Thursday 5 March 2020

Sundance - MOUNTAIN BUS***

Sing A New Song/Rosalie/I Don't Worry About Tomorrow/Sundance/I Know You Rider/Apache Canyon/ Hexahedron

Sundance was the sole album release from the Chicago rock band Mountain Bus. They folded when their record company went into liquidation following a lawsuit over the use of Mountain in the group’s name.

“Though their sound is quite obviously Dead influenced, their style is their own, with a much less commercially oriented vibe than The Dead were drifting toward through the 70s. The psych flavoured improvisations they churned out was very much west coast even though they were from the mid-west.”

“Blues-based, they played some really cool music with guts and a lot of talent, sometimes sounding like Grateful Dead, but mostly sounding just like themselves. Although obscure, this album is as good as anything recorded at the time and deserves to be re-discovered.”

“Obviously influenced by the Dead, Mountain Bus had great musicians and slick songs. Any fan of the Dead will enjoy this album.”

“The first and still one of the best Grateful Dead clone bands. Mountain Bus soak up Aoxomoxoa era Dead in their prime. Plus dig their take on I Know You Rider which goes on for ten long minutes. Nothing mind-blowing but pretty enjoyable.”

“Tremendous early 70s psych out of Chicago with an obvious Grateful Dead influence. Starts out strong and gets stronger, with some really high quality space jams towards the end of the record. This band's version of I Know You Rider is perhaps the best version I've ever heard. Gorgeous vocal harmonies and searing leads make this the standout cut for sure.”

“Mountain Bus were one of the best Chicago rock bands from the 1970s. This album features excellent percussion and strong melodic rock, with an occasional touch of old country influence.”

“Mountain Bus are the Grateful Dead without the acid tinge. Not a bad thing at all. If you listen to the vocals and nimble guitars of this band, you would think it was Jerry Garcia fronting them. Yet the group is no pale carbon copy or contrived derivative. The guitar playing is jazzy and fluid, and they play well constructed songs with a early 1970s cosmic cowboy feel.”

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