Mount Holyoke College Class Of '66 -- Shedding Light On Versylum: 1966 in 1964 LP

Original 1964 or 1966 US mono private pressing on no label (catalog # SP-101). It's a little confusing whether this is from 1964 or 1966.

Truly bizarre DIY amateur folk private press LP from all-female Mount Holyoke College in Western Mass... a conceptual album set in an insane asylum ("versylum") where Mount Holyoke students sing songs as schizophrenic psychiatric patients. The album is presented as a musical or opera in three acts which follow a narrative with different characters (the liner notes elaborate on this), but it's all achieved through individual songs (which can also stand on their own.) There are only songs on here, not dialogue or dramatic interludes. Most of the songs have piano, there's one at least with electric guitar and drums (mp3 below.)

The single reference to this LP on the internet is the insightful and very funny review by music critic extraordinaire Mark Prindle (excerpted below.)

Many of these songs are wonderfully amateurish, with naive and awkward playing and painfully absurd lyrics. (See Mark Prindle's review below for some real doozies.) "Johnny Appleseed" (mp3 below) is an amazing drinking song with crude and ultra-primitive electric guitar, shambling drumming and beyond-the-pale ridiculous vocals and lyrics, all of which truly would make The Shaggs proud. (Keep in mind this track predates The Shaggs' Philosophy of the World by several years.) So drink away your blues, girls!

Download an mp3 of Johnny Appleseed and for more mp3s from obscure records check out the ampnoise aubio blog, and search ampnoise records eBay store for listings with mp3 downloads.ampmp3

Review from [ http://www.markprindle.com/mount.htm ]: Which brings us to Shedding Light On Versylum. Written by Norma Davenport, directed by Pam Berg, stage managed by Marcia Hoffmann, musically directed by Joanne Lupton, choreographed by Lornagrace Grenfell and Judy Swallow, headed up by Adrienne Ingley, and presumably performed by all of the above as there's no mention of 'actors' or 'stars' anywhere on the album cover, this work involves "Versylum, where we observe the sane in a minority among the insane." The burgeoning young actress/singers play the roles of psychiatric patients, each of whom believes that he/she (yes, some of the girls play guys -- HORRIBLY) is a famous historical character -- Queen Mary, Helen of Troy, Little Bo Peep, Cleopatra, Johnny Appleseed -- even Rin Tin Tin, a DOG(!) of all crazy things for an insane person to think they are! Then I guess at one point they decide to break out of the asylum and save the world. Failing this, they return to the asylum and try to create a Utopia. Ultimately, even this plan doesn't pan out because, you see, 'Utopia to one is not Utopia to another.' PRETTY DEEP, HUH??? Actually, I'm just guessing at the plot based on the unnecessarily playful liner notes; I honestly can't make heads or tails of the lyrics.

Witty lyrical couplets include "It's oh so fun/to be Napoleon," "If we don't learn to elocute/the world will think we're deaf and mute," "With your own orchard/you're never tortured," and "The dietician really ought to be retired/We are sick of eating all the pork they've acquired." Catchy musical pieces include standard singalongable piano pieces, rollicking bouncy piano pieces, waltz-time piano pieces, Peanuts-style blues piano pieces, and a piano piece with a funny slide whistle. Side one is actually quite great, with four really catchy and hilariously poorly-sung songs in a row right at the beginning ("How Come We're Such A Closed-Mouth Crew?" is a particular standout.)

CONDITION: Cover G+ / Vinyl VG++   cover has suffered a bit of light water damage, more visible on back than front; vinyl is excellent, just a little sleeve scuffing and slight wear, plays great.

Graded conservatively using Goldmine standards [G / G+ / VG / VG+ / NM / ]
grade only used if record is brand new.
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