Frumious Bandersnatch - A Young Man's Song (1996 [1967-1969], us wonderful hard/psychedelic rock) Flac

Not every worthwhile San Francisco psychedelic group of the late '60s got to record often, or at all. Frumious Bandersnatch were one of the most prominent examples, their output limited to a meager (if good) three-song EP that barely anyone outside of the area heard.

The band's stinging guitars were very reminiscent of those employed by Jefferson Airplane's Jorma Kaukonen, Quicksilver Messenger Service, and the Moby Grape; their harmonies, too, were quite close in style to the Airplane and Grape, with vibrating lead vocals in the mold of Marty Balin or the Grape's Bob Mosley.

Over 70 minutes of previously unreleased material, in pretty good fidelity, patched together from live recordings, studio outtakes, and TV soundstage tapes recorded by four different lineups of the band at various points in the late '60s. 

Their compositions weren't as striking or original as those of their primary inspirations (the Airplane and Moby Grape), but the band were adept at both concise, harmony-driven numbers and jams with some sparkling guitar interplay. It's worth hearing for those with a passion for the San Francisco psychedelic sound, although it actually doesn't include their best cuts. Those are found on their one official release (a 1968 locally distributed three-song EP), which has been reissued on a Big Beat compilation of rare '60s San Francisco psychedelia, The Berkeley EPs.

01.Medley: You Gotta Believe/Judgement Day 8:10
02.Chain Reaction 2:36
03.Rosemary's Baby 6:21
04.What Is A Bandersnatch? 6:35
05.Woodrose Syrup 8:09
06.Now That You've Gone 2:40
07.45 Cents 5:24 
08.Pulpit Huff 4:54 
09.Paper 2:10 
10.Cheshire 10:38
11.Black Box 2:39
12.Can-A-Bliss 12:29

Frumious Bandesnatch:
David Denny - guitar
Jimmy Warner - guitar
Bob Winkelman - guitar, vocals
Ross Valory - bass, vocals 1967/68
Jack King - drums
Jack Notestein - bass 1969/70