Alan Watts

This Is IT! (2004, Locust Music)

"A psychedelic holy grail re-issued. This is It -- originally cut in 1962, is regarded by many of the who's who of psych fanatics as the first aural document of psychedelia. It is a plundering, blistering, free form freakout of totally unselfconscious group sonic exploration. What's more: it's a great, great album that stands the test of time. Legendary Zen guru Alan Watts led a cadre of musicians and non-musicians alike through communal chant, primitive choogle and raw American tribalism that features many of the same Bay Area Heads that appeared earlier on Locust's Electronic Kabuki Mambo -- the inimitable satirist and collage whiz Henry Jacobs, genius percussionist William Loughborough (early performer with Chet Baker/Harry Partch) among many others. This is where the so-called 'Weird America' begins and if you don't find yourself with that rare facial twitch of awe, befuddlement and unbridled glee, then surely you need your head checked".
Locust Music