Album Details

• Artist: Various Artist Compilations
• Album: Turkish Freakout 2: Psych-Out 1970-79
• Label: Bouzouki Joe
• Year of Release: 2010
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: patchen on 2011-07-25

Over the last decade, the reissue fever that has resulted in the opened vaults of places as varied as Thailand, Nigeria and Japan, revealing a treasure trove of late 60s-early 70s psychedelic rock. Much of this, especially the African releases, are the equal to anything produced in America during the period. You wouldn't figure that the Middle East would also be a place to find such trippy goodies. Yet here we are. "Turkish Freakout 2: Psych-Out 1970-79" is proof of that. Given turkey's relative openness it is not surprising I guess, though the depth of inspiration is striking. These sixteen songs, all taken from original 7" releases, are by turns hot and hypnotic. As the Middle East runs neck and neck with India is terms of greatest contribution to the Drone, local and traditional rhythms and instruments fit easily into the Acid Rock structure.

Acoustic string instruments  and the droning, echo-distorted vocals make songs like Kardarslar ‘s "Cockertme" as haunting as it is trippy. But this set is across the board full of Western influences of the period, from heavy orchestrated funk , as in "Sev Digim" by Erkin Koray, to fuzzy pop-an out-there "Kaderimin Oyuno" by Adja Pekkan, which mixes Dusty Springfield, Herb Alpert and Love!

"Turkish Freakout 2: Psych-Out 1970-79" is another gem that proves that the search-and success in finding-great music will never end. The reach of both fad and lasting styles have always made their way around the world to mix with local traditions, even way before the internet and other immediate means of tuning in to the other side of the world. Turkey, as everywhere, and however improbably, heard the fuzzy, trippy goodness of psychedelia and said hell yeah.

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