Lonely/Did You Know/She Belongs To Me/Too Long/Genuine Imitation Life/Dazed & Confused/Penny’s/Hard To Keep My Mind On You/Wish I Was Anywhere Else/Signs Of Age
The Above Ground Sound LP was released by the now forgotten folk rock guitarist Jake Holmes. It is notable for including an acoustic version of Dazed & Confused, which later appeared on the first Led Zeppelin album credited to Jimmy Page.
“Mostly acoustic guitar driven, male vocal, soft rock, with some folk moves and mild psychedelic influences. What sets him apart from the rest is the quality of his material. I'm not much of a folky, but I like this.”
“This album has the original eerie acoustic version of Dazed & Confused before the Led Zeppelin version came out. This is true late '60s psychedelia at its best. The entire album is full of deep bass riffs, broken guitar chords and Holmes' voice that delivers lyrical perfection. A great forgotten singer/songwriter lost in time.”
“Though often footnoted by Led Zeppelin apologists for Dazed & Confused, Holmes' debut album contains much more than that allegedly pilfered song. It often blurs into some speedier, acid-drenched material.”
“Accompanied by only two guitars and bass, Holmes' stark and disembodied lyricism sets a mood that is tense and anguished. When listening to this uncompromising album, it is bewildering to know that its lonely and brooding author would soon become a master at penning upbeat jingles in commercial advertising.”
“In general, this album is both gorgeous and harrowing, full of surreal melodic constructions drifting through a dreamy haze of ringing guitars and haunted vocals. The music is hypnotic, the ideas original and the overall tone often otherworldly.”
“Holmes is to be lauded for his daring production risks, mixing Greenwich village folk with fleeting horns, strings and quick-fingered jazz leads. The electric bass underpinning many of the arrangements is nimble and ever-so unpredictable. The album is indeed a lost psych-folk classic, albeit one the casually aware often slight with 'if it's so good why haven't I heard it' dismissal. That said, Holmes does slip into some 'poor me' lyrical missteps here and there.”
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