Relatively Clean Rivers

Jeff Tweedy's cited this one in a few interviews as one of the inspirations for some of the Sky Blue Sky material, "You Are My Face" in particular.

... lo and behold come 1975 and he yet again unleashes a privately pressed rural/psych rock gem under the name Relatively Clean Rivers that just seems so effortlessly and inventively produced. Usually by '75 I can't stand stuff like this, but my god! He's got backwards drums on here like it's still 1968. And on a country rock record no less! It works perfectly. All California sunsets and country living clean, you can feel the wind in this album, in the melodies and in the guitar lines. This is Grateful Dead-esque music for people who hate the Grateful Dead (and also those who love 'em). (OtherMusic.com)

First ever reissue. Former "Beat Of The Earth" leader Phil Pearlman assembled Relatively Clean Rivers in the early '70s and eventually recorded this excellent rural rock album in 1975. Although it should be easy to pigeonhole the sound of Relatively Clean Rivers, it is actually anything but. At times sounding like The Grateful Dead in all their American Beauty pomp, or CSNY circa DÈj‡ Vu, this tight, richly talented ensemble produces an album of almost majestic quality. The sound is superb, and clearly no time or expense were spared to produce an album which is probably the most flawless snapshot of Californian '70s under ground music that you will ever here. Originally there were 2 pressings of this unique album, each of only 500 copies each, and this is the first time that this, or any of Pearlman's other recordings has been reissued. An album highly recommended to anyone even remotely interested in '70s West Coast music or simply top-notch music in general.(Forced-Exposure)

Former Beat Of The Earth leader Phil Pearlman assembled this band in the early 70's. This is their sole and very rare album from 1975, and it's a long lost classic of US psychedelia. An overall rural West Coast vibe permeates an album that's filled with melodic rural songs, eastern jams, delicate drifting electric and acoustic instrumentals and backwards and electronic effects. Somewhere close to American Beauty era Grateful Dead, but with an added dose of New Tweedy Brothers styled fuzz and garage psych electronic experimentation, this is a release that deserves a listen by any serious US '60's psychedelic rock fan. (Freak-Emporium)

1. Easy Ride
2. Journey Through The Valley Of O
3. Babylon
4. Last Flight To Eden (inst)
5. Prelude (inst)
6. Hello Sunshine
7. They Knew What To Say
8. The Persian Caravan (inst)
9. A Thousand Years

HERE