Earth Island — “Ashes, Ashes, All Fall Down”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — November 29, 2022

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

653) Earth Island — “Ashes, Ashes, All Fall Down”

Another helping of stellar sunshine pop from Earth Island’s sole album (see #448). Ecologically-aware, but from when sunshine was still a good thing! The album is a “Sunshine Psychedelic gem”. (https://psychedelic-rocknroll.blogspot.com/2009/02/earth-island-we-must-survive.html)

By all accounts, Curt Boettcher (see #397, 506, 586) must have been sunlighting. 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. . . . 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

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, 449]. 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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