Salem Mass — Witch Burning 1971 (USA, Heavy Psychedelic Rock)

Salem Mass — Witch Burning 1971 (USA, Heavy Psychedelic Rock)

The only album by the now-completely forgotten American heavy psych-prog band Salem Mass. Interesting music and very professional performance—it's a shame they didn't make it further. The band hails from Sun Valley, Idaho. The album was recorded on an ancient two-track machine in a bar called the Red Barn, which had been temporarily converted into a studio. The Mini Moog used for the recording was numbered 1023, indicating it was the twenty-third Mini Moog manufactured at the factory. In those distant years, the album was released in limited quantities and through bootlegging, and has now been officially reissued on CD by Gear Fab.


Salem Mass spanned the 70's from 71 till 77 playing mainly in the Northwest and Canada. During this time the band went through numerous members and techs. All of which I shall remember as "The Kind" or the best of the best. One of our first breaks was meeting Doug Brown, now of GMA, in Sun Valley Idaho. He later booked us into the best cljbs the Big Sky country had to offer.

On three occasions Salem Mass, sometimes a five piece, lived in Portland. The first time was because we had just signed an exclusive contract with Headwater Rooking Agency, which promptly went beily up like a rotting carp in Lake Lowell. Fortunately we landed in the capable hands of Andy Gilbert with a new booking agency in the Pacific Northwest called Pacific Talent. Thanks to Andy, Salem Mass played everything that was happening in Portland and surrounding area clubs and grand openings.

The Treasure Valley, in southwest Idaho was where we paid our dues It was where most of us grew up, where we wrote, played, partied and evolved, and it was worth every cent. Thanks Freddy, Can I have a draw? The album was recorded in a beer bar in Caldwell Idaho called The Red Barn, under the watchful eye of it's owner Steve Moore and was engineered by Lance Parker a mutual friend and Caldwell High alumni of Steve, Mike, and myself. And of course there was the special kind of help that could only be offered by the Big Three.

Original band member Steve Towcry, stiil resides in Caidwell, Idaho and can be found at the family business Printcraft. Matt Wilson is teaching and producing from his home studio in Nampa, Idaho. Mike Snead is in Brookings Oregon playing with various lounge lizards and doing some studio work with me at Madfingers Music.
by Jim Klahr



Tracks:

01. Witch Burning - 0:00

02. My Sweet Jane - 10:27

03. Why - 15:07

04. You Can't Run My Life - 17:57

05. You're Just A Dream - 21:51

06. Bare Tree - 25:36

07. The Drifter - 32:33


Personnel:

Jim Klahr - keyboards
Mike Snead - lead guitar, vocals
Matt Wilson - bass, vocals
Steve Towery - drums, vocals