CD Review

Hippies, regardless of what anyone says, can’t be faulted in the happiness category. With forests falling all around them, corporations stealing their identities and reselling them as ‘hip’ and ‘cool,’ and the cost of land making it virtually impossible for them to own anything other than the hacky sack they carry around, they still manage to keep a positive outlook on life. Its all blue sky, ‘beautiful’ this, and 'cosmic' that for a generation still trying to figure out exactly how to change the world. Or at least its overwhelmingly evident on The Super Groovy Band’s album, Joyride. Living in the highest hippie-per-capita part of British Columbia, this Southern Vancouver Island band seems determined to make you smile and dance, preferably at the same time.

With members of the touring group Trooper, as well as a trained pianist at the helm, The Super Groovy is reminiscent of mid-era Zappa. While not genius enough to lay claim to direct comparison, the quirky lyrics (‘I like your hair, oh ya, I like your hair, up on your head, up there, leave it there’), complex instrumentation that doesn’t come across as complex as one might think, and constantly on the edge of psychedelic, the Zappa essence prevails.

Mellotrons drone their way into the songs, battling the spazzed out saxophones for musical glory, while vocals are doubled up as Aqualung-era Tull flute notes flip into the songs, combining themselves with phaser beats. Songs like “Don’t Freak Out About the Future” and “Stay Happy All Day Long” should give you a general sense of the aura that these virtuosos are aiming at. Destined to make you trade your Aldo shoes for some flip-flops, there’s nothing here that hints at pessimism - its super groovy.

For more info see supergroovy.ca