This album is a fascinating hybrid of
psychedelia
and mainstream
hard rock
, incorporating elements of both. Consisting of two short numbers (clocking in a under five minutes) and a pair of extended tracks running a quarter-hour each, it stands apart from most of the extended
art rock
jams of its era by virtue of its consistent, driving beat and the emphasis on crunchy guitar sounds (courtesy of ex-
Paul Revere & the Raiders
ax-man
Drake Levin
and
Michaels
himself). The title track and
"Hold On to Freedom"
seem like a lot of empty posturing, although the playing and production on
"Space and First Takes"
have enough of a psychedelic edge that its 16-minute length is mostly a virtue.
"First Names"
is slightly shorter, and intense enough across 14 minutes to pull the listener in even deeper and more successfully. ~ Bruce Eder