A band that never made it big, but should have!
Paul S. Remington | Rochester, NY USA | 01/30/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Some may remember this band from the late `60s. Originating at the University of Denver, CO in 1966, they quickly realized they were quite the attraction. After winning a Battle of the Bands contest, they took a chance, dropped out of school, and moved to Greenwich Village in New York City in an attempt to make it big. They played there during the Village's heyday and made their home at a club named the Night Owl. They also frequented Steve Paul's Scene Club and would occasionally be fronted by a soon-to-be-discovered guitarist named Jimi Hendrix, who returned and sat in with them even after his success in 1968 and 1969
Lothar and the Hand People had some unique things going for them. Visually they sported long hair at a time when greaser bands were on their way out. They were the first to use a synthesizer during live gigs. And they were the first to use a Theremin, which played well with psychedelic Hendrix-inspired atonal jams. In case anyone was wondering who Lothar is: Lothar is the Theremin; The Hand People are the band members.
This CD represents all of their Capital records, which includes two LPs and a handful of singles packed on two CDs.
Their first LP, "Presenting," enabled them to experiment with the Moog synthesizer, which was a monophonic device in those days. They had access to Bob Moog's lab and spent a lot of time working with the equipment, which they used on their first LP more than their second. They actually recorded their first LP and then decided not to use it. They re-recorded it and the second recording was released by Capital as "Presenting." The first attempt is purported to have been thrown away by the record company.
Their second LP, "Space Hymn," was intended to be a concept LP, but the concept was too convoluted and the band's lead singer, John Emelin, no longer remembers what that concept was. The LPs final song, "Space Hymn," was written with the first moon walk in mind. The first moon walk occurred shortly after the LPs release.
Lothar and the Hand People was a band that played on the verge of commercial success; it was always just an arm's reach away. Unfortunately, they were never able to reach that goal. They had a respectable four year run during an explosively creative time period in a highly creative environment (Greenwich Village in the late 1960s). They disbanded in late 1969.
As for the music, the LPs and singles offer a very unique collection of homegrown pieces written and polished during live gigs for the express purpose of commercial release. The pieces are catchy and varied in style. "Presenting" offers shorter pieces that are at times more acoustic in approach while "Space Hymn" is more varied and touches on rock, in one case country (Midnight Ranger, which features a young and unmentioned Johnny Winter on backing vocals), and psychedelic (Space Hymn).
I would highly recommend this CD to anyone who appreciates the explorative bands of the late `60s. Lothar and the Hand People is an often overlooked gem that made a splash rather than a wave."
This is it!!! The Complete Lothar and the Hand People!
Jason Pumphrey | Falls Church, Virginia United States | 12/29/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Two CDs containing the complete Capitol recordings of this awesome sixties group!!! You get both their debut and their followup in one nice package!!!Plus 6 rare non LP trax!!! Presenting Lothar And The Hand People is their classic debut that includes their signature classic "Machines",and other cool tunes such as: This Is It,HA(Ho),Sex and Violence,Milkweed Love,Woody Woodpecker,and a cool remake of the Everly Brothers song Bye,Bye Love and much more!!! Space Hymn their second album is just as good with the groovy title track,A hilarious remake of the soul classic "Heat Wave" the Greatful Dead sounding "Midnight Ranger" and more!!! If you can listen to these classics through headphones,It's totally far out!!! AWESOME!!! Five Stars!!! A+"
This is the One to Get
T. Horsefat | Napa CA | 03/09/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Since I found a TAKRL boot of extracts from both Lothar albums in 1980, I've heard several releases of this material, including a pristine copy of the second album. None of them match the sound quality in this comprehensive package, not even the orignal LP. If you are a Lothar fan, this is what you've been waiting for. Snap it up before it becomes a pricey rarity on EBAY!"
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1