Well can only really be described as Country Joe and the Fish meets Fairport Convention, as liquid guitar licks interplay with keyboard runs, soaring vocals and Jim Bailey's solidly complex drumming. Make Us Bleed is similarly exhilarating as Tim Gilman lets fly with the most achingly beautiful riff in the mid section of the song.

In contrast, See You Around is class psychedelic guitar pop and when the LP gets weird, it does so with grace, as during the bizarre Black Forest Friday - a piece of music that opens out like an acid warped musical box - and Bigger Than Life, which is soaked in backward fuzz guitar. John's and Dave's distinctive vocal harmonies are constantly magnetic throughout, intertwining around lyrics that combine Romantic Mysticism, acid visions and more down to earth boy meets girl imagery.”

The Steppes were a 1980's Irish Psychedelic Rock band led by the gifted brothers David and John Fallon (whose memorable track Summers End In San Francisco is featured on the Psychedelic Psauna In 4 Parts compilation, which eventually led me to inquire further more about The Steppes). Drop Of The Creature, The Steppes' second musical endeavour, saw their transformation into a darker sound than their first more more acoustic EP. One slightly overwhelmed critic had this to say, Can this be for real?

Does this record really have a 1987 datestamp? Can some men wear such ruffled shirtfronts and still walk outside? All these questions are blown away by yet another startling psychedelic-timewarp. The Steppes play the most blissful folk-into-psychedelia music, like the moment when Syd Barrett fronted The Byrds and then Jefferson Airplane, or when Roger McGuinn slung 12 strings over Pink Floyd's first album. The Steppes even manage to crystallise the essence of beat-pop. Brilliant poetic-hurt wimp visions scatter a field of tripped melodies, as inspired as Rain Parade's debut: occasionally The Steppes go all dopey but otherwise, they're excessive, outrageous, ecstatic--better this than Sergeant Pepper any day. No more questions.

Link for the album: http://www.bompstore.com/servlet/Detail?no=5985

01. A Play on Wordsworth
02. Somebody Waits
03. Holding up Well
04. Sky Is Falling
05. Make Us Bleed
06. Cut in Two
07. See You Around
08. Lazy Ol' Son
09. Bigger Than Life
10. Black Forest Friday
11. More Than This