Very nice Sundazed reissue of The United States of America

Anyone checked this out yet? Great but often overlooked 60s psychotic pop by Joe Byrd and company. I've been listening to it quite a bit over the last few weeks and have been very impressed by both the music and the new mastering. Relatively quiet (uncompressed) and with good frequency extremes, especially for a vintage 1968 rock recording on Columbia. Very cool stuff, especialy if you get off on what sounds a little like Song Cycle era Van Dyke Parks working with the early Jefferson Airplane. Me? I love it....now if I could just find my bong and bell bottoms

http://www.sundazed.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=S&Product_Code=SC+11124

 

USA, USA, USA!!!
No, I have not.
Yes, I will.
Thank you!

 

How does the CD compare with the Columbia vinyl reissue from a couple of years ago?

 

Well I don't have that one, although I've got an old UK vinyl copy that I haven't got around to doing a comparison with. I did however compare the Sundazed CD with my Edsel version. The Sundazed sounded clearer, cleaner and with much less distortion (or about two or three tape generations down).

 

I like this album quite a bit. The new remaster sounds infinitely superior to my old copy (which was, alas, a needle drop).

 

Does it come in the brown paper bag?

 

Looks like some good bonus tracks, too!

 

I never owned this album but used to have Joe Byrd and the Field Hippies "American Metaphysical Circus". How does it compare to that album?

Cheers,
Chris

 

I bought both when they came out during my high school years and I was deep into the psychedelic haze and to me they are of a piece. If ya dig one then you shall dig the other. Similar subject matter, similar psych effects,all over the mental map instrumentation. I got the Sundazed United States CD rerelease as soon as it came out and it is certainly exquisite and the bonus trax make it a must-own. Wish Sundazed would do the same with The American Metaphysical Circus now( I only have it on vinyl but it is pretty well close to mint).

 

It's out on CD. I have one. It's on either Collector's Choice or CBS Specioal Products (I forget & it's at home & I'm not). I far prefer the USA album.

 

The AMC was on One Way, wasn't it??

 

The brown paper bag is reproduced on the back cover of the CD booklet.

An extremely excellent reissue by Sundazed!

Liner notes by Joseph Byrd, interview with Dorothy Moskowitz, previously unseen photos and detailed track annotation (master numbers and recording dates).

The US of A album entered Billboard May 4, 1968 @ #198, peaked @ #181 June 8, 1968, on chart through June 29, 1968.

Huge article about the Sundazed US of A CD in Mojo #129, August 2004.

 

Cool!!

 

Sundazed also has a vinyl US of A picture sleeve single (which I have not heard yet):

Hard Coming Love 4:53 / Osamu’s Birthday 2:45
previously unissued versions

 

In 1972, a friend and I skipped school and went to the big city to record shop. I found a copy of USA in a cutout bin, and talked my friend into buying it, as I had spent all of my money. I was already a big fan of the Field Hippies album, and had never seen a copy of USA before. My buddy didn't show up for school the next day, or the day after. Eventually, we got the news that he had "freaked out", and his parents had shipped him off to a military academy. Thirty plus years later, I've still never heard the USA album, I think I'm scared to. The first time I heard American Metaphysical Circus was through headphones while tripping. An intense experience. I suppose I'm gonna have to get the Sundazed USA eventually and finally hear the thing.