DRUIDS OF STONEHENGE - CREATION (LP)

Druids Of Stonehenge Creation On Vinyl LP

The garage-psychedelia explosion of the 1960s produced such a massive wave of incredible music that, four decades later, we’re still unearthing amazing unsung gems from this remarkable period. That’s the case with Creation, the lone album by the Druids of Stonehenge, which stands as a prime embodiment of the timeless sound and spirit of vintage garage-psych.

The New York-based Druids of Stonehenge, frontman Dave Budge, guitarists Carl Hauser and Bill Tracy, bassist Tom Workman and drummer Steve Tindall, exemplified both the surly essence of teen garage-punk and the experimental spirit of psychedelia. The band formed in 1965 as a scrappy, R&B-influenced teen combo in the Rolling Stones/Pretty Things mold. By 1968, the Druids had embraced psychedelia, relocated to the West Coast and signed with the UNI label.

The Druids of Stonehenge unveiled their retooled sound with Creation, which revealed the quintet to be one of the toughest, most imaginative outfits of its era, maintaining both a forceful, earthy edge and an ethereal air of mystery. Those qualities were manifested in Budge’s snarling, Jaggeresque vocals and the band’s tense, punchy playing, which elevated such memorable originals as “Six Feet Down,” “Earthless” and “Pale Dream,” as well as their distinctive reworkings of Bob Dylan’s “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue,” Love’s “Signed D.C.” and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ “I Put a Spell on You.”

Despite its obvious quality, Creation was largely lost in the shuffle in its initial release, and the Druids of Stonehenge broke up the following year. In the decades since, the band and the album have gained immensely in stature and prestige among garage-psych aficionados and ’60s devotees, with original copies of Creation becoming sought-after collectibles. Now, this legendary cult item is back in circulation on high-definition vinyl, mastered from the original analog tapes and featuring complete original cover art.

Druids Of Stonehenge Creation Track Listing

1.  Six Feet Down
2.  Earthless
3.  I Put a Spell on You
4.  Speed
5.  Bring It on Home
6.  Painted Woman
7.  Pale Dream
8.  Signed D.C.
9.  Forgot to Be Begot
10. A Garden Where Nothing Grows
11. It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue