LPCDreissues: Looking forward to the past

• Edition: Official remastered reissue
• Source: Transferred from the original master tapes
• Packaging: Printed inner sleeve, red labels with silver printing and restored original artwork

The Only Truth is a legendary American private-press album and one of the most impressive heavy psychedelic recordings to emerge from Ohio during the early 1970s.

Morly Grey formed in Alliance, Ohio, around brothers Tim and Mark Roller. Reduced to a power-trio format during the making of the album, the group developed a muscular yet adventurous sound built around Tim Roller’s expressive guitar, Mark Roller’s melodic bass and lead vocals, and the dynamic drumming of Paul Cassidy and Bob LaNave.

The album moves between concise psychedelic songs, acid-rock guitar workouts and extended progressive structures. “Peace Officer” opens with urgent rhythms and politically charged lyrics, while “Who Can I Say You Are?” combines a memorable vocal melody with sharp, fuzzed guitar work. “I’m Afraid” and “Our Time” reveal a more reflective side without sacrificing the band’s powerful instrumental attack.

The second side develops from the direct hard rock of “After Me Again” into the album’s monumental title track. Running for more than seventeen minutes, “The Only Truth” unfolds through changing tempos, extended guitar improvisation and spacious psychedelic passages, capturing the trio at its most ambitious.

The original LP was issued independently on Starshine Records in 1972 and received only limited distribution. Its scarcity, unusual artwork and uncompromising music eventually made it one of the most sought-after albums in American private-press psychedelia.

For this official Peppermint Records edition, original engineer Gary Rhamy transferred the surviving master tapes using the same machine on which part of the album had been recorded. Adam Boose then handled the mastering and audio restoration, producing a detailed and powerful presentation of this cult heavy-psych classic.

Track listing:

Side A
1. Peace Officer – 5:51
2. You Came to Me – 4:13
3. Who Can I Say You Are? – 3:43
4. I’m Afraid – 4:35
5. Our Time – 6:26

Side B
1. After Me Again – 3:10
2. A Feeling for You – 2:35
3. The Only Truth – 17:05