EDGE 1970 NOSE RECORDS/2023 RidingEasy Records

Whatta ride! Edge comes storming at you right out of the gate with no time to waste and a lotta places to go. It's 1970 and this beast of an LP nails the moment psychedelic '60s haze faded into early bad ass hard rock. Edge take it other places as well, brief progressive flashes, medieval folk pop, even… ambitious and concise on every track. No excess baggage, killer arrangements shot through with ripping guitar, moody organ and hooks to spare. The Edge LP always pulled premium collector $$ and your ears will tell you why!

Edge was formed by members from two L.A. bands that both had psychedelic pop LPs issued on the obscure Flick-Disc label in 1968. a 'hip' subsidiary of MGM. Richard Barcellona and John Keith from the American Revolution and David Novogroski from the Boston Tea Party along with Gallen Murphy make up the guitar/organ/bass/drums quartet lineup. Richard Barcellona is also responsible for the amazing lead guitar on the Seeds 1972 single "Shuckin'' and Jivin'", so this LP is Seeds related, always a notable detail when talking L.A. rock history.

Cue it up and hold on to your seat, you're in for quite a ride during the next 28 minutes of your life!

"Callin' Out" immediately zaps your mind with an alarming bad trip whirlpool organ riff, then unexpectedly throws you on a sweaty roadhouse stage for the vocal and back into the psychedelic with an organ break and smokin' outlaw style acid fuzz guitar on the fade.

"Sing Your Song" is the coulda been radio hit, ironically about the futility of singing your song. The moody blend of acoustic guitar, serene ominous organ and searing fuzz leads make this downer a serious upper… the vocal sound is incredible and the hooks in the melody double down on the psychedelic atmosphere.

"A New Breed Of Man" zeroes in on the unpretentious regular dudes next door back from the turned on '60s trip and making the world a better place. more of 'em everyday, a new breed of man is evolving. The organ break kills and the spoken bit at the end is a perfect nutshell example of the endearingly sincere naive idealism of the time.

"Lady Of Darkness" is serious woman trouble served up on a gnarly stalker of a guitar riff, bluesy hardrock with an outrageous vocal verging on preposterous in the best way.

"Movin' On" equals more woman trouble, a tough no mercy I'm outta here anthem riding a truly classic heavy guitar riff so simple and potent you're sure you've heard it before but you haven't.

"The Story Of Angelique" is a sad one, her being dead and all, but wow! what a presentation. Unusual proto punk guitar chording with a progressive flavor frame the spooky acid folk adjacent middle section with the vocals. It's quite inventive without being arty.

"Starvin' Man" has nothing to do with food, you can guess what he's hungry for… suggestively pulsating organ stroking the heavy guitar riff with an outrageously honest struttin' vocal and a brief drum solo out of left field.

"Ribbon And Bow" are a guy and girl glimpsed in a tragic medieval folk pop song right on time for 1970. Ribbon is off on the Crusades and Bow is worried back home, he dies, of course.

"Money Slave" hits the finish line with the best hardrock moves on the record, the lyrics are a working class rant against the system but the singer escapes into his girlfriend, feeling good as the guitar action takes it to the sky. Utterly killer!


- Words by Paul Major -