Yezda Urfa - Sacred baboon (1976)

What would you get if you combined the sounds of Yes and Gentle Giant with a large dose of psychedelic chemicals? You'd probably get something that sounds a lot like Yezda Urfa. Yezda Urfa is the craziest, zaniest, most incredible progressive rock band that you have never heard.

Yezda Urfa -their name taken from two locations: Yazd, Iran and Urfa, Turkey (Yazd changed to Yezda)- were formed in USA circa 1975, recording the demo album "Boris" that year. Although it was never released officially -i.e., released by any label- the band was briefly signed to Dharma Records. But the label's financial problems meant that the second album, Sacred Baboon was recorded but not released. Not until Greg Walker and Syn-phonic released it, on vinyl, in 1989. It made its CD debut in 1992.

Most of the tracks on Sacred Baboon are two speeds: fast and really fast, although they do make room for some lighter moments. Those of you who like guitar dominated progressive rock will have loads to feast on here. Mark Tippins' guitar work always runs full throttle throughout the album with incredibly fast melodic parts, and there's plenty of other virtuosity to be found on the album as well. An ocarina and recorder chorus fill out the beginning of "Cancer of the Band". Vibes, harpsichords, synths, organs, and voices play in tandem with the guitar. Yezda Urfa pull out all the stops however on "3, Almost 4, 6 Yea," a high energy track featuring multiple time signatures, cross-cutting sections, and a heartrendingly beautiful classical guitar solo. Sacred Baboon stands up well against similar efforts by other contemporary American acts such as Happy the Man. If you can make it past the juvenile titles such as "My Doctor Said I had a Doggie Head" and "Give 'Em Some Rawhide Chewies," you'll discover a long-lost classic of prog's darker days. ~ Nick Paluzzi, Ground and Sky.

Tracklist:
1. Give 'Em Some Rawhide Chewies (3:50)
2. Cancer Of The Band (6:48)
3. Tota In The Moya (10:14)
4. Boris And His Three Verses (2:50)
5. Flow Guides Aren't My Bag (4:45)
6. (My Doc Told Me I Had), Doggie Head (5:02)
7. 3, Almost 4, 6 Yea (8:39)

Personnel:
- Brad Christoff / drums, tubular bells, metalophone, and percussions
- Phil Kimbrough/ keyboards, accordian, mandolin, flute, recorder, vocals
- Marc Miller / bass, cello, marimba, vibes, vocals
- Rick Rodenbaugh / vocals
- Mark Tippins / guitars, vocals

Recorded in 1976, but only released by Syn-Phonic in 1989 (Synpho-3 LP) and re-released on CD in 1992 with different cover art (SYNCD 8).