Fayden Holmboe came to Germany from the Californian Folk and Rock scene of the late 1960s. Before recording his only solo album, he had been the frontman of Blue Fever/Timne who were part of the Bay Area’s developing Psychedelic music scene. Their history would eventually lead to further incarnations including Kodiak, Justus, and Uther Pendragon.
Around 1970, Holmboe recorded “Peace Ballads” in Germany for bacillus records. Released in 1971 as catalogue number 6494 003, it became the third album in the label’s original series, following Epsilon and Hairy Chapter and preceding releases by Nine Days’ Wonder, Haze, and My Solid Ground.
The album occupies a quieter corner of the early bacillus catalogue. Rather than the heavier Progressive and Psychedelic Rock that would become closely associated with the label, “Peace Ballads” is rooted in Acoustic Folk, Singer-Songwriter writing and Psychedelic Folk-Rock. Holmboe‘s vocals and songs are complemented by orchestral arrangements, giving the material a distinctly German studio character without losing the directness of the underlying compositions.
The songs range from intimate observations such as “The Old Man” and “Friends” to the explicitly political “Little Soldiers” and the extended “Don’t Look Down Medley.” The album’s perspective reflects the atmosphere of the late 1960s and early 1970s, when Folk songwriting, Psychedelic music and protest culture frequently overlapped.
Holmboe later described “Peace Ballads” as a record shaped by his opposition to the Vietnam War and stated that its political content contributed to the album being overlooked in the United States. After returning to California, he continued playing with local bands for several years before moving into guitar building and repair and teaching applied physics.
With its combination of Californian Folk sensibility and German studio production, “Peace Ballads” documents a lesser-known but distinctive side of the early bacillus catalogue.
This release is part of the bacillus records archive on Bandcamp.
Purchase “Peace Ballads” on Bandcamp: https://bacillusrecords.bandcamp.com/album/peace-ballads-1971
Tracklist:
01. Ain’t No Use in My Mind 04:15
02. The Old Man 03:49
03. Rain 02:34
04. Little Soldiers 02:35
05. Jessy T. Brown 02:28
06. Foolish Games 01:42
07. Anyday 02:25
08. Don’t Look Down Medley 11:16
09. Friends 03:59
Recorded in September 1970
Produced by Peter Hauke
Arranged by Hajo Born
Photography by D. Weiss
Design by N. Friedl
All songs written by Fayden