One Nation Underground (Vinyl)

Primarily the vehicle for singer/guitarist Tom Rapp, 1960s psyche-folk ensemble Pearls Before Swine were one the few non-jazz acts to record for the venerable New York City label ESP-Disk. Rapp's blend of revolutionary politics, surreal lyrical imagery, and an often numinous take on various folk forms relegated the artist to the outer reaches of the pop map. He made the jump to a major label in 1969 and recorded under the PBS moniker and his own name, but stopped playing music in the mid '70s to concentrate on civil rights law. Rapp was coaxed back to the stage in the early 2000s by a legion of new underground musicians deeply indebted to his music.

• Category:  Music  »  Rock & Pop  »  Folk Rock
• Format: Vinyl   Learn more about the Vinyl format using Tower WIKI.
• Release Date: July 15, 1997
• Label: Get Back Records
• UPC: 8013252100819
• WAPI (Tower ID): 105887727
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Psychedelic-folk debut from one of the most erudite, literate minds in rock, Thomas D. Rapp (and the first of his ever-changing Swine). Although the songs here lack some cohesion, this is still a stunning piece of work, from the nightmarish sleeve art -- the "Hell Panel" from Hieronymus Bosch's 15th century painting "Garden of Delights" -- to the strange yet powerful songs. "Another Time," the most memorable selection, is an understated acoustic song, the first that Rapp ever penned, based on his experience in a horrific car crash where he walked away unscathed. Of similar mood is the beautiful "Ballad of an Amber Lady." "Drop Out" is a straightforward song built around a popular credo of the '60s. "Uncle John" is one of the earliest protest songs about the Vietnam War. Strangest (and funniest) of all is "(Oh Dear) Miss Morse," where Rapp adopts a Victorian persona and sounds out the Morse code spelling of F-U-C-K, accompanied by banjo and Farfisa organ.

Considering Rapp's fascination with history, it's not surprising that one of the songs here, "I Shall Not Care," features a co-writer credit to "Roman Tombs." The cryptic words that comprise this song's title were discovered on a tomb that dates to the final days of the Roman Empire. ~ Peter Kurtz

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