448) Earth Island — “Mother Earth Is a Beautiful Lover”
This “Sunshine Psychedelic gem” (https://psychedelic-rocknroll.blogspot.com/2009/02/earth-island-we-must-survive.html) from Earth Island’s sole album We Must Survive (’70) is, per Dr. Schluss, an “entertaining hippie nightmare . . . which spins through both waltz time and a chilled version of a garage rock rave-up.” (http://psychedelicobscurities.blogspot.com/2008/07/earth-island-1970-we-must-survive.html) I guess the take away here is “Don’t fool with Mother Nature, but do fool around with Mother Earth”!
By all accounts, Earth Island must have been Curt Boettcher moonlighting. Dr. Schluss says:
We Must Surivive . . . . seems to date a little past the expiry date of the genre, but the sounds are definitely the real deal and recall the better moments of Curt Boettcher’s and/or Gary Usher’s love fest freak outs. There’s a slight nod to prog here with some of the meatier instrumental parts, and I can’t help but note the strong environmental awareness aspect that crops up here the very same year as the first Earth Day (I think). . . . Forsaking straight up lead vocals, most of the songs rely on a weave of harmonies that compare favorably with just about anyone else. . . . Earth Island manages that tinge of melancholy that really takes the music to a higher level.
http://psychedelicobscurities.blogspot.com/2008/07/earth-island-1970-we-must-survive.html
And Superbillie1 calls the album “[v]ery good Psych-lite with tinges of Pop and prog. [The] music [is[ on the same wavelength as The Millennium; light ‘airy’ sort of super-produced pop with (often) positive messages. For a few tracks I could’ve sworn the lead singer was Curt Boettcher . . . .” (http://poprunners.blogspot.com/2019/02/psychedelic-pop-earth-island-we-must.html)
And, finally, Adamus67:
Originally issued in June 1970 . . . at a time when rock music was beginning to embrace ecological themes, [the Earth Island’s] sole album was produced by Kim Fowley [see #89]. Touching on rock, psychedelia and sunshine pop, it boasts fine vocal harmonies throughout . . . clearly bring to mind the best moments of creative collaboration such classics as Curt Boettcher psychedelia . . . and Gary Usher.
(http://rockasteria.blogspot.com/2013/10/earth-island-we-must-survive-1970.html?m=1)
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Pay to Play! The Off the Charts Spotify Playlist! + Brace for the Obscure 60s Rock Merchandise
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