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What People Are Saying About
The George-Edwards Group
"Seldom seen melancholic basement folkrock with 60's psych overtones.....The songwriting and arrangements are impressive.....truly memorable.....the melodic feel on other tracks recall a nocturnal Michaelangelo."
Patrick Lundborg
--Stockholm, Sweden
Author of the highly respected reference book, Acid Archives
"38:38 is one of my favorite albums EVER and I have made it a point to turn many of my closest friends on to it. There's so much esoterica on this album (both musically and lyrically) that I can't even begin to wrap my head around it. It has that timeless homemade feel so integral to the 1970s press movement."
Steve Newton
Host of the "Krauty McKraut" Show
WCSB Radio
Cleveland, Ohio
"I really love "38:38". It's truly a fantastic album, and I've been very much looking forward to the reissue. And I will take myself to your web site immediately!"
Tony Coulter, DJ
WFMU Radio
New York City/New Jersey
www.wfmu.org
"An autumnal alien soundtrack, over thirty years after being recorded, but never really publically released, the "38:38" album defies time and categorization."
www.HomeTheatreShack.com
"The sonic layers on this record seem to reveal themselves after repeated listens. There also seems to be a dark, melacholic tone in the chord structures, possibly from the use of minor 7th notes. The vocals are eerie with a bent sadness that seems unaware of itself, but which comes across clear, delicate and beautiful. It seems like the work of art students pushing boundaries and having intellectual conversations amongst themselves, contemplating life's fragile road. Overall, the atmosphere of the whole lp is very distinctive, and the "bedroom" style of production only adds to its infinite charms. Key words: minimalist, synth, acid folk, psych."
==review from http://www.RateYourMusic.com
" The album 38:38 is 38 minutes and 38 seconds of rare late 70's psyche folk brilliance and cosmic songcraft unlike anything else from the time.....uncommonly tunefull material made from far out components."
==Dusty Groove Records
"Back before anyone with a CD burner and an internet connection could start his own record label, there used to be what have become known as 'private press' LPs: records pressed in runs as miniscule as 50 or 100 copies, paid for by the artists themselves and hawked mostly at local gigs. ...there were some nuggets amidst the dross, and for years, one of the most prized private press LPs was the sole 1978 release by a Detroit duo called The George-Edwards Group. Now Drag City has given The George-Edwards Group's 38:38 a proper release, in a limited edition vinyl-only pressing that adds an even rarer single side, 'I See Your Smile,' for good measure.
Though Raymond George and Edward Balian's roots were in the Motor City's storied '70s hard rock scene, by the time these tracks were recorded in 1976, they had discovered first-generation synthesizers and Pink Floyd. Combined with a better than average set of pop songwriting smarts, this resulted in a most enjoyable piece of kinda spacey, kinda folkish soft rock somewhere in between R. Stevie Moore's Phonography and Wings At The Speed Of Sound. With access to the 32-track studios of the era, songs like the shimmering, gorgeous 'You Without Me' and 'Planets and Stars' would have given 10cc a run for their art-pop money, but given the rough and ready homemade production, 38:38 at times sounds like a series of elaborate sketches for a classic late '70s pop album that was never made. The addition of several minute-long instrumental fragments, particularly late on side two, heightens this sense. The low-budget recording (and for that matter, packaging) has its charms, however, and several songs are good enough on their own merits to make production or arrangement quibbles meaningless. The bonus single side, a lovely bit of wispy guitar jangle called 'I See Your Smile,' recalls Chris Bell's great post-Big Star solo singles, like 'You and Your Sister' and 'I Am the Cosmos.' Word has it that Drag City is releasing a CD of previously unheard George-Edwards Group tracks later this year: if that song's any indication, 38:38 may be only the beginning. Fans of modern bedroom psych dudes like Gary War or Ariel Pink would do well to check out this out.
