One of the great virtues of modern life is our access to so much music. Not just the stuff that’s new in 2015, but hundreds of thousands of tracks that came out years ago, were maybe buried or under-distributed, and only now are getting the acclaim they deserve.
That’s the case with much of Brown Acid, a new compilation of ‘60s and ‘70s stoner psych put together by RidingEasy Records and the excellent people at Chicago and L.A. retailer Permanent Records. According to Permanent’s Lance Barresi, the process of putting Brown Acid together was anything but easy. As he puts it,
“I essentially go through hell and high water just to find these records. Once I find a record worthy of tracking, I begin the (sometimes) extremely arduous process of contacting the band members and encouraging them to take part. Sometimes the people who made these records are easy to deal with and sometimes they want nothing to do with it (often times for no particular reason). In short, it would be much easier to take these records and bootleg them, but anything worth doing is worth doing right. Daniel [Hall of RidingEasy Records] and I agree that licensing all the tracks we’re using for Brown Acid is best for everyone involved. Unfortunately, we’re competing with bootleggers who don’t give a shit, and that’s a bummer. But the quality of tracks on Brown Acid speaks for itself and I’m happy to help give these records another chance at greatness. All of ‘em could’ve been huge given the right circumstances, but for one reason or another most of these songs fell flat and were forgotten. However, time has been kind in my opinion and I think these songs are as good now or better than they ever were.”
Below, A.V. Club readers can check out one of the tracks from the LP, Raw Meat’s “Stand By Girl.” (There’s also a second track, “Out In the Country,” and both cuts will appear on a 7-inch out July 14.) A mysterious act that, according to a label owner that helped them record in 1969, lived “north of Milwaukee” and “played a few of the more local underground music club,” nothing much remains about the group, including pictures or a list of its members. The heavy, fuzz-laden track speaks for itself, though, and should capture any discerning (and blazed) listener’s ear.