Spoils Of War / The Spoils Of War (2 x Vinyl LP + 7″)

Description

Reissue – limited edition of 500 copies / includes pop-up gimmick gatefold cover. Comes with liner notes, sticker & full-color photos

1969/70-USA

Format: 2 x Vinyl LP + 7″ (33rpm)

#Ref: LPS138

Release date: 2015

Release notes

After the successful reissues of the two Mormos albums on Wah Wah, we proudly present a fantastic double LP + bonus 7″ EP with the works of Jim Cuomo’s pre-Mormos band Spoils Of War. Jim had already served with instro-rockers The Cool Notes in Texas, along with future Big Brother & The Holding Co. founder and guitarist Sam Houston Andrew III when he moved to the University of Illinois to obtain his Master Degree in Music. It was in Illinois where The Spoils Of War were born in 1968, named after a musical instrument invented by Harry Partch – it’s name coming from the fact it had actually been built from spent artillery shells. Alongside Jim, other members included Al Ierardi on guitar, Roger Francisco on bass, Frank Garvey on drums and James Stround on “live sound manipulation.” Annie Hat would soon join on vocals, and last gigs were played with Charlie Braugham on drums.

The S.O.W. sound was an intelligent mixture of late sixties acid psych with electronic experimentation in a similar way to what Joe Byrd was producing with The United States Of America or Cork Marcheski would explore with 50 Foot Hose plus there’s some very imaginative songs here that could put the band in the same league Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention were playing. Exciting computer generated sounds mix into a cool psychedelic rock background. It is one of the early pioneering experiments of electronic music and drones on a rock band, made at a time when programming computer sounds was really an adventure, since electronic music was still a burgeoning phenomenon. The box that had been opened by the likes of Karlheinz Stockhausen, Pierre Boulez, Luciano Berio a.o. left a lot of things for Cuomo and his peers to explore – and they were not afraid of doing so!

Back in the day the Spoils Of War had little chances to publish their recordings. Only two small 33RPM 7″ EPs were released, showcasing their talent and adventurous love for experimentation.

Here are collected in a gorgeous 2LP set compiled with the great cooperation of Jim Cuomo himself their studio works, including previously unreleased recordings, some later work by Cuomo and Co. plus a bonus 7″ reproduction of the first Spoils Of War original self-produced EP from 1969.

Tracklisting

A1 Walk In, Walk Out / A2 First Love, Last Love / A3 E-Thing

B1 You’re The Girl / B2 Now Is Made In America / B3 Rit Yellow Of The Sun / B4 The Crimson Uniform / Jena’s Score / B5 The Record Rejects / After The Party / Lonesome Is A Truer Word / The End

C1 Big Sugar Plantations / C2 Dear Belgium Boy / C3 Poughkeepsie Blues / C4 Bomb Song / C5 Everybody Here / C6 Missed Opportunity / C7 Astor / C8 Completely

D1 Ring, Magic Telephone, Ring / D2 Susan Never Smiles / Remembering / D3 Morning Be Merciful / D4 Victoria Falls / D5 For Helene / D6 Frosted Windows / D7 Violets Bonus

7” EP — E1 What Happens Now / E2 Now Is Made In America / E3 Henry T. Jones F1 Void Of Mistery / F2 The Greyness Moves In Quietly