-- Stewart Mason
http://www.eastvillageradio.com
"Originally recorded between 1977 and 1978 this private press LP by Raymond M. George and Edward S. Balian (hence the George-Edwards Group moniker) is renowned as an ultra-rare example of homemade Midwestern psychedelia. This is bizarre and labyrinthine tome, taking in highlights such as the proggy synth-rock experiment 'Planets And Stars,' ambient piano and chime piece 'Easternia' and 'Wintertime,' an acoustic number that weighs in with esoteric Moog and Arp contributions. Far more ambitious and dynamic than most long-lost private press, 38:38 is a compelling excavation."
http://www.boomkat.com
"Rarely-heard spaced basement masterpiece from 1977, this was initially only pressed up one time & only 200 copies were made. Now, Drag City & Galactic Zoo Disk make available once again this synth-struck loner-folk from the Detroit duo of EDWARD BALIAN & RAY GEORGE. Late-era psych reissue that includes all original artwork & as a bonus, a super-rare 45-only track! RECOMMENDED!!!"
Reckless Records, Chicago http://www.recklessrecords.com
"I love this album---I want it in both CD and vinyl!!!" Thank you for making it available worldwide."
Eduardo Marins
Sao Paulo, Brazil
"I'm a member over at waxidermy.com; the 38:38 LP is legendary among most of the guys over there.... It's great to see you got involved with Drag City (on the LP reissue) and are getting the music back out....I'm going to pick up the vinyl reissue as soon as it comes out. I hope they don't sell out too quick!"
Kyle Gross
http://www.Waxidermy.com
"Don't miss the "38:38" LP; it's a pure gem!!!"
Etienne Reyser
Belguim
"I'd just like to tell you how much I love the music and how wonderful I think it is. It’s a really interesting and creative album. I'm a musician myself and this music is really inspiring, it’s so diverse and unique and a great listen from beginning to end "
Jeff Williams
Houston, Texas
”I love the George-Edwards LP. The record puts together most of what is best about music listening for me personally ....I've searched for the LP for years......The LP is nothing short of brilliant. I'm one of the lucky few who stumbled upon a chance to hear The George-Edwards Group is genius "
Clifton
Atlanta, Georgia
"Hi there and thanks for the opportunity to buy this amazing album in CD format--I heard it in the past on CD and webcasts..."
Pascual Cruz Varela
Miami, Florida
"I recently had the opportunity to hear a couple of magnificient songs by The George-Edwards Group via a WFMU webcast......I felt so inspired by these songs....thank you for making such wonderful music "
Tona
UCLA campus
Los Angeles, California
"It's a great piece of music that a lot of younger folks with adventurous taste find relevant these days."
Jason Chronis
Austin, Texas
Bass player for band, Voxtrot
"I have listened to this album several times and enjoy it immensely as it is a very original gem."
Mark Armstrong
Austin, Texas
"It's really quite unique. There is great instrumentation and strong songwriting throughout , overall the atmosphere of the LP is very distinctive and the 'bedroom' style of production only adds to its infinite charms."
Brett Russell
Birmingham, Alabama
From Eclipse Records, San Jacinto, California (July 15, 2011)
(www.eclipse-records.com)
*The George-Edwards Group – “ARCHIVES” VINYL LP $15.99 (Drag City; official release date: Aug 23, 2011)
Drag City and Galactic Zoo Disks first turned the world on to The George-Edwards Group in 2009, with their never-exactly-released late 70s alien autumnal song-scape '38.38.' Their music is singular and great, and like you, we assumed that was their one, definitive statement. Until...this new 'Archives' release contains a treasure trove of bizarre riches spanning from the '38:38'-era to what appears to be the mid-80s (we'll never know for sure -- and we don't have to, the stuff is sublimely wack in a manner that requires no further explanation).
The music that makes Archives is a more rocking version of The George-Edwards sound. The tremulous, strangely timbered vocals are still their signature, but this time they're atop a few highly compressed and fuzzed-out rock cuts, as well as several synthed-out dirges that would make Suicide, Bruce Haack or Cabaret Voltaire cock an ear (and make all these new 'coldwave' bands blush to their shallow roots!). Also within are the murky analog keyboard bloops which all but define the GEG sound, as well as 'ballads' that make one wish there was an entirely different language to describe musical forms. Archives is the second miraculous LP from The George-Edwards Group --archives that will keep your jaw agape for the rest of the year. What year? What year is it? Any year!"
For additonal reviews of the group, please visit
http://www.rateyourmusic.com
Search under the subtopic "artists" for
The George-Edwards Group.
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