E U C L I D
Heavy Equipment
Euclid's one and only album is among the very best of the late 1960's -
early 1970's heavy rock albums of all time. Based out of Haverhill, Massachusetts,
the musicians themselves come from a diverse New England garage & psych-rock
background. Bassist Harold Perino Jr. (aka "Maris"), came from
The Ones, a central Mass. garage band who also had a rare garage LP on the
Ashwood House label. The other members were from southern Maine. Garage
rockers Gary Leavitt on lead vocals & guitar, and his brother Jay Leavitt
on drums were in the Cobras together. Ralph Mazzota from the psych-tinged
Maine group Lazy Smoke is outright dazzling on blistering lead guitar.
Pedigree aside, this is a powerful and inventive psychedelic heavy rock
album that stands on its own as a great work. Euclid was signed to Bob One of the coolest things about this album is the overall evidence of the
various background influences brought in by each of the group members. In
Euclid, you get the very best of it all. You have the raw & ferocious high
energy garage element mixed with a very clear and real psychedelic conviction
of the drug saturated times. These characteristics combined with a new heavy/hard
rock discipline & focus, resulted in one of the best early heavy rock albums
ever recorded in the United States. The combined members' various instrumental
contributions are equally matched by their amazingly supportive crystalline
four-vocal harmonies. The background vocal quality is quite effectively
offset by the lead vocals "take no prisoners" brutal male vocal styling.
Bobby Herne's production on this record, with lots of twists & turns,
is absolutely top notch and gives the music its deep unstoppable heavy forward
momentum. The first track is a real winner, clocking in at over 11 minutes,
blasting forth with super heavy monster riffs. There's also hints of an
eastern psych groove with cool sitar playing, and their version of "Gimme
Some Lovin'" sounds as if it were done by The Jimi Hendrix Experience.
With their old friend Bobby Herne in the producer's chair (he also produced
The Shaggs "Philosophy Of The World" LP), they create a "bad
trip" spiked with backwards tape effects, darkly-phased vocals, all
instruments set from overkill to "pummel", and an album title
certainly eligible for the 'truth-in-advertising' award with its 'earth
moving' characteristics. Their original songs are incredibly inventive with
lots of twists and turns. The album itself stands as a perfect monument
which musically represents the transition from hard heavy psych to hard
heavy rock. This is an LP you'll play over & over, and never get tired
of! In short, the group Euclid was one of the true "unsung" cornerstones
that really helped pave the way for the up and coming US hard rock movement.
This is an LP you'll play over & over and never get tired of it!
Gary Leavitt, Bobby Hearne, and Maris have all passed on due to various
circumstances over the years. Gary Leavitt was killed in a 1975 motorcycle
accident, which effectively ended the band, who were a popular live attraction
in the Northeast up until then. Jay Leavitt still performs occasionally
with his group Bluezberry Jam in the Maine area. The Leavitt brothers along
with Bobby Herne, first appeared together in 1966 as the Cobras, releasing
the New England garage classic "I Wanna Be Your Love" bw/ "Instant
Heartache" on the Big Beat label, one of the most incredible and out
of control garage 45's ever recorded.
This Original 1970 rarity appears on Amsterdam Records (AMS 12005). The
gatefold cover appears VG+ due to general wear, a lower right corner bump
& a 3" tape stain to the center of the INNER seam, which has a
2" inner separation. There is also a small water stain to the lower
bit of the INNER seam. There are no seam splits to the outer jacket. The
stock Amsterdam labels appear overall near Mint with no spindle marks or
center hole wear of note, while the record playing surfaces get a VG+ to
EX visual grade, but plays NM, better than it looks. Overall a strong keeper
copy of this rapidly vanishing LP. Grab this before it becomes a $1000 record,
as it's destined to.
KILLER! From start to finish!
SIDE TWO
Thiele's Flying Dutchman Records subsidiary label, Amsterdam Records, distributed
by Mainstream Records, and was one of the few, if not only "rock"
releases on either label (a notable exception being the rare Minx soundtrack
by The Cyrkle). With its tremendous rumbling in-your-face riffing fuzz guitars;
screaming solos, backwards bits, thick fuzz bass, pounding drums and oddly-effected
vocals, the album, produced by the legendary Bobby Herne, with finishing
touches to the mix by Les Paul, Jr; stands proudly with one foot in the
1960s & one in the 1970s, crafting their sound with a heavy-handed metallic
attitude.
SIDE ONE
1. A. SHADOWS OF LIFE (3:13)
B. ON THE WAY (4:37)
C. BYE BYE BABY (4:38)
2. GIMME SOME LOVIN' (Davis/Winwood) (4:24)
3. FIRST LAST TIME (3:37)
1. LAZY LIVIN' (5:57)
2. 97 DAYS (3:10)
3. SHE'S GONE (2:47)
4. IT'S ALL OVER NOW (Womack and Womack) (4:24)
