Mississippi Murderer/Surrender To Your Kings/Flight Of The Byrd/Scottish Tea/Dr Slingshot/Journey To The Centre Of The Mind/Ivory Castles/Why Is A Carrot More Orange Than An Orange/Missionary Mary/Death Is Life/ Saint Philip’s Friend/I’ll Prove I’m Right/Conclusion
The second and most successful album from the Detroit hard rock group The Amboy Jukes. Journey To The Centre Of The Mind features the title track US No. 16 hit single. Guitarist Ted Nugent would find solo success in the late 1970s. (US:74)
“There aren't a whole lot of highlights, save the title track, which features one of the finest electric guitar performances of the psychedelic era, matched by some of the finest psychedelic lyrics ever penned, matched by one of the heaviest bridge segments ever committed to vinyl.”
“The Amboy Dukes were predominantly guitarist Ted Nugent's project, but at this point rhythm guitarist Steve Farmer also had a crucial role being the one who leads the album towards psychedelia. Musically, there are more or less two styles 'fighting' to be dominant. On tracks like Mississippi Murderer, Flight Of The Byrd and Dr. Slingshot Nugent shows his strong roots in blues, and demonstrates what an excellent guitarist he is. Another part of the album is however strongly influenced by psychedelic currents, both European and American. For me it is this part of the album which is really interesting. The title track is psychedelia at it's best - melodic and catchy.”
“The vocals and guitar are great, and the 'journey' of blended songs on the second part is very well done. The lyrics are strange and sometimes meaningless, but that is what 60s psychedelic music was all about.”
“I’m almost disappointed that the idiot Ted Nugent is so damn good here. Maybe he wasn’t as stupid back in those days. Side A, which mainly seems to be Nugent’s show, is great, whilst side B is filled with slower, bland psychedelic songs. Decent enough though.”
"Side one suggests a pioneering HM hard rock classic - a real rarity in 1968 - side two however is unrecognisable as the same band - a naff piece of conceptual pseudo-psychedelia at its worst.”
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