Listening

Coke clear with yellow swirl vinyl pressing, limited to 700 copies.

While most of the bands (Orpheus, Ultimate Spinach, Beacon Street Union) associated with producer Alan Lorber’s “Bosstown Sound” signed with MGM Records, Listening recorded their only album in 1968 with Vanguard. And it’s a highly prized one, at that, with original copies selling for triple figures. One reason for that is, unlike many of their more poppy Boston-based peers, Listening boasted an original, swirling, hard-edged sound, full of jazzy and even proggy passages, and keyboardist/singer/songwriter Michael Tschudin’s lyrics were openly countercultural. That’s future (post-Lou Reed) Velvet Underground member Walter Powers on bass, and blues wunderkind Peter Malick on guitar. A talented band, underappreciated at the time…in other words, right up our Real Gone alley!

SIDE ONE

You’re Not There
Laugh at the Stars
9/8 Song
Stoned Is
“Forget It, Man!”

SIDE TWO

I Can Teach You
So Happy
Cuando
“Baby: Where Are You?”
Fantasy
See You Again