"Here's a superb long-lost gem from the end of the 1960s, a perfect example of the more thoughtful & optimistic sensibilities of that time. Linda Perhacs' voice is haunting, playful, yearning, sensual, or soaring, just as each song demands. There's intelligence & a certain otherworldliness in her songs, along with an occasional streak of whimsy & mischief. An album just made for solitary listening, it will take you to a sunnier place (with patches of cool, mysterious shade) ... and isn't that what we all need at times? "Chimacum Rain" & "Hey Who Really Cares?" are standout tracks, along with the wonderfully spacey title track, which just shimmers with eerie beauty. Highly recommended!"
A really special record
Elliot Knapp | Seattle, Washington United States | 11/13/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Parallelograms, Linda Perhacs' one and only album is well worth the price of admission. It's great if mutual interest allows you to get into Perhacs, but other than that, pay no attention to the Joni Mitchell comparisons. This album grooves on something really separate from Joni--there's something spacey, ethereal about Perhacs' delicate vocals, the music's subtle, trippy arrangements, and the way she deals with the subjects of her songs. My personal favorite highlights are Chimacum Rain (check out the overdubbed vocals . . . this track really sets the tone for the album as reflective, and tinged with psychedelia), Paper Mountain Man (real groovy character sketch), the almost modal chant of Parallelograms, and the immediately accessible Hey, Who Really Cares? Throughout, the music matches the lyrics--Call of the River verges on tone poem, and on the rest, acoustic guitar flourishes illustrate moods and Perhacs' idiosyncratic observations. The bonus tracks (as bonus tracks usually are), are not essential, although they do add to the singer's mystique, encompassing ALL of her recordings, EVER. I recommend this album to fans of acoustic singer/songwriter fans, and especially those who like when performers bend the genre and get a little weird--Parallelograms certainly isn't content to rehash what's already been done. It looks like the CD issue is getting scarcer--I'd urge prospective buyers to pick up a copy before it's prohibitively expensive--I think you'll find it's worth your money."
The silences that wrap around you... and loosen Everything
Gray | LA | 02/15/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Man did I miss the boat... what was in the water between 1965 and 1975?! This is one of those albums that I instantly knew I was going to love, just by looking at the cover. I just knew... ok this girl is cool lol!
The opener "Chimacum Rain" is just one of those songs that stays with you for days after listening to it. The meandering vocal melody over a soft, pensive guitar arrangement has such a simple power to it. Multi-tracking the voice makes this song wash over the listener the way a soft drizzle of rain would. MAGIC! The rest of the album is just as wonderful. Each song is distinct, and manages to retain its own personality while remaining part of a whole. Linda's voice is one of the best I've heard on any folk recording. She has the playful, bouncy phrasing of early Joni, with a soaring tonal beauty that at times is reminiscent of Joan Baez. Linda Perhacs has this unique ability to sound optimistic yet never naive, haunting while never depressing. She is the kind of girl that I could fall in love with 1,000 times over!
As I was reading through the CD jacket I noticed that special thanks were given to both Mikael Akerfeldt and Peter Lindgren from Opeth, as well as Steven Wilson from Porcupine Tree who has produced three Opeth albums. I was really happy to see that because I'm a huge Opeth fan (have been for many years now), and it's nice to know that they were involved in the reissuing of this amazing album. Anyway, I highly recommend Parallelograms to anyone who has stumbled across this page, or anyone curious about Linda Perhacs. It is a truly wonderful album, and more people need to know about it!"
It kinda gets inside you ...
J. R. P. Wigman | Netherlands | 06/30/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"It's surprising how many mediocre artists sell so many records, and how really interesting artists disappear into obscurity. Linda Perhacs is no exception. Blessed with a beautiful clear voice, a batch of lovely songs and a mind willing to experiment, she has produced a stunning work which has long been lost to the world but thankfully been brought to light again.
The album has a flying start with "Chimacum rain" which sets the tone for the rest: layers of stunning vocals and a sympathetic & effective backing. "Paper mountain man" is less unique but still very good, and reminds the listener of Heart. Songs like "Dolphin", "Call of the River" and "Morning colors" especially remind me of Tim Buckley's great Happy/Sad & Blue afternoon period. Least succesful in this great set of songs is "Moons and cattails", which sounds too contrived & less 'spontaneous' if you will. The title song "Parallellograms" has surprising lyrics (a lot of mathematical words) and a daring experimental break, which also hints at Tim Buckley's work - the unique and superb "Starsailor".
For me, winner in this fine collection is "Hey, who really cares": nothing strange or daring there, but very gentle, melancholic & simply beautiful.
In all this album is head above many works sold by the millions and it deserves a far greater audience. Happily, it seems that Linda Perhacs has decided to enter the world of music again and will produce a new album (only her second since the end of the sixties) by the end of this year. Hopefully this new album (if it is as good as the first one) will cause a more deserving response.
Track Listings (17) - Disc #1