LPCDreissues: Looking forward to the past

• Die-cut gatefold LP now on violet vinyl pressed in the United States at Citizen Vinyl!
• Lacquer mastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio!
• First ever LP reissue!

American prog/psych outfit formed in Minneapolis by Enrico “Rico” Rosenbaum (guitar, vocals), James Walsh (keyboards, vocals), and James Johnson (guitar, vocals), evolving from The Underbeats. Celebrated for lush harmonies, long-form writing, and a nimble rhythm section, they debuted with a self-titled double LP in 1970 and followed with In the Garden (1971), Antithesis (1972), and Unlock the Gates (1973). Drummer Bill Lordan later played with Sly & the Family Stone and Robin Trower.

Issued in July 1971 on Metromedia and produced by Clark Burroughs, In the Garden is a tighter, more concise follow-up tracked at Larrabee Sound in Los Angeles. It reached #173 on the Billboard chart. Across seven cuts—hooky tunes like “Around You,” “Reach Out Your Hand,” “Blind Man,” and “Time Will Make It Better,” plus the 12-minute centerpiece “As Far as You Can See (As Much as You Can Feel)”—the band balances melody with expansive, suite-like structures. The lineup includes Rosenbaum, Walsh, Johnson, Bill Lordan (drums), Willie Weeks (bass), and Joe Lala (percussion); a 1999 Bedrock reissue adds the bonus track “20 Years Ago Today.”

TRACK LISTING

• A1 Around You 5:27
• A2 Reach Out Your Hand 2:33
• A3 As Far As You Can See (As Much As You Can Feel) 12:09
• B1 Here (In The Garden) Part One 3:11
• B2 Here (In The Garden) Part Two 3:52
• B3 Blind Man 3:59
• B4 Time Will Make It Better 2:53