966 Iron Butterfly - In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (1968)

 966 Iron Butterfly - In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (1968)

Studio album - Rock



About the Act:

Iron Butterfly were and are and American Rock band from California.They started in 1966 and stopped for the first time in 1971. They have been more on than off since then, but I don't think it has been plain sailing. Wikipedia lists 71 people who have been at some time a member of the band. Despite this long and varied life they have only had 6 studio albums, the latest being in 1975.


About the Album:

This album was a monster. At the time it became the best selling album in the US ever, ultimately selling over 30 million copies.


My History with this Album:

I have heard it a few times before, mostly in the last 10 years.


Review:

Side 1 is reasonably good, a few Doors-like songs, in a burgeoning Heavy Rock style that turned out to be part of the foundations of heavy metal. Side 2 was one long track, the title track "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida". So the name sounds like gibberish. Apparently it is a drunken slurring of "In the Garden of Eden".  Anyway, the track is an extended jam with words at the start and end, and lasting in the recorded version for 17 minutes. Apparently, live, it could take more than half an hour. The format is basically book-ended with the lyrical sections and extended improvised solos for each band member. I don't know if this sort of long track jam was common before this, but it certainly became so after. Anyway, it's actually a great jam, I loved it.

Overall, quite a nice listen, especially if you like rock jams.


7.3/10


Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/4L1Qw49gKwFuQwQovBxsKI

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrpyDacBCh7C58cQGjgcUK1gsKtxntR_4

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida


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