Although the one and only album recorded by the late-’60s Boricuan-Dominican outfit named Kaleidoscope has been reissued over a dozen times, the eponymous LP’s psychedelic comportment is diverse and solid enough to handle another pressing; this one’s due from the reliable folks at Guerssen on September 20. The limited kaleidoscopic color vinyl pressing of 207 copies has sold out during preorder, but the black wax is still available. Those attracted to the many manifestations of the global psych impulse who are unfamiliar with its grooves should contemplate grabbing copy of the standard edition before it’s gone as well.
Given the era’s fleeting but fervent preoccupation with the trappings of psychedelia, it really no surprise that numerous late-’60s bands took up the handle of Kaleidoscope. The band under review here shouldn’t (and once heard, won’t) be confused with the Los Angeles-based Kaleidoscope that featured David Lindley and Chris Darrow, nor will they be mistaken for the Kaleidoscope that was formed in London and later became the Fairfield Parlour.
This incarnation of Kaleidoscope came together from the dissolution of several prior rock acts, starting out in Puerto Rico with Frank Tirado on bass and vocals and Orly Vázquez and Pedrín García (a transplant from Spain) on electric guitars. Theirs is a story of multiple twists that’s well told by Enrique Rivas in the notes for Guerssen’s reissue, but in short, Dominicans Rafael Cruz and Julio Arturo Fernández joined on drums and organ, respectively.
The album was cut in the Dominican Republic in 1967 at Fabiola Studios, but it was the Mexican label Orfeon that released the record, or more precisely, pressed a tiny promotional edition in 1969 that’s become insanely expensive on the collector market in the decades since. The delay in release saw the band splinter, but Tirado and Cruz recruited new members and traveled to Mexico to promote the release, which has led to the occasional inaccuracy that Kaleidoscope is a Mexican band.
They sing in English and some of the cited inspirations (Cream, Hendrix, Iron Butterfly, Mothers of Invention) come through stronger than others but no particular influence dominates. Or at least no specific band. Much of the record can be traced back to the garage template, and straightaway in leadoff track “Hang Out.” There’s beaucoup fuzz guitar and organ plus an intensity in Tirado’s vocals that’s in the ballpark of Mark Lindsay but with a hint of Arthur Brown.
A big bomb explosion sound effect in “Hang Out” reflects an interest in maximizing studio possibilities. This helps keep genericism at bay, but a bigger reason for the record’s enduring worthiness is songwriting that’s sturdy if not mind-blowing. “P.S. Come Back” is a mover but surprisingly diverse structurally as the singing leans into the pop sphere.
“A Hole in My Life” makes the connection to Zappa tangible, but it’s the early Mothers at their most straightforward. “Let Me Try” slows it down and increases the heaviness with a darker organ-driven atmosphere. “I Think It’s All Right” infuses that garage template with a few heavier psych touches. Early on, Tirado declares “I’m stoned.”
Closing side one strong, “Colours” rolls at a speedy clip, radiating a total Nuggets vibe with a hint of early Love. There are cascading bursts of what sounds like a proto-synth (but is surely some form of studio trickery) and even a honking horn reportedly sampled from a Marx Brothers movie. “Once Upon a Time There Was a World” slows it down again and spreads out to eight minutes without meandering or succumbing to bad decisions.
Speedy and succinct, “A New Man” follows as that pop tendency comes roaring back, but without sacrificing the garage angle. “I’m Crazy” and closer “I’m Here, He’s Gone, She’s Crying” both maintain a strong vocal presence to underscore that for all their unusual qualities, Kaleidoscope was essentially working from within a trad framework, presenting limitations as well as benefits in terms of staying power.
GRADED ON A CURVE:
B+
