"Kath" 1975 (no label) [60p; gatefold]
"Kath" 2005 (Rockadelic 51) [+bonus tracks; no gatefold; 500p]

From Acid Archives :
Obscure and quite impressive melodic basement garage/psych excursion with a lo-fi atmosphere that would have most purveyors flip out, hits the Ampex two-track echo & tinny drum sound dead on. The sound is a bit "Canadian" to me, with a few French language snips and a typical Maple Leaf sound with lots of keyboard and reverbed vocals, not unlike the best tracks on Rockadrome. As it turns out the band was actually from Maryland, though leader Val Rogolino was part-French. In any event, it's mostly originals with a few covers including a fuzzed-out cough syrup take on "Norwegian Wood" that could be the best version ever. The selfpenned material is good, with a 60s teenbeat sensibility rather than heavy/hard rock. At times the vibe is almost like Mystery Meat or Index, and that's not something you run across every day. At the same time there are obvious hints that this dates from a later era, and it was in fact recorded over a period of several months in 1974. Good fuzz throughout, charming amateur vocals, and a late-night rehearsal space ambience. "It doesn't mean" is a highpoint for me. There are also brief snips of aural experiments for the right $15 avantgarde touch. "Kath" appears to be a reference to the main guy's girlfriend. The band also had a non-LP EP from 1978 under the name Badge, with a more polished version of "It doesn't mean", and a 45 around the same time. The Rockadelic removes one track from the original, and adds a couple new ones. [PL]