featuring pat taylor

Ashes were part of the fertile mid-1960s Los Angeles folk-rock scene and shared an intricate history with The Peanut Butter Conspiracy. Guitarist John Merrill, bassist Alan Brackett and drummer Jim Voight revived the Ashes name in 1968, recruiting singer Pat Taylor for the sessions that produced this sole album.

Taylor’s clear and expressive lead vocals are central to the record, supported by close harmonies, acoustic and electric guitars and restrained psychedelic studio touches. The arrangements combine West Coast folk rock, soft psychedelia, country influences and melodic pop without losing the intimate atmosphere of the original recordings.

“Gone To Sorrow” opens the album with a particularly strong vocal performance and a composition associated with the young Jackson Browne. “Sleeping Serenade,” “Homeward Bound” and “Sands Of Love” emphasise gentle melodies and carefully blended harmonies, while “My Life Has Changed” and “Return Home” introduce a slightly tougher folk-rock sound.

“Her Invention” and “Look Around Rock” display the group’s brighter pop instincts, whereas “The Now,” “Rainbows” and “Simple Complexities” move towards more reflective and lightly psychedelic territory. The concise songwriting and Pat Taylor’s distinctive voice give the album a character comparable to the gentler side of Jefferson Airplane, The Stone Poneys and The Mamas & The Papas.

Recorded in 1968 and originally released by Vault Records the following year, the album remained obscure despite the musicians’ connections with the Californian folk-rock scene. This Radioactive Records edition presents the complete original eleven-track recording on CD.

Track Listing

1. Gone To Sorrow – 3:27
2. Sleeping Serenade – 2:45
3. Homeward Bound – 2:37
4. Sands Of Love – 2:15
5. My Life Has Changed – 3:19
6. Return Home – 2:23
7. Her Invention – 2:10
8. Look Around Rock – 2:32
9. The Now – 2:31
10. Rainbows – 2:17
11. Simple Complexities – 2:04