IRON BUTTERFLY: "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida"

Original released on LP ATCO SD 33-250

(US 1968, June 14)

With its endless, droning minor-key riff and mumbled vocals, "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" is arguably the most notorious song of the acid rock era. According to legend, the group was so stoned when they recorded the track that they could neither pronounce the title "In the Garden of Eden" or end the track, so it rambles on for a full 17 minutes, which to some listeners sounds like eternity. But that's the essence of its appeal - it's the epitome of heavy psychedelic excess, encapsulating the most indulgent tendencies of the era. Iron Butterfly never matched the warped excesses of "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida," either on their debut album of the same name or the rest of their catalog, yet they occasionally made some enjoyable fuzz guitar-driven psychedelia that works as a period piece. The five tracks that share space with their magnum opus on "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" qualify as good artifacts, and the entire record still stands as the group's definitive album, especially since this is the only place the full-length title track is available. (Stephen Erlewine in AllMusic)

IRON BUTTERFLY: "Heavy" (Mono + Stereo)

Original released on LP ATCO 

33-227 (mono) / SD 33-227 (stereo)

(US 1968, January 22)

Iron Butterfly’s debut is patchy..some winners, mostly losers. Certainly not that "heavy" either. The band already had their unique style down from the start, really no modifications for their next few albums. Their music's obvious draw is Doug Ingle’s organ playing and the guitarist's unique Mosrite tone. On a side note, Danny Weis got that tone first and later showed it to Eric Brann. Highlights here include the creepy, organ-driven “Possession” and “Unconscious Power”. “You Can’t Win” is a basic 4/4 rocker. You can’t really go wrong with that. “Fields of Sun” would actually fit better on their third album, "Ball". The bridge reminds me of something from that album. I like the weird falsetto singing along with it. 4 good songs so far. Now for the bad tracks. “Get Out My Life Woman” has an organ intro straight from the toyshop, and then the song takes a sudden turn into unexciting, slow blues rock. “Gentle as it May Seem” is as straightforward as you could ask for. Those "come here woman!" bits are cringeworthy. “So-Lo” is rather odd. The main organ riff is a melody that feels kind of kiddie/saccharine, even more so during the bridges. The backing vocals aren't appropriate for the song, and Doug should’ve sang lead. “Stamped Ideas” is a pure slice of filler, no substance. The lyrics are moronic and the tune is cloying. What a relief the next track will be... The album’s crowning glory is the instrumental “Iron Butterfly Theme”, which supposedly conveys the birth, life, and death of a butterfly. It's made up of reverberating Mosrite guitar sound that IB is noted for and Doug’s ghost-like chanting. It ends with a repeating organ note that would seem to indicate a dying heartbeat, and then it flatlines. It’s Iron Butterfly’s most psychedelic song outside of "IAGDV". (in AllMusic)

IRON BUTTERFLY LIVE

Original released on LP ATCO SD 33.318

(US, April 1970)

This album stands as something of a minor landmark, musically - as far back as the late '60s, its presence in used record bins attracted a great deal of attention from historically minded collectors, as a genuine live recording of its era, and of a hard rock, heavy metal band, at that. Not too many concert recordings were attempted in hard rock in those days, and even a lot of what was issued in the way of live albums - John Lennon's" Live Peace in Toronto" and the Rolling Stones' "Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!" come to mind - were done under duress, as an attempt to undermine bootlegs that had shown up. And when one considers that Atlantic Records never even got around to recording the Rascals in concert, the very existence of "Iron Butterfly Live" can only be regarded something of a gift (though one that a lot of us would gladly trade for a period concert recording of Felix Cavaliere, et. al). As a concert document from the spring of 1969, the album shows off the group's strengths, which mostly take the form of a lot of raw energy and some entertaining keyboard flourishes from Doug Ingle - lead guitarist Erik Braunn, who was to leave the group less than a year later, doesn't fare quite as well in the mix, which was one of the inherent problems with recording a hard rock band in concert during this era, although one can still make out some of the flashier aspects of his playing. And bassist Lee Dorman gets a great showcase throughout. Not surprisingly, given the nature of concerts and audiences in those days, there's not a lot of subtlety on display, but power and intensity count for something here. Additionally, the album is a document about how the group's second lineup, with Braunn and Dorman, approached material from the first album, such as "You Can't Win"; and it gives us a glimpse of the concert versions of "Filled with Fear," "Soul Experience," and "In the Time of Our Lives" from "Ball". There are moments when the group might be aspiring to a Doors-like seriousness on some of this material, though Ingle isn't a good enough singer nor the band sufficiently articulate to bring that off. As for the live "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida," it adds just a few flourishes and some longer solos to the studio original, which was a live-in-the-studio performance anyway. The sound is surprisingly good, given the technology in use and the era in which it was recorded. (Bruce Eder in AllMusic)