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## Class 6(66)

### Iron Butterfly: In a gadda da vida

#### 27/09/10 || Khlysty

##### Introduction

It’s a slow Saturday afternoon, Athens is being hit by a heatwave, I’m in front of my trusty laptop, drinking a Boddington’s Pub Ale and contemplating on metal’s origins (I had sex earlier, so now I can contemplate on whatever I want, ça va?…). I mean, a few days back I reviewed Blue Cheer’s “Vincebus Eruptum”, which was, in all actuality, a heavy take on da blues, much like a less talented but more noisy Jimi. And now I’m listening to Iron Butterfly’s “In A Gadda Da Vida”, side one (on fucking tape, bought almost 23 years earlier, if you can believe it!) and what I hear is a quasi-garage psychedelic band, much like a less testosterone-and-talent-inclined The Doors, and I scratch my head in amazement: can this shit be the roots of metal? Can those slow, organ-drenched, poppy songs be where everything started?

Well, of course, no. The whole thing about Iron Butterfly’s magnum opus lies on side two of my cassette, on the seven-fucking-teen-minutes-long nightmare of a song, that lends its name to the whole of the record. Yes, “In A Gadda Da Vida” (the song) is one of the building blocks that led later to Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin and Uriah Heep and Deep Purple, who in turn led to Judas Priest and Pentagram and Iron Maiden and…, well I guess you can easily catch my drift. Yes, “In A Gadda Da Vida” is one shit of a heavy song. It’s not metal, of course. It’s not even hard rock. It’s a psychedelic brontosaurus of a song, one fucking riff played until eternity dies, full of swirling, almost atonal, organ solos, a crunchy guitar, a bass that repeats and repeats and repeats the same riff again and again and again and again, ad infinitum, and a fucking drum solo.

Legend has it that the four young gentlemen who comprised Iron Butterfly entering the studio loaded with lots of controlled substances, starting playing the song and being unable to finish it, adding, instead, more solos and nightmarish sounds in the process of trying to end the fucker. During this process, the band, most probably without knowing it, laid down the framework upon which latter bands would build their heavy sounds, streamlining psychedelia’s uncontrolled experimentation into more manageable lengths and discernible song structures. So, yes, “In A Gadda Da Vida” is a heavy song, in its own terms and it’s one of the milestones upon which heavy rock music would stand and expand itself during the ‘70s. It’s also a mindfuck of a song and I suggest that the listener take extra care when trying to deal with it (that is, do what you consider most appropriate for the occasion, okay? Now, bugger off…).

##### Songwriting

I’m not gonna deal with the first five songs of the record. They are garage-psychedelic ditties, really nice for what they are, and nothing more. But the sixth song of the record… oh, my!!! This is one hell of a droning, scary beast. Based around a minor key riff and a brisk-walking 4/4 rhythm, “In A Gadda Da Vida” is the absolute motherfucking head-nodder of a song. Even without the lengthy flanged drum solo, the guitar screams and the stately organ presence, it woulda been a real touchdown. These elements, though, put it on a pedestal of incredible –for the time it came out- heavosity and creativity. Every solo –even the fucking drum solo, and I hate drum solos!- adds a new element of skull-fuckery and menace to an already menacing canvas of distorted guitars and trance-inducing repetition. I really don’t know what kind of substances the guys had consumed prior to entering the studio, but whatever the hell it was, it clearly gave them the right ideas about who to play the heaviest psychedelic behemoth of a song ever. So, with all those things in mind, it’s right and proper to grace “In A Gadda…” with an 8,5 in the songwriting department.

##### Production

It’s a typical late ‘60s production. Good separation, organic, pretty clear, but, also, with enough skuzz and fuzz to give the music the grime it definitely needs. The guitar sound is pretty dirty and every instrument sounds as lively as it gets. So, whoever did the production job gets a well-deserved 8,5 for his valiant effeorts.

##### Guitars

As I said before, the guitar work is pretty ‘eavy during “In A Gadda…”. There’s enough wha-wha-and-fuzz tones here to appease the hippie kids and, also, there’s a grungy sound that’s pure gold in my opinion. Erik Brann does a great job in adding soulful solos and scary guitar screams during the peak of the song and, overall, his presence is critical to the composition’s success. Good work, Erik, here’s an 8,5 for ya! Plus an acid-drenched lollipop…

##### Vocals

Doug Ingle, the organist, sings in a quasi-theatrical deep sotto voce, throughout the whole of the song. I give him an 8, just because it’s obvious that, even though under the influence of one or more substances, he manages to sound okay.

##### Organ

Yes, organ. This is the lead instrument for Iron Butterfly, whether you like it or not, and Doug does a great job. Whether creating swirling, classically-inspired solos, or droning soundscapes, he’s always a vital part of the development of the song and his work adds heaviness and atmosphere in it. So, Doug gets a well-deserved 9 and a pat on the back.

##### Bass

Lee Dorman sounds completely stuck into a totally psyched-out riff, repeating and repeating and repeating it until universe collapses around him. Is it the drugs? Is it the ambiance of the recording? Is it something else? Don’t know and don’t care. His work is the only thing that anchors this shit to earth. If not for him, I really doubt that “In A Gadda…”’s recording would’ve ever be finished, so he gets a wonderfully high 8,5 for stamina and determination.

##### Drums

Ron Bushy here creates the ultimate head-nodding rhythm and his drum solo sounds surprisingly tribal and detailed. He’s a great drummer and his participation is vital. Hey, Ron, here’s an 8,5 for ya, man! Good work.

##### Lyrics

6. “In A Gadda Da Vida, honey/Don’t you know that I love you/In A Gadda Da Vida, baby/ Don’t you know that I’ve always been true”. Plus a refrain. That’s all, folks…

##### Cover art

Totally psychedelic. Lotsa colors and bubbles and shit. Plus the band playing live. It’s okay, so it gets a 7.

##### Logo

No logo, just the band’s name in a psychedelic font. Get a 6 and move on.

##### Booklet

As I said before, I have “In A Gadda…” in cassette form, so I cannot tell you ‘bout no booklet.

##### Overall and ending rant

Look, even if you don’t like psychedelic music, you just need to have “In A Gadda Da Vida”, just to listen and re-listen to the song of the same name. Probably unknowingly, Iron Butterfly created a bona fide masterpiece of heavy psychedelic sounds that’s much heavier and fucked-up than anything that came out back in the hippie, flower-power days. Put it another way, the number of heavy metal bands that covered the song (from Church Of Misery and Slayer to Blind Guardian and Acid Bath) shows clearly the influence the band had in the formation of metal. Also, it’s one hell of a great song, so what are you waiting for?

- Information
- Released: 1968
- Label: Atco
- Website: www.ironbutterfly.com
- Band
- Doug Ingle: vocals, organ
- Erik Brann: guitar, vocals
- Lee Dorman: bass, vocals
- Ron Bushy: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. Most anything that you want
- 02. Flowers and beads
- 03. My mirage
- 04. Termination
- 05. Are you happy?
- 06. In a gadda da vida

Class 6(66) -reviews

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