The Freeborne

Aficionados of 1960s psychedelic rock recognize the Freeborne’s 1968 album Peak Impressions as one of the best and most collectable records in the genre. Formed in 1966 as an offshoot of two Boston-area garage bands (The Missing Links and the Indigos), the Freeborne have remained something of an enigma; avoiding both the limelight and the eventual stigma associated with the “Bosstown” fad. Their eclectic musical vision, which incorpo- rates complex musical textures, sophisticated composition, creative studio effects, elements of jazz, rock, blues, and free-form sounds, all create a truly ambitious period piece from the turbulent day-glow Sixties.

During their prolific two-year lifespan, the Freeborne performed constantly throughout the New England region and in August of 1967 opened for the Velvet Underground at the Boston Tea Party. They made the connection with local music impresario Barry Richards who secured a record deal with the New York-based Monitor label as their sole rock act. The band was booked at CBS Studio in NYC which resulted in a remarkably well-produced, ten-song audio document of their full-blown imaginative compositions—an impressive and ambitious feat for a quintet comprised of high school seniors.

While numerous unauthorized reissues of Peak Impressions have appeared over the years, this substantial upgrade is taken directly from the original mastertapes and includes six bonus and enlightening alternate mono mixes. In addition, the package concludes with three recent “Reborne” compositions from 2010 that involve three members of the original band and pay homage to the their original adventurous musical spirit. This quality 78-minute CD edition comes packaged in an informative 24-page booklet chock full of pictures, memorabilia, and liner notes by noted archivist Gary Burns culled from insightful interviews with all five members of the ensemble.

“Peak Impressions is perhaps one of the best psych LPs to come out of the ‘Bosstown Sound’ ” —Jack B. Nimble/Amazon

“…full of the acid imagery which typified the Bosstown sound in 1968.” —Max Waller/Fuzz Acid & Flowers

FREEBORNE

		1968 Crown Jewel from Boston
Cat#: AA-103 Year: 2014 Price: $14.
Aficionados of 1960s psychedelic rock recognize the Freeborne’s 1968 album Peak Impressions as one of the best and most collectable records in the genre. Formed in 1966 as an offshoot of two Boston-area garage bands (The Missing Links and the Indigos), the Freeborne have remained something of an enigma; avoiding both the limelight and the eventual stigma associated with the “Bosstown” fad. Their eclectic musical vision, which incorpo- rates complex musical textures, sophisticated composition, creative studio effects, elements of jazz, rock, blues, and free-form sounds, all create a truly ambitious period piece from the turbulent day-glow Sixties. During their prolific two-year lifespan, the Freeborne performed constantly throughout the New England region and in August of 1967 opened for the Velvet Underground at the Boston Tea Party. They made the connection with local music impresario Barry Richards who secured a record deal with the New York-based Monitor label as their sole rock act. The band was booked at CBS Studio in NYC which resulted in a remarkably well-produced, ten-song audio document of their full-blown imaginative compositions—an impressive and ambitious feat for a quintet comprised of high school seniors. While numerous unauthorized reissues of Peak Impressions have appeared over the years, this substantial upgrade is taken directly from the original mastertapes and includes six bonus and enlightening alternate mono mixes. In addition, the package concludes with three recent “Reborne” compositions from 2010 that involve three members of the original band and pay homage to the their original adventurous musical spirit. This quality 78-minute CD edition comes packaged in an informative 24-page booklet chock full of pictures, memorabilia, and liner notes by noted archivist Gary Burns culled from insightful interviews with all five members of the ensemble. “Peak Impressions is perhaps one of the best psych LPs to come out of the ‘Bosstown Sound’ ” —Jack B. Nimble/Amazon “…full of the acid imagery which typified the Bosstown sound in 1968.” —Max Waller/Fuzz Acid & Flowers