Insane, chaotic, tribal chanting and bagpipes. Along with Comus, foreshadowed the modern free-folk/drone movement.
Already commercially successful as tune-smiths for teenyboppers, Austin Grasmere and Brian Elliot approached Bernard Stollman looking to focus their talents on something more original and unrestrained. Stollman asked, “What would be your theme?” and Elliot replied: “Everything is one.” Bernard said, “Go do it.” What followed was Cromagnon's (Grasmere, Elliot and the Connecticut Tribe) non-linear journey through the subconscious, weaving together bizarre instrumentation and meter with a psychotic blending of musical styles. Bagpipes, pounding percussion, blood-curdling yelps, chanting, laughing, and billowing subterranean rumblings create the otherworldly soundscape that is Orgasm (1969). Heralded as one of the best freak-out records of all time, Cave Rock was ridiculously ahead of its time and brings to mind the savage sound-fuckery of Nurse with Wound and Throbbing Gristle as well as the hallucinations of early Red Krayola.
(source: http://www.espdisk.com/catalog/2001.html)
Rotorelief records, reissued in 2015 the 1969 mythical "Orgasm" album (rotorelief.com).
***
"An anomaly, even on the always far out ESP label, Cromagnon was the result of two top 40 songwriters (accustomed to producing bubblegum pop) who seemed to have completely lost their minds. I mean they must have, to produce something as wacked as this record. Austin Grasmere, Brian Elliot, and their mysterious 'Connecticut Tribe' spewed forth 50 minutes of primitive dada-ist folk psych.
Chanting, tribal percussion, short wave radio, maniacal, almost black metal vocals, hysterical laughter, bagpipes all coalesce into something ridiculous and amazing."
(Review from Aquarius)
Caledonia
Cromagnon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Caressed the newborn with a tear
Of misty windfields, crystal plains
And all the magic of daybreak
The virgin dream, a haunting taste of
Celtic love joys, warm at court
Withered rivers, painted streams
Ah, yes the lords, the monied merchants
The feudalistic jester slave
Walk deep between these walls of stone
In a fading sky pulsation
Descended veil of resurrection
Agrocola's granite tomb
The blood of Pict in all its fury
Died by a thousand eyes
And deadly is the stage which stagnates
Calm before a raging storm
The hands and nails frozen black
By twilight stripped of sinew
Sinew splintered splendor crackled
Swirling forest castle ride
Funneled through magenta hallways
Hell was but the froth
Toth the isis child new as mother’s milk
Had come the magic
Pipes of spice and firefly
Diamonds of lightning
Lightning diamond festival of dragon fire
Cricket strings
Leaf percussion, looking glass
Far beneath the overground man
The lyrics of Cromagnon's "Caledonia" are complex and contain many elements of mysticism, mythology, and a glimpse into ancient history. The song seems to be a tale of the birth of a new world, infused with magic and steeped in ancient Celtic lore. The opening lines speak of a "Madonna light" that brings with it the promise of a new day, full of beauty and wonder. The newborn is cradled in the mist of the crystal plains, surrounded by all the magic of daybreak.
The next few lines speak of the "virgin dream," which is a "haunting taste of Celtic love joys." This is a reference to the ancient Celtic tradition of courtly love, which was steeped in poetry, magic, and mystery. The verse also speaks of "Withered rivers, painted streams" which may represent the changing world and its evolution.
The next lines mention the lords, merchant and slaves of a feudalistic society. They walk deep within the walls of stone, perhaps representing a world that is becoming more oppressive and archaic. This is followed by a reference to Agrocola's granite tomb, which may represent the burial place of an ancient ruler. The blood of the Pict in all its fury died by a thousand eyes may refer to an ancient battle that took place between two tribes.
The last few lines speak of the magic of a new beginning. Toth the isis child, new as mother’s milk, brings with him the magic of the pipes of spice and firefly. The lightning diamond festival of dragon fire and cricket strings is a metaphor for the burst of energy and creative forces that come with the birth of a new era. The song ends with a final reference to the "overground man," perhaps hinting at a world that is slowly being overtaken by the forces of magic and nature.
