The Ophelias | |
|---|---|
| Origin | San Francisco |
| Genres | Rock, neo-psychedelia, art rock, art-punk |
| Years active | 1984–1989, 2017-Present |
| Labels | Rough Trade Records Strange Weekend Records Independent Project Records |
| Past members | Leslie Medford Samuel Babbitt Terry von Blankers Reuben Chandler Geoffrey Armour Keith Dion Edward Benton David Immergluck Alain Lucchesi |
The Ophelias are a psychedelic rock band led by singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist Leslie Medford. Medford formed the band in San Francisco in October 1984 and disbanded the quartet in September 1989. The band have been signed three times, first by Strange Weekend Records for one album, then by Rough Trade Records, for whom they produced 2 albums and an EP, and most recently by Independent Project Records, who will released the album Bare Bodkin on CD in early 2022.
The Ophelias recorded music that was described as "original"[1][2] and "incredibly diverse"[3] and "a sound that can alternate from raunchy to sweet in seconds."[3] Leslie Medford's lyrics were "impressively literate"[3] and J. F. Tiger described The Ophelias as "musical literature in an era practically devoid of such a thing… this band makes the listener think, and takes the listener into a secret world where other 'new music' dares not go."[4] Medford was an unusually versatile lead vocalist, who "isn't shy about forcing his chameleon voice into Beefhearty growls, flowery Daltry-Townshend falsettos and strained Marc Bolan-David Bowie brays."[5] They have been compared to Pink Floyd,[5][6] Mark Bolan and T-Rex,[5][2][3] Faces,[5] The Zombies,[3] Van der Graaf Generator,[6] Frank Zappa,[2] Queen[3] and XTC,[3] although Nils Berstein wrote "Let's just say the Ophelias have no influences."
David Fricke argued in Rolling Stone that The Ophelias were one of the only genuinely psychedelic bands of the 1980s. "In the Sixties, psychedelia wasn't just a sound; it was a state of mind. The biggest drag about Eighties psychedelia is that for every dozen bands that talk about blowing minds (reciting the proper influences, trotting out the hip covers), there are really only one or two that can blow anything other than hot air. The Ophelias, from (where else?) San Francisco, belong to that delightfully manic minority."[6]
David Immerglück was the Ophelias lead guitarist from 1987 to 1989, the period of the band's greatest exposure. He is the band's best-known alumnus having gone on to membership in Counting Crows, John Hiatt, Camper van Beethoven, Cracker and others, as well as session work, studio production and music engineering.
This is one of the most original and fascinating groups the American independent scene has to offer.
The Ophelias have a distinctly original approach to retro-psychedelia, incorporating as much Zappa as Marc Bolan and T-Rex, elements surprisingly untapped thus far. A cover The Nervous Breakdown's "I Dig Your Mind" is brilliant, eerie, erotic, and quintessentially sixties garage. Medford digs into his Zappa vocal quirk bag for this one, and his versatility feeds other songs to create the Ophelias' trademark sound.
This immensely original and entertaining San Francisco quartet are based in solid rock'n'roll – beefy acoustic and electric guitars and heavy beats – but where they go from there is anyone's guess. Their oddly powerful and incredibly diverse music incorporates trumpets, harmonica, and pedal steel (among other instruments) in a sound that can alternate from raunchy to sweet in seconds. The only musical comparison that pops up with any consistency is T-Rex; after that compare them to the Zombies, Queen, XTC and everyone in between. Let's just say the Ophelias have no influences. The impressively literate lyrics are enticingly psychedelic, though in a mystical/magical sense rather than acid and flower power. The Ophelias conjure up intense imagery and sing (largely about sex) with infectious confidence and celebration.
By restoring the rock to "art rock" Leslie Medford avoids most of the precious pitfalls of such Magical Mystery Tour followers as Yes and ELO. He goes back to earliest Pink Floyd and Faces for his dementia and realizes it here better than ever before. Medford isn't shy about forcing his chameleon voice into Beefhearty growls, flowery Daltry-Townshend falsettos and strained Marc Bolan-David Bowie brays. "Strange New Glasses", the poppy opener built on briskly strummed acoustic guitar, harkens early Who, while Side Two's "When Winter Comes" reveals the Ophelias' debt to T-Rex and Hunky Dory [Bowie's 1971 LP]. Medford zap(pa)s his strange brews with the kind of humor that cuts through the ostensible pretense of the mix-and-match sounds. Only the closing "Lawrence of Euphoria" with its heavy breathing Nixonian basso, is jokey beyond redemption, but it's over fast and reminds you how rich the rest of the record was.
In the Sixties, psychedelia wasn't just a sound; it was a state of mind. The biggest drag about Eighties psychedelia is that for every dozen bands that talk about blowing minds (reciting the proper influences, trotting out the hip covers), there are really only one or two that can blow anything other than hot air. The Ophelias, from (where else?) San Francisco, belong to that delightfully manic minority. Their fourth release, The Big O (Rough Trade LP, cassette and CD), is a potent tab of futurist acid pop, with a jagged ensemble intensity that sounds like vintage English freak beat – early Pink Floyd, a pithier Van der Graaf Generator – laced with postpunk menace. Leslie Medford's occasional trumpet adds a spooky Renaissance gentility.