The Happy Dragon Band - The Happy Dragon Band (Reissue) (1978/2005)

Having release a little noticed 1974 album for Capitol under the guise of Phantom's Divine Comedy,four years later drummer John Bdanjeck, singer/guitarist Tom Carson, bassist Dennis Craner, keyboardist Mike DeMartino and guitarist Gary Meisner reappeared as The Happy Dragon Band. Released by the small Michigan-based Fiddlers label, anyone expecting to hear another set of faux Doors-inspired psych was bound to be surprised by 1978's "The Happy Dragon Band". Whereas the earlier Phantom LP featured all-original material, here all nine tracks were penned by a Tommy Court. Whoever he was, Court was also credited with production, engineering and direction. Musically the set was a major shocker. Dropping their earlier pseudo-Doors stance, material such as "3-D Free", "In Flight" and the instrumental "Bowling Pin Intro" found the band plunging headlong into outright experimentation. Featuring extended tracks filled with synthesizers, odd sound effects and dazed vocals, the results didn't make for a particularly commercial outting. That said, the album sports a weird, hypnotizing appeal that's worth a couple of spins. Dark, heavy and disturbing, part of the aura may be explained by the liner notes - "This album is in momory of: my friend Ritchie & my child Ritchie Joe".
One of my favorite 70s weird psych LPS.Comparisons can be made with Frank Zappa,Dreamies,late Comus,Terry Brooks,and even early Chrome (minus the industrial feeling).Spaced out electronic effects,cosmic fuzzed freak out all through. Copies of the Radioactive reissue cd can possibly still be found here and there but as far as i know it is officially deleted from the label's catalogue.