Riverman Rec.
Collie Ryan : The Rainbow Records (US,1973,re.2009)****
Collie Ryan’s three releases from 1973 are re-released in South-Korea by Christian folk/hippie-folk/psych-folk reissue label Bella Terra, in cooperation with the American Yoga Records, but I only saw copies sold on Ebay. Simultaneously a compilation album on LP was released, called “The Hour Is Now”, all releases with a specially designed new cover in mandala-form. One track was reissued before on Numero Group’s “Ladies of The Canyon” compilation which showed her voice and approach.
I found it interesting to notice how Collie’s friend at the time had been a student of theosophy from the United Lodge of Theosophists (a split fraction who dealt only with the first generation of theosophists, strictly and without new investigations or different perspectives, but investigating the meanings behind religions and ancient teachings as written down by these early writers), and that most songs must have been inspired after discussion on topics like the Universal Brotherhood of man, the Oneness of Life, the Journey of the Soul and subjects like that, and some ideas which could be learned from Indian scriptures like the Bhagavad Gita and the Vedas. Above all she herself experienced all this intuitively, and remaining a bit vaguely, as if the tuning in for the right vibes remained the most important aspect of it, like a hippie and also like being an imaginative feminine visual artist. She was above all coming from the hippie community way of living. She had just left the Yucca valley where at a certain point in time lots of hippies had spontaneously gathered and lived together, where she had written over 700 songs with a mystical aspect, in mind she found they were a kind of gypsy seekers of truth. A bit further in time they started a carrot juice factory called “New Age Farms”, established to help the Hopi Indians, and thus was also inspired by their way of living (especially the “Indian Harvest” album should be involved with that). Donovan who had just played nearby possibly had been another influence.
All songs from the three albums are equally strong as mood provocative inspirations, but are also in a same portion just slightly vague, emphasising possibly mostly towards the being and encouragement of a positive mentality towards life and spirituality and the connections between things and events, working through in the songs like a true positive vibe. Her voice is something in between Mary Hopkin and Buffy Sainte-Marie (-without BSM’s sort political power of strong messages, and more nested into a preparing the right mentality area, convincing with its clear coloured voice alone, and with songs like imaginable tools). The songs are recorded in just a basic way, with voice and (nicely developed) acoustic guitar, and strangely enough show enough strength to convince for all full albums of songs, I am still wondering how they might have sounded with a few production arrangements here and there (even when not really necessary). It took me many listens to get deeper into the songs, after trying to grab the overall concept. Then they formed little seeds of plants, creating just the right and human/nature connections friendly atmosphere as probably intended. Truly nice, and provocative optimistic. Recommended, and in fact not too expensive. Limited, so be quick!
Collie Ryan still sings and makes the same lovely coloured paintings, mostly in mandala form these days, looking like multi-coloured Latin American clay plates.
