Iron Butterfly - Evolution: The Best Of Iron Butterfly
Doug Ingle – lead vocals, organs
Ron Bushy – drums
Jerry Penrod – bass (A1–3)
Darryl DeLoach – tambourine and backing vocals (A1–3)
Danny Weis – guitars (A1–3)
Erik Brann – guitars (A4–6, B1, B3), lead vocals on "Termination" and "Belda-Beast"
Lee Dorman – bass and backing vocals (A4–6, B1-5)
Mike Pinera – guitar (B2, B4-5), additional lead vocal on "Stone Believer"
Larry "Rhino" Reinhardt – guitar (B2, B4-5)
1 LP, standard sleeve
Original analog Master tape : YES
Heavy Press : 180g
Record color : black
Speed : 33RPM
Size : 12”
Stereo
Studio
Record Press : ?
Label : Friday Music
Original Label : ATCO Records
Recorded 1967 - 1970
Produced by Brian Stone (A1 to A3), Charles Greene (A1 to A3), Jim Hilton (A4 to B1, B3), Richard Podolor (B2, B4, B5)
Remastered by Joe Reagoso
Originally released in 1971
Reissued in 2012
Tracks:
Side A :
- Iron Butterfly Theme
- Possession
- Unconscious Power
- Flowers And Beads
- Termination
- In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
Side B :
- Soul Experience
- Stone Believer
- Belda-Beast
- Easy Rider
- Slower Than Guns
Reviews :
"Evolution was originally released in 1971 as a greatest-hits collection culled from the band's first four records, easily their strongest work. While the Black Sabbaths and Led Zeppelins of the day were singing, quite convincingly, about Vikings, devils and all sorts of heavy fare, Iron Butterfly came off like the cartoonish kid brother of the early pre-metal days of the late '60s. Existing at their prime in the hazy moment between acid rock and the genus of what would become metal, the group never quite committed to either. Never heavy enough to really be menacing or scary, the group's metal ties were mostly based in rhetoric. Likewise, they were never quite pop enough to breakthrough in the post-Sgt. Pepper's era. Minor hit "Flowers & Beads" sounds like a far gooey-er take on the Lovin' Spoonful's stony love songs, and while the organ-heavy riff rock of "Unconscious Power" is all kinds of groovy, it's a far cry from even less heavy proto-metal. The heaviest the band gets on Evolution is probably their biggest hit, stoner classic "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida," presented here in a drastically edited three-minute form, down from the side-long jam that was the original version. Separated from the legacy of that huge hit, Iron Butterfly boils down to the perfect caricature of a late-'60s hippie band: corny, dumb, ham-fisted but also colorful, silly, and fun. Quite possibly in over their heads at the time, Evolution gives the sense that the Iron Butterfly crew was cluelessly enjoying every second of their 15 minutes of fame, and making some spirited (if poorly aging) rock music for the time." AllMusic Review by Fred Thomas
Ratings :
AllMusic : 3,5 / 5 , Discogs : 3,81 / 5