Brett Callwood
Jane Drewett of neo-psychedelic rockers Plasma Chasms told us about her love for an oft-forgotten Gandalf gem.
Jane Drewett: Gandalf was a very short-lived psychedelic band formed in 1965 in New York. They released one studio album in 1969. This album is a collection of mostly cover songs that have been covered in a whimsical and magical fashion.
Listening to this album is very nostalgic and really was responsible for me falling in love with psychedelic rock. For me this album holds a little bit of magic, it has a mystical vibe throughout the entire album and captures the essence of the social, artistic, and musical change influenced by psychedelic “mind-expanding” drugs occurring in the ’60s, it embodies for me the true sound of psychedelia from the ’60s and it may be the greatest forgotten psychedelic album of that era.
The New York City-based Gandalf released their self-titled album in 1969. (Flawed Gems)
The dreaminess of Peter Sando’s vocals complements perfectly the ethereal use of the synthesizers, sprinkled with the perfect amount and types of delay through the album. It makes use of the copycat delay providing the familiar lush tape delay and echo that any psychedelic rock lover is familiar with. It has a dreamy feel like the tracks were just plucked from the ether.
Three of the tracks are covers of Tim Hardin tracks yet somehow Gandalf managed to make these completely unique and the entire album sound flawlessly as their own style. They have a 2nd album which is great in its own right but does not quite capture the incredible feel of the first album. For me, this album is timeless and holds a special place in my heart.
Plasma Chasms perform on the International Pop Overthrow tour this year, See internationalpopoverthrow.com for more info.
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