Jade - Faces Of Jade (1970) (2008)

It`s late 60s Brit-psych/pop of the McCartney/Roy Wood variety transplanted to 1970s Cincinnati, serving up plenty of innovation, fun and a fair amount of label $$$ on hand. Opens with dreamy psych mini-epic that recalls the 2nd Fallen Angels album, the rest holds a middle ground between London`68 and the clever pop that Ohio would become famous for, leaving the listener to decide if this is a late 60s lytepsych LP or in fact an Anglo-retro 70s trip. Lots of piano, "Penny Lane" fanfares, high-pitched teen harmonies and unexpected studio tricks. " Cincinnatti`s Jade were another one of those elusive early 70`s psychedelic acts who left behind only one private pressing before vanishing into the mist. Virtually nothing is known about the band, but collectors have been swarming record fairs and pillaging eBay for years in the hopes of snagging this relic. So does the album live up to its hype? Mostly, yes...
Considering the modest budget of such a DIY undertaking in 1970, the mix is well done and the material is very well constructed. Blending the Beatles, Blossom Toes and a number of other pop/psych acts of the era, Jade create a formidable aural tapestry. With slight folk leanings, each track breezes along quite nicely throughout the duration of the album. The engineering trickery in places here are subtle reminders that Jade were foremost Beatles influenced. Perhaps the strangest track is "My Mary" which is absolutely mindblowing. This ingenius piece of music features backwards accompaniment along with warped vocals that sound deceptively reversed but are actually sung forward. The outcome is like a bent merry-go-round, wobbling in circular motion while the seasick vocals spill out over the arrangement. It`s truly a sound to behold. The rest of the album is mostly just as satisfying and any lovers of quirky psych will find alot to enjoy in "Faces of Jade".