Saint Steven

about

Not to be confused with the Ohio-based One St. Steven, this Boston, Massachusetts-based outfit is one of those mystery acts nobody seems to know all that much about. It was apparently a one-man act led by former of the minor late '60s Boston psychedelic band Front Page Review and late-inning Ultimate Spinach, alumnus Steve Cataldo. Regardless, of his background, St. Steven managed to release one intriguing album on ABC's Probe subsidiary. His 1969 album, also called Saint Steven, was similarly period psychedelia. This was one of those records that came out of nowhere, was played on FM radio a bit and then disappeared without a trace. Each side of the album was a suite, "Over the Hills" on side one and "The Bastich" on side two. Musically the set offers up a bizarre mix of commercial folk-rock ("Grey Skies"), pseudo-psych moves ("Bastich I"), hard rock ("Poor Small") and sound effects ('Voyage To Cleveland'). In spite of it's lack of focus, Cataldo was a more than decent singer and capable of writing attractive and quite commercial material. Pop-rock sensibilities were sprinkled with bits of odd sound effects (animal roars, 1968 Republican Convention soundbites) never to either terrible or good results. Each of these songs balances the innocent with the darker forces that we all must confront. Saint Steven uses his own mythical figures, "Gladacadova" and "Ay-Aye-Poe-Day", to add magic and mystery to his little tales. In the middle of "Poor Small", the song stops and we get

top songs

albums

Psychedelic Essentials

Over The Hills/The Bastich

saint steven

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100 Psychedelic Trips - Stoner Rock, Garage Rock, Acid Rock

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Sixties Archives Vol.8 Acid Trip & Heavy Sound For Psych Minds

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100 Psychedelic Rock Essentials

Over The Hills

Over The Hills / The Bastich

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Over The Hills-The Bastich

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Sixties Archives Vol. 8 - Acid Trip And Heavy Sound For Psychic Minds

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Sixties Archives, Volume 8: Acid Trip & Heavy Sound For Psych Minds

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Over the Hills - The Bastich

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