“Cuttin’ Grass” / “X+Y=13” (Sanctus SS-12) 1967

The Caretakers Of Deception | Cuttin’ Grass | Sanctus | 1967 | First of all, what a fucking GREAT name for a group!!! So it’s fingers crossed that such a fantastically named combo had the sound to match and I’m pleased to say that our forgotten heroes certainly had that.

The Caretakers Of Deception are believed to come from the Los Angeles area (at least the record label Sanctus guides me to L.A.) ’Cuttin’ Grass’ is an awesome garage hymn with manic surging hallucinogenic organ, primitive guitar and pissed off vocals. These opening lines are spat out by the vexed singer:

”It’s hard enough for me to see
When you’ve taken my eyes from me.
Thrown them in the filth on the street
You crush them on the floor”

The flip and cryptically named ’X+Y=13’ calms things down slightly but it’s still edgy 12 string folk garage of the highest order with lavish Farfisa moodiness. I feel honoured to be able to listen to this greatness albeit via my bootleg from the ’garage greats’ 45 series.