Imagine funksters Rufus backed by Santana or early Journey and you should have a good picture of the Lovecraft sound.
Written by: Eric
ARTIST: Lovecraft
ALBUM: We Love You, Whoever You Are
LABEL: Mercury
SERIAL: SRM-1-1031
YEAR: 1975
CD REISSUE: Discogs Reissue List
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA
LINEUP: Lalomie Washburn – vocals, percussion * Michael Tegza – drums, gong * Frank Capek – electric & acoustic guitars * Jorge Rodriguez – guitars * Craig Gigstad – bass * George Hannibal Agosto – gong, timbales, percussion * Mark Justin – electric & acoustic pianos, chimes, synthesizers
TRACK LISTING: 01 We Love You (Whoever You Are) * 02 Nora * 03 I Feel Better * 04 Your Smile * 05 Ain’t Getting None * 06 Monumental Movement * 07 The Hook * 08 Flight
Background
Chicago psychedelic band H.P. Lovecraft recorded two highly regarded albums in the late ’60s. Both feature all the trippy elements we’ve come to associate with American psych and in hindsight the group should have been bigger than the cult status they currently hold. H.P. Lovecraft split in 1968 although at the turn of 1970, original member’s guitarist George Edwards and drummer Michael Tegza put together a new band.
This was under the shortened moniker – Lovecraft, releasing a critically maligned 1970 album ‘Valley Of The Moon’. Naturally, the record didn’t do much business and Edwards dropped out a short time after its release leaving Tegza calling the shots. ‘We Love You, Whoever You Are’ popped into record stores in 1975 and again like ‘Valley Of The Moon’, critics as well as longtime fans slammed the album claiming it was a mere shadow of the former band’s greatness.
The Songs
They were probably right, but a little short sighted too. Lovecraft had nothing to do musically with the original band and perhaps it was a mistake using the name held so dear by former hippies and acid heads far and wide. On the other hand, you can only do bong hits for so long and times change as did the musical vision of Michael Tegza. Here the focus is on pop and progressive jazz fusion. Female vocalist Lalomie Washburn adds a dash of soul and heats it up.
Imagine Rufus a band Washburn would work with later a couple years later, backed by Santana or early Journey and you should have a good picture of the Lovecraft sound. There’s plenty here to like, the title track is funky but totally fun, ‘Your Smile’ is a moody ballad with dreamy e-piano and Washburn’s warm vocals sounding convincing as hell when she sings ‘I’ve Dreamed Of Someone Like You’.
Nice and although its a little out of character with the rest of the album, the beginning of ‘Monumental Movement’ has a southern flavour and sounds like Sea Level sliding into a full blown rock fusion track before all is said and done. I’ve never been thrilled with the last two cuts ‘The Hook’ and ‘Flight’ as I think the quality dips, but why quibble? This is a fine album and much better than some blurbs on the net will lead you to believe.
In Summary
A while back Wounded Bird reissued ‘Valley Of The Moon’, an album I liked by the way and I was hoping this record would follow, but it remains unreleased on CD. For psych fans the two H.P. Lovecraft albums are must haves but for a better taste of the original band at their best, check out the 1991 archive CD ‘Live May 11, 1968’ as it’s is one of the hottest live albums you can own.
Lovecraft on Video
We Love You Whoever You Are
Monumental Movement
