Easter Everywhere by 13th Floor Elevators (CD, Mar-2006, Collectables Records)

When you think "psychedelic," the paisley cover of the first 13th Floor Elevators pops into (what's left of) your mind. It can't help it - this band practically defined the genre, at least in everyone's thoughts if not necessarily in their music. And yet, on listening to Easter Everywhere yesterday on my walk, I was reminded that this, their follow-up, has more to recommend it. In particular:

The long, almost-side-filling (on the LP) "Slip Inside This House" is musically solid, if a bit repetitive. But the lyrics are a mighty magic amalgamation of mysticism, from the first

"Bedouins in tribes ascending
From the egg into the flower"

To the ending where we discover that three-eyed men are not complaining - "They can yo-yo where they will. They slip inside this house..."

The great fun here is conjuring images to go along with the words, which mercifully are recorded clearly enough to be mostly understandable. Although I suspect it was written Kubla-Khan like in a drug-induced trance, you don't need to be in that state to try to comprehend it. There's enough here for a serious exigesis, unless, of course it's simply the ravings of Roky Ericson, the singer. (I personally have no idea. I did obtain a solo album by him many years later, but it was essentially unlistenable.) I'd vote for the "deep meaning" theory; even if there isn't one it's more fun that way.

Moving on, my favorite standard-length song on the album is "She Lives (In a Time of Her Own)" (Parentheses in the original). I think it's a love song! Very melodic. I'd love to meet the "She" some day - a unique person indeed.

"Baby Blue" is a Bob Dylan song. The 13th Floor Elevators do it very slowly and soulfully. Still, it's a familiar song, and I love exotic covers like this one.

Nearly everything I review seems to be for the first time, so I'm not sure if this CD is as unknown as that would imply. In any event, it's a fun record, the band is famous for an instrument that I think is called an "Electric Jug." It's a unique and engaging sound, and I'm surprised that they are they only band I've ever heard using it. The sound, the mystery lyrics, and the psychedelic aura make Easter Everywhere well worth a listen.