Shiva's Headband-Take Me to the Mountain-'69 AUSTIN PSYCH-

NEW 2LP+Cassette

 AKARMA

Shiva's Headband-

Take Me to the Mountains

NEW 2LP COLORED VINYL

REISSUE

Album notes
"Back in the '60s, when every town in America seemed to have its own burgeoning music scene, Austin was strangely quiet.

Long before the city became filled with clubs and began its hosting of the SXSW music festival, there wasn't much happening on the cool Texas plateau.

Not much at all -- save for one group that all but dominated the scene from the late '60s to the early '70s.

That group was the eclectic, country-fried psychedelic outfit known as Shiva's Headband. Leader, violinist, guitarist, and vocalist Spencer Perskin was (and still is) the quintessential Austin hippie, who not only lobbied for city-based cultural support for local artists (and succeeded, by founding the Armadillo World Headquarters) but also put Austin on the world-wide music map with the release of Shiva's first major-label effort, Take Me to the Mountains on Capitol (the first ever major-label release by an Austin band).

The album is formidable, and its influence on the "galactic cowboy" genre was as great as, say, Love's Forever Changes was to the West Coast rock scene.

It laid the groundwork for psychedelic twang and brought the world's attention to the creatively diverse (yet firmly rooted) music that was beginning to blossom back in those Texas heyday. Unlike their peers the 13th Floor Elevators, Shiva's Headband never took off into the stratosphere completely, though.

Their rock was honest country-rock all the way, but not to the point that it was ever just a pedestrian rehash. Songs like "My Baby" and "Kaleidescoptic" may feature sawing violin and Texas drawl, but there's no denying that their main trajectory is rock." ~ J. Scott McClintock

Shiva's Headband - Take Me To The Mountains (1969)

Take Me To The Mountains is the Debut Album by the American Psychedelic Band Shiva's Headband.
Shiva's Headband was the first band to come out of Austin, Texas Scene. They were the first band from Austin to release an Album Nationally (In the USA) and to be signed to a Major Label (RCA Label). They toured with many big names of their time like Spirit, Steppenwolf, ZZ Top, Janis Joplin, Canned Heat and Steve Miller. Another famous Austin Psychedelic band contemporary band are the 13th Floor Elevators.
One of the greatest things about this band is the Violin. In the first song "My Baby", instead of Guitar Solos we have Violin Solos, and I must say that we don't miss them. "Take Me To The Mountains" i always enjoyed the Refrains where all the band sings together, this is what i think makes this song so strong, that and the Violin played by the amazing Spencer Perskin. "Homesick Armadillo Blues" reminds me of Canned Heat allot, the voice and the rhythm are very similar, I must say though that this ain't a really good song. The next song However, is much groovier. A very nice calm Guitar Solo, and a great Vocal work, "Ripple". I love it when a voice answers the questions he's singing. "Song For Peace" the mood of this song is very different from all the others, it is a lot darker, with an intro resembling The Doors 'The End'. "Ebeneezer" is a quick Psychedelic song, full of power, and some really strange Vocal effects. Suzy Perskin takes on the Lead Vocals on "North Austin Strut" and I must say I'm impressed. Can't seem to understand why she didn't sing on the other songs. The Violin takes control again in "Come With Me", a feel-good song. Suzy does some really good Back-Vocals in the last song "Kaleidoscoptic".
Although it is considered a Psychedelic band, the sound is very distinct from the West-Coast Movement.

Shiva's Headband ‎– Take Me To The Mountains... Plus
Label:
Akarma ‎– AK 359/2
Format:
2 × Vinyl, LP, Album
Cassette, Album
Country:
Italy
Released:
2017
Genre:
Rock, Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style:
Electric Blues, Country Rock, Psychedelic Rock
Tracklist
A1     My Baby     3:30
A2     Take Me To The Mountains     3:33
A3     Homesick Armadillo Blues     2:37
A4     Ripple     3:55
A5     Song For Peace     4:31
B1     Ebeneezer     2:54
B2     North Austin Strut     3:01
B3     Come With Me     5:04
B4     Good Time     2:59
B5     Kaleidoscoptic     3:31
C1     Lose The Blues     2:43
C2     Lose The Blues (Live)     4:55
D1     Hi Love (Live)     17:12
Credits

    Bass – Kenny Parker
    Co-producer – Fred Catero (tracks: 1 to 10), Spencer Perskin (tracks: 1 to 10)
    Design [Cover Art] – Jim Franklin (2)
    Drums – Jerry Barnett (tracks: 11), Richard Finnell (tracks: 1 to 10, 12, 13)
    Electric Piano, Organ, Vocals – Shawn Siegel (tracks: 1 to 10, 12, 13)
    Guitar [Classical], Vocals – Kenny Parker (tracks: 1 to 10, 12, 13)
    Guitar, Bass – Robert Gladwin (tracks: 1 to 10, 12, 13)
    Harmonica, Recorder – Spencer Perskin (tracks: 1 to 10, 12, 13)
    Harpsichord, Kazoo – Shawn Siegel (tracks: 1 to 10)
    Photography By – Belmer Wright, Burton Wilson
    Piano – Shawn Siegel
    Remastered By – Jim Nash (4) (tracks: 11)
    Violin, Guitar, Vocals, Arranged By – Spencer Perskin
    Vocals – Susan Perskin
    Written-By – Kenny Parker (tracks: 9), Shawn Siegel (tracks: 4), Spencer Perskin (tracks: 1, 2, 5 to 8, 10 to 13), Susan Perskin (tracks: 3)

Notes
Tracks 1 to 10 recorded at Pacific Recording Studios.
Track 11 recorded at Brian's Studio, Tyler, Texas, 1969 and was first Armadillo 45 release, 1969. Remastered at Austin, Texas, 2006.
Tracks 12, 13 recorded live in Texas during "Take me to the mountains" Tour (1969).

Tracks 1 to 3, 5 to 8, 10 Vishnu's Revenge Music, BMI
Tracks 4, 9 Armadillo Music, ASCAP
Made under exclusive license
Thanks to Spencer Perskin for special help and support.