Acid Nightmare, Acid Nightmare

Ah yes, come in and sit down Mr Brown, what seems to be troubling you? dreams you say? oh dear, they can be very troublesome. So let me get this right, reading from your dream journal … you were riding a chromium-plated fire-snorting custom hog whilst all of Satan’s minions tried to drag you back into the fiery pits of introspection by any tentacled means available. Oh yes and there is the rather iffy bit about high-kicking bare-breasted Amazonian chicks stalking you amongst the giant mushroom fields, trying to drag you back to the dreaded prison city of Bong. And all this since you came back to the farm after ‘Nam?

Well, I diagnose a nasty case of Acid Nightmares* there Mr Brown. Allow to prescribe a hefty dosage of Numero Group’s rather spiffing 2017 compilation Warfaring Strangers: Acid Nightmares. To be taken twice daily with the lights off. You’ll be bonged off your rocker in no time.

---

Ahh, Numero Group, how do I love thee? let me count the ways. Actually let’s not, I’m on a schedule here**. Needless to say this is the follow-up to the splendidly primitive Warfaring Strangers: The Darkscorch Canticles, which charted a certain generation of Tolkein ‘n tokin’ youngsters. Generally speaking Acid Nightmares deals with the period directly after the rancorous collapse of the summer of love into heavy shit of all stripes, but interestingly it reaches further afield to Portugal, Austria, Germany and Ye Olde Merrie Englande, as well as all the usual spots in Texas and Indiana.

---

I don’t need to tell you, but I shall anyway, that Acid Nightmares is a beautifully put together compilation, thick card sleeves, trippy blacklight sleeve, perfectly pressed vinyl and a superbly researched booklet. All absolutely par for the course for any Numero Group release in my experience. They are my favourite reissue label, by far.

Now a nice looking platter is one thing, but does Acid Nightmares make for good eating? there is a school of thought, occasionally voiced on these very pages, that rock archaeology is all well and good, but a lot of tracks that are dug up should have stayed buried. I think Acid Nightmares does carry a couple of clunkers but overall this is a good, powerful trip.

My fondest flashbacks include:

Bulbous Creation ‘Hooked’, this ’71 recording by Prairie Village, KA’s finest is a slow-burning tale of drug horrors, that owes a touch to Sabbath, Heep and Purple, yet has a sound all of its own. Some excellent organ playing on this one.

Goliath ‘Dead Drunk Screamin’, straight outta Terra Haute, Indiana in ’74. This track has the swagger of Leafhound allied to the best vocalist on this compilation, Goliath were sadly bedevilled by drug burnouts, suicides and bad luck for all of their 15 years.

Xarhanga ‘Acid Nightmares’, Portugal’s entry for the 1974 Stonervision Song Contest, is wonderfully batshit crazy – all squeaks, stabs and shrieks. Their tale of harassment and busts under the authoritarian Estado Novo regime is a welcome reminder that some longhairs had it genuinely tough.

Brass Alley ‘Pink Pills’, is a spritely ’71 release from the Newcastle-Upon-Tyne outfit, sounding like a chemically accelerated Free. It is well played and recorded, Brass Alley were just unable to break through to a bigger audience afterwards.

The totally bonkers Gift ‘Drugs’, is actually an anti-drugs track but unfortunately this German crew manage to sound so out-of-it and wild, they achieve the absolute opposite for me. The production and recording on this one is great, unsurprising as it was by future Queen knob twiddler Mack.

‘Dooms Day’ by PurpleSun answers the eternal question of what would happen if your local band took enough drugs to try and play ‘Louie Louie’ and Uriah Heep’s ‘Love Machine’ simultaneously; these Texans do splendidly.

---

There is a lot to enjoy right here and as I have no wish to harsh anyone’s vibe I will leave the couple of tracks I am less keen on alone to gibber quietly to themselves in the corner^.

I have really enjoyed having Acid Nightmares again this week^*. So time to fire up the blacklight, make myself a strong coffee and experience the heaviness.

Onward.

1109 Down.

• 

• 

• 

• 

PS: Don’t just rely on my pants photography, watch this:

*in Latin = Slumborous Tabuletta Maleficum.

**Josefus, Medusa, Wicked Lester, Circuit Rider …

^also because I don’t want some wild-eyed ‘Nam veteran from Kansas on my trail with a grudge.

^*Mrs 1537 was less keen, ‘Are they Belgian?’ she was moved to ask on several occasions; not a term of endearment.