Alexander Spence

From Wikipedia:

Oar is a 1969 album by Skip Spence. It is his only solo album. It was recorded after he had spent six months in Bellevue Hospital. The majority of the tracks were recorded using a three-track recorder. As described by Ross Bennett, "Combining the ramblings of a man on the brink of mental collapse with some real moments of flippancy and laughter, Oar is a genuinely strange record. Unsurprisingly, the journey from "Little Hands"’ Grape-esque guitar grooves to "Grey/Afro"’s terrifying nine minutes of mantric drone, isn’t an easy one. Even when Spence builds his songs around a familiar sound (primarily minimalist country-folk) unsettling oddities and ominous modulations creep in. ...at least he left Oar – more than most of us sane, functional people will ever manage. Just take a look at the tousled-haired, half-smiling figure gazing out from the record sleeve and tell me you don’t want to peer inside." The album is viewed by Lindsay Planer as follows: "A common motif to this album is the presence of saints and demons. Even the straightforward narratives such as the love ballad "Broken Heart" or "Cripple Creek" — which feature vocal treatments reminiscent of folkie Fred Neil — are bathed in unusual chord sequences and lyrical double-entendre. The majority of the sounds on this long-player remain teetering near the precipice of sanity."

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