Line by Line Meaning
Madonna light, the hyper speeding
The bright light of dawn moves at a fast pace
Caressed the newborn with a tear
The soft and gentle wind touched the newly formed land with a drop of dew
Of misty windfields, crystal plains
The landscape was covered in foggy fields and clear plains
And all the magic of daybreak
The mystical aura of the sun rising filled the air
The virgin dream, a haunting taste of
A pure and untouched dream, with an eerie flavor of
Celtic love joys, warm at court
The passionate love of the Celts, enjoyed in the warmth of a grand hall
Withered rivers, painted streams
Once-flowing rivers now dried up, painted with memories
Cut deep the sweet vagina
The earth's surface was cut deep, revealing its inner beauty
Ah, yes the lords, the monied merchants
The wealthy rulers and businessmen of society
The feudalistic jester slave
The lower class individuals, kept in a state of servitude
Walk deep between these walls of stone
Navigate through the imposing walls that surround the area
In a fading sky pulsation
As the sky slowly fades, its pulse becomes weaker and fainter
Descended veil of resurrection
A curtain that drops down to bring forth new beginnings
Agrocola's granite tomb
A stone structure that houses the remains of Agrocola
The blood of Pict in all its fury
The aggressive nature of the descendants of Pictish warriors
Died by a thousand eyes
They perished under the watchful eyes of many
And deadly is the stage which stagnates
The situation is dangerous when no progress is made
Calm before a raging storm
A peaceful moment that comes before great chaos
The hands and nails frozen black
The extremities being numb and turning black from the cold
By twilight stripped of sinew
Without strength or power, weakened by the fading light
Sinew splintered splendor crackled
Pieces of beautiful splendor broke apart and shattered
Swirling forest castle ride
A journey through the swirling forest, like being inside a castle
Funneled through magenta hallways
Narrow passages that lead to a magenta-colored space
Hell was but the froth
The chaos was nothing compared to the real hell that was coming
Toth the isis child new as mother’s milk
Toth is a new force to be reckoned with, as pure and refreshing as a mother's milk
Had come the magic
The magical moment has arrived
Pipes of spice and firefly
Tubular musical instruments that emit a spicy aroma, with small, glowing fireflies
Diamonds of lightning
The bright flashes of light that resemble diamonds
Lightning diamond festival of dragon fire
A celebration of the intensity of a dragon's breath, through the light of diamonds
Cricket strings
The little strings of a cricket's instrument
Leaf percussion, looking glass
The sound of leaves hitting each other, like a reflection in a mirror
Far beneath the overground man
Deep underground, below the surface where people live
Contributed by Declan E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@eliastellez
Caledonia
Madonna light, the hyper speeding
Caressed the newborn with a tear
Of misty windfields, crystal plains
And all the magic of daybreak
The virgin dream, a haunting taste of
Celtic love joys, warm at court
Withered rivers, painted streams
Cut deep the sweet vagina
Ah, yes the lords, the monied merchants
The feudalistic jester slave
Walk deep between these walls of stone
In a fading sky pulsation
Descended veil of resurrection
Agrocola's granite tomb
The blood of Pict in all its fury
Died by a thousand eyes
And deadly is the stage which stagnates
Calm before a raging storm
The hands and nails frozen black
By twilight stripped of sinew
Sinew splintered splendor crackled
Swirling forest castle ride
Funneled through magenta hallways
Hell was but the froth
Toth the isis child new as mother’s milk
Had come the magic
Pipes of spice and firefly
Diamonds of lightning
Lightning diamond festival of dragon fire
Cricket strings
Leaf percussion, looking glass
Far beneath the overground man
@joharakiri
Them: "I don't really prefer one genre. I enjoy all types of music."
Me: "Alright then." puts this on
@quoderatdemonstrandum256
Johannes Ehrig Marko hier, was geht ab!
@jacobramos8524
Quod Erat Demonstrandum no hablo espanol
@edgaramilcar482
yes, when a person says that to me i always respond "what are you trying to say is that you like pop music"...
@NatandGeorge
@@edgaramilcar482 You're polite; I say, "So you like any of the shittiest crap the record companies expeled out of their collective anus?"
@LordOfNihil
people who say that think that there are only 5 genres.
@alienvomitsex
Can you imagine being a regular adult in 68 or 69 and hearing the kids down the street practicing this stuff? They probably were so freaked out. Nowadays nothing's shocking
@greggc852
It’s a shame isn’t it?
@Roberto-qo6se
@@greggc852like beating your wife on a Sunday
@jfxventas7735
I mean, i shocked my friend who is a swiftie with this