Pride - Pride (1970)(2009)

The obscure self-titled 1970 LP by Pride will mostly be of interest to David Axelrod collectors, as he produced it and wrote all the material with his son Michael Axelrod. It’s passable mild psychedelic pop with a Baroque folk-rock slant, distinguished a little from other similar records of the time by the prominent use of a Spanish guitar. There are also numerous passages where a 12-string electric comes to the fore, sounding heavily influenced by the kind of jagged leads the Byrds’ Roger McGuinn took on the instrument around 1966 and 1967, as well as some keyboards with a classical tinge. Although no musicians are credited on the sleeve, it’s been reported that Nooney Rickett (who briefly played with Love) is the singer, and while he has a pleasantly light and airy voice, the songs are rather trifling semi-mystical psychedelic observations. A pleasant period sound is crafted here, but it’s one that pales in comparison to more heavyweight masters of who worked in the gutsier sectors of this general territory – like the Byrds and Love….. by Richie Unterberger