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United States of America

United States Of America | Format: Audio CD
4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Audio CD (24 Nov 1997)
  • Number of Discs: 1
  • Label: Edsel
  • ASIN: B0000011XM
  • Other Editions: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
  • Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 163,320 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

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1. The American Metaphysical Circus
2. Hard Coming Love
3. Cloud Song
4. The Garden Of Earthly Delights
5. I Won't Leave My Wooden Wife For You, Sugar
6. Where Is Yesterday
7. Coming Down
8. Love Song For The Dead Che
9. Stranded In Time
10. The American Way Of Love

Customer Reviews

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4.9 out of 5 stars
14 reviews
4.9 out of 5 stars
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 24 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Top Notch Psychedelia 7 Jan 2008
By C. J. Cunningham
Format:Audio CD
I got this CD for Christmas on the basis that my wife must have seen it in my 'Items Recently Viewed' section on Amazon (good old Amazon!) and bought it for me as a stocking filler. Psychedelia is such a broad term - if I could define it then maybe I could write about music for a living - how exciting that would be! However all of the elements of quality 'psyche' are here for all - trippy lyrics, ethereal effects, fuzzy guitars, eastern elements - and here too we have the superb vocal skills of Dorothy Moskowitz. There is a lot of experimentation on this album (some great and very informative sleeve notes give a good background) but fortunately with the experiments come good tunes too. There is variation in styles and mood - dreamy, haunting ballads, faster more urgent songs (reminscent of Jefferson Airplane at times), and some great 'goofing around' on the opening and closing tracks. There are portents for the future too - I wonder whether Portishead had heard this album before their great albums released in the 1990s?(particularly the opening number 'The American Metaphysical Circus' which would be perfect for Beth Gibbons) as well as a few influences worn on the sleeves of the kaftan - Airplane as I mentioned earlier, and Revolver era Beatles on 'Stranded In Time' This really is a superb album and a joyous discovery. It is generously crammed with bonus tracks too - some are works in progress for tracks on the album proper but there are some great non album songs to be enjoyed here too particularly the sweet 'Perry Pier'.... Read more ›
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Psychedelic, ethereal... 24 Dec 2007
By H. Beentje TOP 100 REVIEWER VINE™ VOICE
Format:Audio CD
I agree with Jim Leven, above; and would add that while some tracks are not particularly good, others are still outstanding after all these years. 'Love song for the dead Che' is ethereal and haunting; 'coming down' a brilliant take on the mood after a trip; and the stunning 'Garden of earhtly delights' with its pumping rhythm and Jeroen-Bosch like lyrics is one of the best numbers of 1968, full stop. 'Hard coming love' and 'the American metaphysical circus' are probably classified as a class B drug, while 'the Cloud song' is a cross between Winnie the Pooh (from which the text comes, obviously) and lying on your back in a timeless summery garden, looking up in the sky and falling up. Great stuff.

PS (later) the track listing on Amazon these days is all wrong, giving bonus numbers, not the original sequence WHICH IS ON MOST CDs! and which goes
side one
1. "The American Metaphysical Circus" (Joseph Byrd) 4:56
2. "Hard Coming Love" (Byrd, Dorothy Moskowitz) 4:41
3. "Cloud Song" (Byrd, Moskowitz) 3:18
4. "The Garden of Earthly Delights" (Byrd, Moskowitz) 2:39
5. "I Won't Leave My Wooden Wife for You, Sugar" (Byrd, Moskowitz) 3:51
Side two
6. "Where Is Yesterday" (Gordon Marron, Ed Bogas, Moskowitz) 3:08
7. "Coming Down" (Byrd, Moskowitz) 2:37
8. "Love Song for the Dead Ché" (Byrd) 3:25
9. "Stranded in Time" (Marron, Bogas) 1:49
10. "The American Way of Love" 6:38
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30 of 31 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Mysterious one-off masterpiece with ESSENTIAL bonus tracks 4 Jun 2007
By Jm Leven
Format:Audio CD
First off - this is the version to buy. Unlike most bonus tracks, the previously unavailable ones here are essential. Some are better than some of the original tracks, and that's saying something with this album. This was the first album to feature the moog synthesiser, the first heavily electronic album so you would expect it to be little more than a curiosity. Amazingly and stunningly not! Who were they - a group of people centered around Berkeley University, California who came together to make this album and then seemed to disappear. The album is obviously influenced by Sergeant Pepper in its adventurous arrangements and production, but the songs are much better. Gorgeous singing,especially from Dorothy Moskowitz, haunting melodies, and intelligent, imaginative lyrics. This is every bit as good as the Velvet Underground and Nico album, and I certainly play it more often. So strange that this should just appear out of the blue and then end there. Give it a try.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Seminal 'acid' psychedelia 29 Aug 2010
By Daniel Margrain
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
The United States Of America were one of the key psychedelic bands in the finest experimentalist 'acid' tradition. The band consisted of a group of extraordinary musicians and are one of the most original formations of all-time. The band members were Gordon Brown (electric violin and ring modulator) , Rand Forbes (electric bass), Craig Woodson (drums and percussion), Byrd (keyboards, piano, organ , harpsichord, Moog , tapes) and Dorothy Moskowitz (vocals).

