Courtesy of Ed Roman

Alright ya‰’ll, you‰’ve either just had a very stressful week or are about to have one; what can I say it‰’s midterms. However, I have some relaxing tunes for your twisted souls. The Strawberry Alarm Clock is band for folks who need to relax. They start of their album Incense and Peppermints is a song by the title of “the world is on Fire‰Û. The flute, guitar, organ, and drum/percussion solos are the predominate features to the song, stretching it past the eight minute mark. Lyrically, it is not brilliant, with a simple rhyme scheme and a pretty basic theme of describing the world being on fire. Yet, there is some pretty interesting harmonizing near the end of the track.

The rest of the album is comprised (except for the last track) of songs that are under the 4 minute mark, which is pretty unique for a band in 1967 to do. The track Lose to Live is pretty jarring as it is sandwiched between two rather soft songs. It has at least one distinct time change and a lot of tempo changes, which create a pretty chaotic tune. I like it a lot though, because it contrasts the rather easy listening of the rest of the album.

Paxton‰’s Back Street Carnival is a bit more of a upbeat tune with a lot more descriptive lyrics like “You‰’re mind is moving fast‰” and “Caught within all the sounds of the joy / At the back street carnival‰Û. The rather literal nature to their lyrics makes the album sort of a painting, or rather slide show, in that it is describing scenes or a very short memory. It certainly makes a fabulous back drop to the great Jack Nicholson movie “Psych-Out‰Û.

The second to last track, which holds the same title as the album, is a song you‰’ve likely heard. The song somehow seems to critique the future of capitalistic-urban-outfitters-hippie- bullshit. The lyrics trick you into thinking that ‰incense and peppermints‰’ are the key to their guru-esk veneer, yet the lyrics “Incense and peppermints / meaningless nouns / Turn on, tune in, turn your eyes around‰” tell you that things like incense and peppermints are nothing but meaningless nouns. The hippie movement is often portrayed as floral clad folks who use a lot of drugs. However this song sorta holds the not-yet formed movement accountable, as the album came out in 1967. As easy listening as this album is, if you let it, it will ask you to think for yourself.

The last song is probably one of my favorite ends to an album. The song “Unwind with the Clock‰” simply starts off with some rad solos to a jazzy background, and then basically just thanks the listener for listening. They also make the joke “The clock says we must go‰” (which obviously is referencing the band as ‰the Clock‰’‰” and then they sing “so long‰Û. This album is pretty relaxing. If you have a chance, listen to this and take a deep breath.