United States of America

United States Of America CD

compact disc | $16.98

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The United States of America, led by respected modern classical avant garde musician Joseph Byrd, cut a wide swath through the 1968 world of rock, just then comfortably settling in to its backwoods dreams of country-rock to find the debut U.S.A. album howling like an infant terrible on its front doorstep. At the center of the U.S.A.’s fiercely experimental universe were the icy-cool vocals of the beautiful Dorothy Moskowitz, keeping this tumultuous sound from spinning out-of-control in every direction. Almost predictably, the U.S.A. disbanded before it could record a second album, but its brilliant, self-titled effort was certainly one for the ages.

TRACK LISTING AND AUDIO SAMPLES:
1. The American Metaphysical Circus
2. Hard Coming Love
3. Cloud Song
4. The Garden of Earthly Delights
5. I Won’t Leave My Wooden Wife for You, Sugar
6. Where Is Yesterday
7. Coming Down
8. Love Song for the Dead Ché
9. Stranded In Time
10. The American Way of Love

BONUS TRACKS:
11. Osamu's Birthday *
12. No Love To Give *
13. I Won't Leave My Wooden Wife For You, Sugar [alternate version] *
14. You Can't Ever Come Down *
15. Perry Pier *
16. Tailor Man [demo recording] *
17. Do You Follow Me *
18. The American Metaphysical Circus [Columbia Records audition recording] *
19. Mouse (The Garden Of Earthly Delights) [Columbia Records audition recording] *
20. Heresy (Coming Down) [Columbia Records audition recording] *

*previously unissued

RAVES:
"Portishead and Broadcast love this record. The Fall used "Coming Down" on their last LP. Made in 1968, this is hewn from the same lysergic, ur-electronic seam as Silver Apples and White Noise, with a Zappa-like satire and lashings of Love nastiness. Songs veer from psych rock to sunshine exotica, tape cut-ups and ring modulators filling in the gaps. Dorothy Moskowitz sinisterly narrates on sado-masochism and how square the squares are."
—Mojo