Iron Butterfly - In-a-gadda-da-vida CDs • Vinyl Records • LPs • Music Albums

Ingle (leader, organ and vocals) states that their major influences are themselves and it shows, it shows. Ingle, being their musical leader and director, can be blamed for a great deal. His singing is the most inflexible and sterile I've heard from a major group, and he plays a strictly chicken shit organ. The lead guitarist, touted by Atlantic as one of the best younger guitarists, seems to be content to show how many keen noises he can get out of his guitar. For that he should get a medal.

Ron Bushy, drummer, is the only really talented person here; he of course is responsible for the famous drum solo in the title song. "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" is another rock epic taking up all of one side and in doing so manages to bore me to death. It's pretty ridiculous, lasting 17 minutes, most of it very repetitious with little improvisation ("we used to (improvise) but now we know where it's at") and lots of superfluity—the drum solo, for example, contributes very little to the song. The lyrics make a little sense until you learn that it's a song about life and that the title means "in a garden of life." My my, isn't that clever?

Basically the Iron Butterfly is just another third class group posing as a first class one so high school girls can freak out over them; they are definitely "in" and "what's happening." Oh hum, they'll go away after awhile. It's just a matter of time and the latest musical fads blowing over. (RS 22)

JIM POMEROY