My Top 1000 Songs #885: The American Metaphysical Circus

[I've been writing up my Top 1000 songs on a daily basis--you can see them all in descending order by hitting the All My Favorite Songs tag.]

My fascination with obscure & forgotten late 60s psychedelia has led me to some strange places, but few as strange as the eponymous (and only) album from L.A.-based The United States Of America. Their 1968 LP bears some resemblance to the Jefferson Airplane, with their male/female vocals, varied musical influences, and blend of politics & drugs. But they also threw in some electronic experimentation and heavier vibes that went beyond the more pleasant jams of the psychedelic scene up north. 

Opening track "The American Metaphysical Circus" puts it all out there, a minute-long explosion of circus music segueing into a spaced-out, druggy ballad with all manner of sonic weirdness, gradually building into a psychedelic anthem simultaneously dark and delirious. Maybe not something you want to spin up for a casual listen, but the spooky ambience of the song is something that has stayed with me long since I first discovered the album.

(FYI, the song's title was later used by US of A co-founder Joe Byrd's 1971 solo album, pictured up top, though the song was not included there.)