...

Let There Be...Blacklight by Todd Liebenow and Dave Privett, One Way Street, 1999

"One of the biggest trends in the puppet ministry has been the use of special lighting known as blacklight. It is easy to see why...This is the most complete and comprehensive book on blacklight puppetry available."

onion skins of tenderness

Alastair Galbraith Cluster 7inch (Stalemate, Raining here/Pip Proud, Water in my ears) Raffmond, Germany, 1994Water in my ears

There could be no better format for these 4 songs which, once the needle touches the record, end almost before you can step away from the turntable. Just crouch nearby and close your eyes. This record also introduced me to Pip Proud. Thank you and thank you, Mr. Galbraith. (If any of the involved parties would like for me to remove the audio, please let me know.)

New full length on Siltbreeze. featuring this song! Water in My Ears and Raining Here later appeared on the full length Talisman (now reissued)

The Psychedelic Horror of Frank Asch

Linda by Frank Asch, McGraw Hill, 1969

Summary: A girl named Linda wakes up and goes for a morning stroll in her neighborhood. On her way, she encounters some locals, including a shirtless bearded man whom she calls "Santa".

This is Frank Asch's second children's book. He is best known for his Moonbear series from the 1980's-90's.

Be Glad

The Incredible String Band: Be Glad For The Song Has No Ending, a film by Peter Neal, 1969.

Watch The Iron Stone here

find here

thought amplifier

STALKING THE WILD PENDULUM: On The Mechanics of Consciousness by Itzhak Bentov, A Bantam New Age Book, 1977 (illustrated by the author) (thanks S.H.)

In Praise of Elwood Snock

Michael Hurley:

Armchair Boogie, Raccoon/Warner Brothers, 1971, (LP and homemade cassette) (Cassette lovingly dubbed by Mr. Hurley from a somewhat noisy vinyl copy) LP includes the comic Boone & Jocko in the Barren, Choking Land)

Hi Fi Snock Uptown, Raccoon/Warner Brothers, 1972 (LP and homemade cassette)

Parsnip Snips, Veracity (Germany), 1995, LP (unreleased home-recordings 1965-72)

snockonews

prayers of a one man band

Bobby Brown:

The Enlightening Beam of Axonda, Destiny Records, 1972

Live, Destiny Records, 1978

Prayers of a One Man Band, Destiny Records, 1982

For the past fifteen years, Bobby has stuck with his vision of a "one man show", always creating new instruments and new styles of singing and playing as he went along. Bobby's voice is perhaps his most remarkable instrument. Covering a six octave range (possibly the widest range ever recorded) it is capable of creating almost any texture he desires. But his "one man band" orchestra is not to be overlooked. Originally composed of about fifty instruments it contained 311 strings and took three hours to set up and tune. Instruments varied from a tiny electrified spring to a monstrous fifteen foot electrified drone. Some were of original invention, while others were electrified versions of instruments found around the world. With this set, he recorded his first album THE ENLIGHTENING BEAM OF AXONDA. An extension of his doctoral thesis begun at UCLA, it contains a story about possible new discoveries in physics that could lead to technological advances that would in turn lead to a very unique and very optimistic view of the future. -from Live liner notes

3 records by California's Bobby Brown, released on his own Destiny Records label. Despite the low fidelity, Live is my favourite of the 3. It was recorded in his van ("before a small audience - his dog") after he disliked the results of a recording he made while opening for Fleetwood Mac (?!). The Italian label Akarma reissued The Enlightening Beam of Axonda on CD but I don't know whether it was done with his participation.

Is he still around? I hope his rig still exists somewhere.

also here and here (despite what's written, these records are not terribly rare or valuable)

les enfants sont tous fous

Brigitte Fontaine: Le Goudron/Les Beaux Animaux, Saravah, 1969

Daniel Manus Pinkwater

back cover of The Magic Moscow, 1980

The Big Orange Splot, 1977

After finding a copy of Doodle Flute and hearing about The Big Orange Splot (here and here), I started finding his books all over. Among them was Lizard Music, his pre-teen novel from 1976. In one passage, Charlie "The Chicken Man" makes reference to René Daumal's Mount Analogue in order to describe the properties of Invisible Island, home of Thunderbolt City, to the main character, an 11 year old with a Walter Cronkite obsession. Incredible. What was I reading when I was 12? Always funny and highly recommended.

Dave The Hermit from Blue Moose, 1975

Tooth-Gnasher Superflash, 1981

Aunt Lulu, 1988

Doodle Flute, 1991