Morrison Kincannon – Beneath the Redwoods
Morrison Kincannon – Beneath the Redwoods
SOUNDCLOUD: https://soundcloud.com/spacetalkmusic/sets/morrison-kincannon-beneath-the
Between 1970 and 1982, California folk-rock duo Morrison Kincannon recorded some of the most prolific and criminally underrated music of their time, creating a legion of followers and leaving a colorful trail of dexterous melodies in their wake. Now, after nearly four decades of collecting dust, Spacetalk Records is unearthing a collection of fifteen songs by the pair that most critics and fans had feared were forever lost to the sands of time. Titled Beneath the Redwoods, this is a one of a kind set of material captured in one place; something that most of us had all but given up on ever seeing in our lifetimes. I had the sublime opportunity to listen to Beneath the Redwoods ahead of its release and after I got over my initial disbelief that I had received the assignment that I just did, I settled in for a focused listening and let all of the magic that vintage vinyl can unleash carry me away with its wiles.
“I’ll Be Okay Tomorrow” struts out of the 70’s like a golden ghost, while the neon “To See One Eagle Fly” abrasively takes us back in time to an era before HIV, WMD’s and PSTD; a time when music and indulgence went hand in hand and not a care in the world was to be found in the studio where Morrison Kincannon got down to business. Other tracks like the stunning “Summer Days” take us back to the golden age of folk rock in all of its earnest, stripped-down glory. The fact is, no matter what your poison is, Spacetalk Records has assembled everything we could have dreamed of finding in an anthology collection like this one. Morrison Kincannon never got the attention that they worked so hard for during their initial run forty years ago, and they definitely deserved a proper retrospective that captures how enigmatic and surreal their sound really was. They were ahead of their time, and I think the momentum behind their innovation, or rather the lack thereof, is represented in this album in its nuanced subtleties.
Now audiences of a new generation can learn about the majestic story of Morrison Kincannon, and how theirs is one that can be used as a crucial teaching point when it comes to all of pop culture in general. Some of the most important songwriters in history have gone without receiving the acclaim that they rightfully deserved in their lifetime. Some have influenced a countless number of artists, while others left a ripple that changed a scene more than it did its players. No matter the circumstances, I find that it can be quite rewarding to dig through the history that lives and breathes left of the dial. Since I was a kid, I’ve consistently discovered more life-changing music in the cavernous underbelly of pop than I have anywhere else, and Morrison Kincannon is among the most legendary of my encounters. Get yourself a copy of Beneath the Redwoods and experience what indie music really sounded like before you ever even heard the phrase.
Mindy McCall