Review Summary: Psychedelic folk rock in a jazz environment. Imagine that!
Certainly, this album has been unjustly forgotten over the years. It's easy to explain, though; in purely 'rock' terms, this album doesn't rock all that much, thus disappointing a large number of listeners who want their 60's music a bit more 'groovier' and 'angrier'. It also isn't a pop affair; the melodies are catchy and extremely well-written, sure, but the tone of the album is very dark and illusive to be considered a traditional pop experience. But it is this unique blend of psychedelia, pop, rock and folk that's hard to resist after a few listens, though.
Now, the mood of the record is
really trance-inducing; the famous jangle of the band is clearer than ever, as every note that falls from Crosby's guitar feels like a waterfall heading to the listener's ears; quite often, these crystal clear sounds are accompanied with loud, crusty guitar strumming and at times with paranoid guitar screeching from McGuinn. Clarke, the group's drummer, is balanced enough to be delicate and thunderous at the same time, by combining jazz with rock stylistics and the harmonies of the group cannot be topped; they sweep the soundscape with grace and power, giving the album a certain 'epic' flavor.
The two most characteristic songs of the above description are without a doubt
I See You and, of course,
Eight Miles High; the former is made all the more of a highlight due to the dark, melancholic chorus being punctuated by Clarke's vivid, sharp drumming and McGuinn's schizophrenic soloing. The latter is a renowned psychedelic classic, no doubt; what makes this song such an enthralling listen is the alarming and frightening nature of it. Whether it is the distressed, jazzy drumming, the mighty and sincerely moving harmonies or the spaced out and trippy soloing we're talking about, the group never puts a foot wrong.
The psychedelia hardly stops there, though. In fact, the slower numbers here boast an even more hypnotic state of mind; quite simply, the opening
Fifth Dimension may be heading to almost Dylan territory thanks to Jim's 'poetic' vocal approach, but at the same time its instrumentation and pace produces such a numb, spellbinding feeling to the listener that I simply rest
mesmerized when listening to it. The icing on the cake, though, has to be McGuinn's agonized scream right after the chorus. Terrifying! On the other hand,
What's Happening settles for an ethereal mid-tempo affair, with Crosby's wistful fingerpicking being the highlight as Jim sings with his trademark soft and tender delivery the befuddled lyrics.
Wild Mountain Thyme and
I Come And Stand At Every Door are actually the slowest and most lethargic tunes on the whole record and, as a result, are relaxing and introspective to the extreme. The former includes more eastern musical influences, amongst them the background sitar and the orchestral strings, to great results; the latter is the most 'blue' song on the album; Crosby sounds tired and exhausted as he crawls through the sad lyrics, while the band succeeds in matching his sorrow.
There are also a couple more 'optimistic' songs here, breaking the soothing nature of the album effectively.
Mr. Spaceman is known for its uplifting and catchy chorus, but it isn't 'happy pop' either; read the lyrics and you will soon realize there's a trippy angle in there, too. And there
is some rocking side on the record, too;
Hey Joe precedes Hendrix's rendition by one year and, although it can't be compared to that version in any possible way, is actually very enjoyable. It doesn't have
a lot of drive or anything, rather just a good ol' fashioned approach to rock music, made all the more interesting due to Jim's unusually 'raw' delivery.
Captain Soul is even better in the
tension department, bringing a terrific strumming riff to the table along with carefully syncopated drumming, not to mention McGuinn's biting soloing. Good stuff. The only tunes I'm not too wild about are the two closing numbers; certainly
John Riley and
2-4-2 Fox Trot are not bad by any stretch of the imagination, but they end up as just 'nice', especially when compared to what comes before. Solidly written, but rather filler material to be honest with you.
Finally, despite a somewhat weak ending,
Fifth Dimension delivers in every possible way. Atmospheric, sincere and tasteful to a fault, no 60's lover is truly happy without this gem in his collection. The following year the group would balance all the weirdness with more straightforward pop/rock tunes, resulting in
Younger Than Yesterday; here, though, the psychedelic elements are in full throttle, but unless you have a particular distaste for psychedelia, there's no reason to dismiss this record as 'just another 60's tripe', as many people often do.
Thanks for reading man ;)
