Arcadium
Breathe Awhile
Originally released in 1969. Arcadium's ominous, cathedral-like organ, distorted guitar and anguished vocals are clearly derivative of bands such as The Doors, Iron Butterfly and Vanilla Fudge - very much in the 'downer-heavy' school of the genre that was popular at the time. Their album is something of a bad-trip soundtrack that relies on minor-key melodies, ghostly harmonies and anguished vocals. What with all its flaws - bad production, sloppy vocals and doomsday atmospherics - its historical significance is immense. The music's intensity and sense of urgency, the blazing acid-drenched guitars, the tortured vocals and heavy nightmarish sounds all perfectly convey the late '60s atmosphere.