United States Of America (1968), contains ten songs that straddle the fine line between parody, cabaret, electronic and psychedelic experimentalism. Thus, the band's musical approach draws on a variety of styles that involve the application of caustic music texts that are both lyrical and vivid as well as unique.

The basis of the sound is urban folk that takes the form of fairground music and lullabies accompanied by violins and organs on the opening 'The American metaphysical circus'. Added to the mix is the surreal harmonic strangeness of an acid take on big band jazz exemplified in 'I Won't Leave My Wooden Wife For You, Sugar'.

Another classic acid tune is the hybrid 'Hard Coming Love' which is essentially a synthesis of Jefferson Airplane (Grace Slick vocals) and the Doors, whilst 'Cloud Song' is a gentle lullaby of scattered percussion and soprano mantras.

'The Garden Of Earthly Delights' is a masterful slice of gothic psyche, the echoes of which resonate in a multitude of music especially from the 1980s (Siouxsie Sioux of the Banshees is the obvious example).

'Where Is Yesterday' begins as a humourous recital before galloping into a surging psychedelic beat, whilst 'Coming Down' is propelled along by Ray Manzarek style keyboards and frantic drum patterns.... Read more ›
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars American Psychedelia I was hardly even aware of.
Apart from an early CBS sampler I only really became aware of this album recently and I love it. And still fresh with the flavours that I particularly enjoy, the sounds of the... Read more
Published 24 days ago by Mouxie
5.0 out of 5 stars cd
A very good album by 60 experimental music group, it's not to everyones taste but some interesting tracs and lyrics
Published 4 months ago by W A GRIFFITHS
5.0 out of 5 stars refound masterpiece
I originally bought this on vinyl in 1970 and nearly wore the record out. The music is still as fresh today as it was then - not mainstream by any notion but brilliant.
Published on 22 Sep 2010 by Mr. J. Margetts
5.0 out of 5 stars Been looking for this for so long!
Stumbled across this on Spotify after so many years of trying to track it down and came straight to Amazon to buy it! Read more
Published on 15 Aug 2010 by Dr Paul
5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous!
Absolutely revealing. As important to music as the "Zodiac" movie has been to my film education. A unique, one - off rarity. I knew it from last.fm and ordered it from Amazon. Read more
Published on 11 Sep 2009 by van Gerov
5.0 out of 5 stars Simply Amazing
Possibly my favourite album of all time. Strong words yes, but i cannot stress enough how amazing this album is. Read more
Published on 5 May 2007 by Ciaran Concannon
5.0 out of 5 stars Best album of 1968
Intense psychedelia, lyrically highly intelligent, melodicly strong, highly experimental. Easily in the top ten psy albums of all time. Talented female vocalist too. Read more
Published on 25 Mar 2007 by B
4.0 out of 5 stars Early psychedelic masterpiece
I first heard this album when it came out in the late sixties. I was into Pink Floyd's Syd Barret days "Piper at the Gates of Dawn" and "Saucer full of Secrets" etc. Read more
Published on 18 May 2003 by D. Parker
5.0 out of 5 stars Dark, twisted and brilliant.
Out of the lush pastures of psychedelia grew trees that bore fruit laden with fever dreams. Not every trip was a good one, and the land so many Americans lived in was not the... Read more
Published on 22 April 2001
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