The United States of America (band)

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This article is not about the 90's alternative group, The Presidents of the United States of America.

The rerelease of the band's 1968 self titled album

The United States of America was a progressive rock and psychedelic band whose works are an example of early electronic music in rock and roll.

Formed in 1967 by Joe Byrd, the band membership consisted of the following: Joe Byrd (electronic music, electric harpsichord, organ, calliope, piano, and Durrett Electronic Music Synthesizer), Dorothy Moskowitz (lead vocals), Gordon Marron (electric violin, ring modulator), Rand Forbes (fretless electric bass) and Craig Woodson (electric drums and percussion). Ed Bogas also performed on the record with occasional organ, piano, and calliope; he became a full member of the band on its first and only tour.

Their self-titled record was recorded and produced by David Rubinson, for CBS Records in 1967, and released in 1968. It was rereleased on CD by Sundazed Records in 2004 with various alternate takes, demos, and outtakes.

Their sound blended a range of musical genres, including avant-garde, psychedelic, and progressive. One of the more unique points of the band is that it had no guitar player, which for its time was quite radical, as the electric guitar occupied a central position in rock music of the time. Instead, they used strings, keyboards and electronics, including primitive synthesizers, and various audio processors, including the ring modulator.

Despite widespread support of music critics, the album sold poorly and soon disappeared. The band's tour in support of the record led to difficulties of its own, (members of the band were arrested for drug possession, and they had a number of serious equipment failures - these and other tensions made Byrd increasingly difficult to work with, and the group largely unmanageable) and resulted in the band splitting up.

Byrd went on to form Joe Byrd and the Field Hippies, who released an LP, The American Metaphysical Circus, in 1969. He presently (2004) runs a bed and breakfast in northern California near the Oregon border, and occasionally teaches musicology at a nearby college.
Dorothy Moskowitz later worked with Country Joe McDonald's All-Star Band, married, has two daughters, and lives in a suburb of Oakland CA. She writes for and teaches music to children in her local school system.
Gordon Marron became a Los Angeles studio musician and now lives in Hawaii.
Craig Woodson teaches percussion in Los Angeles and has toured with the Kronos Quartet.
Ed Bogas composed soundtracks for Peanuts and Garfield TV cartoon specials and for Ralph Bakshi's film Fritz the Cat.
Rand Forbes has worked as an Oracle DBA.

A band very similar in structure and somewhat similar in sound to USA was the early 1970s British Progressive Rock outfit, Curved Air, which also featured bass, drums, keyboards/synths, electric violin, and female vocals. Curved Air was more classical and largely apolitical in the content of their music. The USA was a profoundly political band, with a decidedly leftist political vision. Perhaps it was their uncompromising political stance that prevented the success they deserved, but it is that same intensity of vision and social conviction in both the content of their lyrics and the avant-garde form of their music that has made this record the enduring classic it has become over the years, since its release in the heady times of Spring, 1968.

The USA were also thanked by the triphop group Portishead in the liner notes of their 1997 album Portishead, for the song '"Half Day Closing'" which bears a more than superficial resemblance to American Metaphysical Circus.

UK band Broadcast also cite USA as a major influence.

Discography

The United States of America

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