Max Meadows was the third full-length release by Virginia trio Pelt. Recorded all over the place in studio, rehearsal, and live settings, combines the Dead C-like downer song-craft heard on their early releases with the massive group drone soon to take over their sound. Use of a wide variety of unusual instruments, including those of their own design, came into full bloom here and gives Pelt a sound very much removed from other groups working this side of the street. "Outside Listening" and "Sun Is Standing" send out lengthy waves of bliss via electric guitar, both ethereal and gritty at the same time. "Hippy War Machine" organizes the mass percussion heard on those old Amon Duul LP's and backs it with a powerful drone. "Dismal Falls" serves as a fitting coda to such an exhaustive listen, with its eerie, melodic banjo and bowed cymbals.
credits
released October 29, 2018
Pelt: Patrick Best, Mike Gangloff, Jack Rose
Instrumentation: Electric Guitars, Lap Steel, Prepared Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Bass Resonator, Shenai, Shawm, Bamboo Flute, Live Electronics, Loops, Tapes, Japanese Double Flute, Bowed Cymbal, Banjo, Vox Organ, Chord Organ, Beat Frequency Oscillator, Vocals
Guest Musicians:
Track 6: Mark Miley, Chris Davis - Trap Kits; James Connell, Beth Jones, Mike Pacello - Dijembes
Track 7: Amy Shea - Bowed Cymbal
Track 1 - recorded in Mike's living room near Max Meadows, VA 3/2/96.
Track 2 - recorded at 28 S. Cherry St, Richmond, VA, 10/31/95.
Track 3 & 5 - recorded at Yahowe Strip Club during "Large w/ Everything", Danbury, CT 4/23/96.
Track 4 - Recorded in XCI Studios during "Large w/ Everything", Danbury, CT 4/23/96.
Track 6 & 7 - Recorded at Glass Hand, Richmond, VA 9/25/96. (These were the last songs ever recorded at Glass Hand).
Additional short segments recorded at Wytheville, Fredericksburg and Richmond, 1995-1996.
Pelt thanks Bill Kellum, Greg at XCI, Matt Valentine and Helen Rush, Fudd Ludwig, Mark Miley, and the guest musicians that appear on the record.
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