Skydog: Hippie Bangers

Just...Thirty some odd years ago releasing a record was kind of a big deal. Today, not so much. The act of recording and disseminating music is obviously still important, but the glut of nonsense - and people to buy or download that nonsense - isn't helping matters too much. Once, though, putting out a limited pressing of your band warranted genuine glee instead of internet geeks discussing the outcome. Of course the music was different in the '70s too.

By 1974 in Georgia, the Allman Brothers were probably the tastemakers of the state. That's pretty understandable - dust off that copy of At Fillmore East, its better than anything released that could even be almost considered rock on a major label in almost a decade. Serious. But since the band of pseudo brothers were such a huge part of the American musical experience at the time, it's safe to assume that a great many imitators were about. Reducing an act to a knock off of an influential band is harsh and unfair amongst other things. But the pretty overt relation to the Allmans on Skydog's lone release, Just Want to Make You Happy, is unavoidable.

Originally, the album was pressed in a run of a lowly one hundred copies. More likely than not, the dudes in the band kept a few, gave some to family and friends with the other copies filtering into a few fan's record collections. So the fact that this reissued album even exists at this point is a little beyond surprising.

I suppose, though, that this all speaks to the quality of the music on Just Want to Make You Happy. It certainly isn't the lost grail of psych or prog, but a good distillation of jazzy rock jams conveyed for the consumption of some folks that wanna boogie. There's still a pretty heavy cloud of west coast psych looming over this album, but the Allmans sounded like they were from the coast, so it's alright.

What does separate this Skydog disc from the vast and ever blooming pile of supposed lost classics is the fact that Skydog have chops for real. There are obviously some places on here when the guitar is a bit beyond ridiculous - the wah wah during the first section of "Ali Sahd" for example. While there are some problematic flourishes, though, the ability of Skydog to move in and out of time signatures and styles only points to what could have been.

Again, this isn't the best record ever recorded, but if these folks had gotten a break along the way, Skydog might be in the middle of a reunion tour hitting up Bonnaroo and other assorted, over priced hippie rip offs.

Given the name of the group and its album here, one should be prepared for at least a dash of nonsense lyrically. It isn't in spades, as it were, but the stuff here is mostly memorable for the guitar frenzy, overly ambient keys and grooves. I'm pretty sure the re-issued disc is outta print as well, but keep looking if you're tired of the Allman Brothers' discs that are collecting dust in your stacks.