VA - Hippie Goddesses (1999)

Wow - they don't make 'em like this anymore. A semi-legitimate compilation at best and mastered from vinyl, Hippie Goddesses is a collection of psych-pop tunes from the late '60s and early '70s, all fronted by women. The women's liberation movement and the sexual revolution were in full swing, and this collection is sort of a distillation of those newfound attitudes. Of course, attitudes toward women have undergone many changes since that time, and most of these tunes are dated to the point that they would probably horrify any self-respecting riot grrrl at the end of the 20th century. That's a big part of the reason why this is such a great collection.

Things kick off with Sally singing "Super Psychedelic Trippy Acid Technicolor", one of the most over-the-top tunes ever, on a number of levels. Sitar, super-fuzz guitar leads, tabla, and Sally's overdone vocals really do justice to the ridiculous psychedelic lyrics. And that's just the first track; they're all funky, excessively soulful, sometimes very psychedelic bits of fluff with a come-hither attitude that screams early '70s.

"Come in My Mouth" by Tobie, replete with musical orgasm, truly has to be heard to be believed, as does Xaviera's (the Happy Hooker) encounter with "The Hippie."

This collection is almost certain to ruffle the feathers of more politically correct listeners, but it could also prove to be the perfect antidote to the angry chick rockers of the '90s and beyond.

I found this while searching for Cheryl Dilcher material, and it surely led me to research more stuff of the involved singers. I certainly would have never known Michele's great 1969 LP, had I not been introduced to her with this collection first. Same goes to Lily and Maria, actually!

Linda Perhacs is also found here, and her album is also a must-listen for anyone interested in this genre.

-albgardis

Tracklist
1. Sally Eaton – Flowers in the Air (05:38)
2. Colleen Lovett – Birds With Broken Wings, Part 1 (04:16)
3. Cheryl Dilcher – All Woman (02:51)
4. Colleen Lovett – Women Liberation Blues (03:58)
5. Cheryl Dilcher – High (02:44)
6. Carolyn Hester – I'm Magic, Man (02:14)
7. Lily & Maria – Everybody Knows (04:39)
8. Michele – Smilin'
9. Margo Guryan – Love
10. Tobie Columbus – Come in My Mouth
11. Ruth Copeland – Your Love Been So Good to Me
12. Colleen Lovett – Asleep in His Arms
13. Colleen Lovett – Love Man
14. Michele – Believe You
15. Linda Perhacs – Parallelograms
16. Colleen Lovett – Birds With Broken Wings, Part 2
17. Xaviera Hollander – The Hippie