The Serpent Power – THE SERPENT POWER***

Don’t You Listen To Her/Gently Gently/Open House/Flying Away/Nobody Blues/Up & Down/Sky Baby/Forget/Dope Again/Endless Tunnel

The self titled sole album from the San Franciscan psychedelic group Serpent Power. Their music featured male and female vocalists and the first use of an electric banjo.

“According to my ears The Serpent Power is a convincingly poetic and introvert psych/folk record with gorgeous male/female vocals. Side A captures a priceless set of winners and the LP remains an important example of 1967 West Coast psych.”

“There is a competent female vocalist and lead guitarist but the tones are dishwater dull. A Doors pastiche, with very constrained performances, as if they were recording in the bedroom and didn’t want to disturb the neighbours. Amazingly few psychedelic albums are complete duds but this is one of them.”

“This is the only album of the San Francisco band led by poet David Meltzer and his wife Tina. The music is mellow west coast folk rock with fine guitar work, jazzy organ and solid bass and drum, but some songs are really boring. The closing track Endless Tunnel is an interesting amalgam of western and eastern music with long banjo improvisation.”

“Most of the tracks on The Serpent Power are open jams, and some shimmering psychedelia like the elegant Gently Gently. This and a lot of other tracks used instruments in a way rock had not before, what was then called the new music."

“Two elements are at work on The Serpent Power's only album from 1967. The first is being different than your contemporaries was the name of the game in the competitive 60s underground. The second is, during the very early days of psychedelia, no one quite knew what psychedelia was supposed to sound like. Serpent Power were unique in that they used an electric banjo.”

“The Serpent Power will be remembered by those of a certain age and cultural inclination for Endless Tunnel, which received quite a lot of airplay on progressive FM radio. But this isn't a case of a countercultural one-hit wonder. The entire album is a fine collection of songs, obviously owing much to the San Francisco sound of the times, but notable for their pure, often melancholy melody and their distinctive lyrics.”