Song Of The Day No.20

Oxo

by Bruce Palmer (The Cycle Is Complete, 1971)

In 1966 Bruce Palmer left Canada with Neil Young to look for Young's friend Stephen Stills in Los Angeles. A chance meeting on Sunset Boulevard between a hearse containing Young and Palmer and a white van containing, among others, Stills, ended the search and Buffalo Springfield was formed. Palmer lasted, on and off, until January 1968 as the official bassist of the group but when the number of arrests (for drugs and speeding) got too many he was replaced by Jim Messina.

In 1971 Palmer got together ex ex band member Rick James, yes that Rick James, and other musicians to record what would become The Cycle Is Complete. 'Oxo' is indicative of the album. The song plays out as it was recorded; as a kind of stream of consciousness jam that crosses the genre boundaries of jazz, folk and psychedelia by creating it's own prog-folk feel. Including the flute, oboe, bongos, organ, guitars, violin squeaks and James' non-speech mutterings the song has a lot to listen out for between it's Eastern flavour and pulsating swirling motions. It feels like it could continue into the night and beyond but with a shake of some bells it finishes and fades, only for the next track/jam to start.

AR