J. D. Blackfoot

J.D. Blackfoot's The Ultimate Prophecy, originally released on the Mercury label in 1970, is widely regarded as one of the top US psych albums of all time. The band, which was from Columbus, Ohio, began as a combination of two local groups, The EbbTide and Tree, the latter winning a recording contract with Mercury as a prize in a local band competition. Craig Fuller, later a founding member of Pure Prairie League, joined the band, which by this time had changed its name to J.D. Blackfoot, after some of the material for The Ultimate Prophecy had been written. Shortly after the release of the album, Blackfoot left the group which continued to perform as Osiris, while J.D. himself assembled a new outfit which delivered two well-received albums for Fantasy. The Ultimate Prophecy with its killer psych guitar, combined a strong British sound with the distinctive song-oriented California sound of Grateful Dead and Neil Young, two of the main inspirations for many an aspiring rock musician of the time. However, despite the laid back rural West Coast sound that the band effortlessly cultivates, shades of UK progsters such as Jethro Tull and the Moody Blues often come to the fore revealing what is, in essence the group's true musical intentions. Nevertheless, this is a fine album, beautifully played (drummer Dan Waldron is in many ways the hero of the hour) and extremely well recorded."