The Human Zoo - The Human Zoo [CD]

<p>For the first time since its original release in 1970, an exact re-issue of The Human Zoo album, taken from the original master tapes, with all album artwork faithfully replicated! As was the case with label-mates The Human Expression, The Human Zoo were also from the Los Angeles suburbs of Westminster and were also signed to Accent Records. (In fact, the connection between the two bands is greater still, as the Human Zoo were managed by Jim Foster of The Human Expression). The Human Zoo were originally called The Circus; they changed their name to the hipper sounding Human Zoo in 1969. Their album from the following year was pressed in limited numbers and has become a mega-rare collectors item. The Human Zoo album is a quirky blend of psychedelic, garage, and funky music. I've seen it savaged over the years by people expecting... well, expecting the Human Expression. The musical diversity, once the cause of most people's griping, is the record's greatest asset in this age of one song downloadable wonderment. The band had chops, and could put together a damn good song.</p><p><i>"The Human Zoo's great claim to fame among garage/psychedelic fans is that they were managed by Jim Foster, guitarist with the Human Expression, the West Coast psych act that scored a modest hit with the song 'Optical Sound.' Boasting two lead singers (Roy Young and Jim Cunningham), the Human Zoo worked up a full and dynamic sound with impressive harmonies on these sessions, and the rest of the band shows off some solid chops -- John Luzadder and Larry Hanson are a capable guitar combo, with Hanson also doubling on keyboards, while bassist Bob Dalrymple and drummer Kim Vydaremy hold down the rhythm with strength and confidence. While the Human Zoo could add a trippy edge to their songs (such as "I Don't Care No More"), they (at least as captured on this album) were at their best when they rocked out, and it's on numbers like 'Na-Na' and 'Funny' that the Human Zoo really connect, while 'Gonna Take Me a Ride' and 'Help Me' reveal they weren't bad with blue-eyed soul stuff, either. The production is simple, but also captures the performances in a clean and natural fashion and is thankfully short on the studio trickery often inflicted on lesser-known psych acts. The recording seems to favor the band's live sound, and if the Human Zoo sounded this tight on-stage, it's hard to say why they didn't attract greater notice at the time..."</i> --Mark Deming</p>