by filmfactsman on 5/29/2005
 
A LOVELY SORT OF DEATH. Roger Corman's 1967 film THE TRIP was controversial at its release for its ambivalent portrayal of LSD experimentation, but in retrospect it's important both for its visual innovations and as a precursor to EASY RIDER (both films starred Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper in differing hippie scenarios). In fact, THE TRIP'S instrumental track "Flash, Bam, Pow" was used again in EASY RIDER. An appropriately contemporary rock band, the Electric Flag, was tapped to perform the former's soundtrack. The group contained some of the hottest players of the time, including Mike Bloomfield, Buddy Miles, members of the Blues Project and Bob Dylan's band.

Like the albums The Electric Flag, An American Music Band released under their own imprimatur, THE TRIP is a mix of fuzzed-up rock, soul, and blues, spiced with the occasional Pink Floyd-like sonic excursion into the nether realms. These pieces are mostly used to evoke Peter Fonda's state of mind while under the influence of LSD. Mike Bloomfield's stinging blues-rock guitar leads and Barry Goldberg's imaginative organ work are among the many individual delights here. The recently released (1996) Curb CD of the soundtrack is unfortunately edited down to 12 tracks from the original LP's 18 tracks. At the current list price of under $10, it's still worth having as it will likely be going out of print in the near future.