Holy Fuzz

Description

Holy Fuzz is a multi-artist compilation released on Hidden Vision Records in 1998.

PROMO

In the late 1960’s, two of the era’s major influences, rock music and a revival of Christianity by our nation’s youth, were both attracting new converts by the millions … it was inevitable that these two huge followings; would converge with a deafening roar off fuzz guitars and feedback that would be the music of this new breed of psychedelically-inspired “spreaders of the word”.

This album presents songs by some of the bands that were pioneers of this great new Christian psychedelic music.

Several of these bands are well known to collectors of rare vinyl, while some of the others are more obscure.

All the songs on this album were specifically chosen for their guitar content … some of it mellow and subtle, and some of it … mind frying heavy fuzz. All of it … Great!

Welcome to the first edition of Holy Fuzz! (by hiddenvision.com)

Vinyl was still alive in 1998 for this compilation of rare psychedelic Jesus music from the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. “All the songs on this album were specifically chosen for their guitar content… some of it mellow and subtle, and some of it mind frying heavy fuzz”. For the budget-minded here’s you chance to sample tracks from rare pricey albums by Concrete Rubber Band and The Search Party, plus Agape, Exkursions, The Bridge, All Saved Freak Band, and Way International outfits Selah and Pressed Down Shaken Together & Rolling Over. And if you’ve already got all those there’s a 1967 pre-Agape song («In The Light») and the six-minute stunner «Magic Man» from the elusive Stonewood Cross single (man, if those guys had only cut an album – yeow!). Neat b&w cover art with Fillmore-styled psych lettering. [Ken Scott, The Archivist]

Nope, we’re not talking about a Christian police force, instead this is a compilation of Jesus Music with a more rocky persuasion and plenty of fuzzy guitars, cheaply recorded tracks and vintage Jesus messages. There was a time when this was the wildest Christian music on the planet and the mixture of hippie and psychedelic influences make for compelling listening if, like me, you’re into such things. Plenty of these songs were recorded for albums that bands recorded themselves in the days before Christian record labels showed the slightest interest in recording rock music. The album lives up to its name with the opening cut «It’s Been Sent Down» by The Excursions which features some fabulous guitar. Okay, a lot of this hasn’t travelled well and some of these songs sound like they were recorded in the toilet when you consider the amount of reverb on the vocals, but it’s an excellent document of how Jesus Music sounded in its heyday. The bluesy apocalyptic «Rejoice» from Agape and Stonewall Cross’s «Majic Man» are excellent pieces that sum up the creativity of the era. Mind, you can wonder at the female singer from The Search Party whose punishing high vocals could summon all the doggies in the neighbourhood! The good stuff makes up for all of that and although some of these groups like Stonewall Cross, All Saved Freak Band and Agape have been compiled elsewhere, if you’re interested in this period of church history or music, this is an essential listen! [Mike Rimmer, Cross Rhythms, August 2008]

CD tracklist:

01. The Exkursions – It’s Been Sent Down (from the album Exkursions, 1971) – 4:01
02. Selah – Romans 10:9 (from the album Consider These Words, 1975) – 4:36
03. The Bridge – Jesus (from the album Hallelujah!, 1972) – 3:49
04. The Search Party – The News Is You (from the album Montgomery Chapel, 1969) – 4:40
05. Pre-Agape – In The Light (from a 7-inch vinyl single, 1967) – 2:17
06. Stonewood Cross – Magic Man (from a two-sided 7-inch single, 1975) – 6:00
07. All Saved Freak Band – All Across The Nation (from the album Sower, 1980) – 3:55
08. The Search Party – You And I (from the album Montgomery Chapel, 1969) – 3:07
09. The Exkursions – Dry Ground (from the album Exkursions, 1971) – 3:47
10. Concrete Rubber Band – Christian (from the album Risen Savior, 1974) – 3:39
11. Pressed Down, Shaken Together And Running Over – Pressed Down, Shaken Together And Running Over (from the album Pressed Down, Shaken Together And Running Over, 1972) – 5:02
12. Agape – Rejoice (from the album Gospel Hard Rock, 1971) – 5:30

Note: Released on both CD and 12-inch vinyl LP by Hidden Vision Records.

[youtube_sc url=”DKAry9ffF6k” title=”Various Artists, Holy Fuzz – ” autohide=”1″ rel=”0″]