The Mortal Prophets: Fly Over Laurel Canyon

I am eager to invite you on a ride. The Mortal Prophets wants us to fly over the Laurel Canyon. This time, using a time machine crafted by the enigmatic John Beckmann and his band, The Mortal Prophets. They unveil Laurel Canyon: The Lost Sessions (1966-69), a daring excavation into the heart of rock’s most psychedelic era. You may think that this is another retro-inspired shitty record. Wrong. This is real and raw full-blown resurrection of sounds. Those that once permeated the smog-laden hills of Laurel Canyon. And now captured in 10 tracks that are as audacious and unrefined as they are meticulously crafted.

The sessions was recorded in the legendary Sunset Sound. A place that’s soaked in the reverberations of rock history. The adventure came alive with a sound so authentic you might just smell the incense burning. But make no mistake, because while Beckmann and his crew honour the past, they’re not stuck in it. They’ve managed to pull off something spectacular. A remastering that brings the clarity of today to the raw, untamed energy of yesterday.

The Mortal Prophets Fly Over The Laurel Canyon – A Wave

This album is a confluence of glam rock and psychedelia, entirely instrumental, with layers so rich they unfold new mysteries on each listen. We’re talking about Moog synthesizers that produce sounds like those of alien orchestras, if you’ve ever heard one before. Their otherworldly tunes twisting through the air like smoke rings in a dimly lit room. The wah-wah pedals howl and moan, echoing the cries of banshees lost in a frenzy of sound. The fuzz distortion is a dense fog that envelops you, pulling you deeper into the music, while the amps – oh, the amps! – they roar with a ferocity that might as well have been borrowed from Hendrix’s own stash. I dove into all 10 tracks with my eyes shut, foot tapping—shake it, mama… actually, scratch that. If mama caught wind of this, I’d be fishing noodles off the slippery edge of a plate.

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What Beckmann has engineered with The Lost Sessions is not merely a throwback but a bridge across time. Connecting the raw, experimental spirit of the late ’60s to the crispness of modern audio fidelity. The remastering work is impeccable, enhancing each track without sterilizing its soul. Every strum, every synth note, every echo feels amplified in its authenticity. This way, the album is experientially transcendent.

John Beckmann – ever heard of him? Well, if you’d stumbled through the neon-lit chaos of downtown New York in the early ’80s, you might have. Back then, studying design at Parsons was as much about scribbling in notebooks as it was about living the New Wave life. Beckmann was right there, rubbing elbows with the avant-garde pack at hotspots like the Mudd Club, Danceteria, and Area – venues that were more laboratories for cultural experimentation than mere nightclubs.

Mortal Prophets: A Portal to a Parallel Musical Universe

Fast forward to 2021: Beckmann teams up with producer David Sisko and crosses paths with guitar virtuoso Gary Lucas – yeah, the guy who strummed alongside Captain Beefheart and Jeff Buckley. Lucas was the alchemist who helped Beckmann forge the distinctive sound of The Mortal Prophets – a gritty, raw blend of pre-war blues that feels like it’s travelled through time. Beckmann found his muse in the haunting depths of America’s musical roots, calling it America’s primal scream. And the Mortal Prophets it’s like.. a portal to a parallel musical universe where fractured guitar riffs meet laser-precise synth lines. And from what Beckmann hints, with more tracks poised for release, this ride is far from over. This is just the warm-up act, and the main event promises to keep us awake well into the wee hours.

The Electric Energy of a Bygone Era

Diving into this album is like walking through a portal into Laurel Canyon during its heyday, where music legends mingled with the muses that inspired them, creating sounds that defined a generation. Beckmann, with his Mortal Prophets, has captured this creative spirit, this wild musical experimentation that was both of its time and timeless. With Laurel Canyon: The Lost Sessions, Beckmann mimic the greats – or better – he joins their ranks. This album serves as a vivid, auditory map of a musical landscape that, until now, was relegated to the memories of those who lived it and the fantasies of those who wish they had. It’s a cultural artifact, polished to a sheen yet still crackling with the electric energy of a by-gone era.

And is available on every platform that respects the weight of musical heritage. So clear your schedule, find a good pair of headphones, and prepare to be transported. “Laurel Canyon: The Lost Sessions” it’s a journey, a psychedelic experience that doesn’t require a tab to enjoy, but might just leave you feeling like you took one.