Richard Hayman – Windmills Of Your Mind
Richard Hayman – Melody No. 2
Richard Hayman – Goin’ Out Of My Head
First heard this in Berkeley at the apartment of a friend who was in the Sociology PhD program at the time, Carl Somers. I recently got back in touch with Carl and he set me straight on the original story. While I had remembered it being a friend of his who found this record, it was actually Carl who literally dug this record (and a few other choice cuts) out of a dumpster in Hot Springs, Arkansas. With that as the backdrop, I’ll admit, I was pretty skeptical of what I was about to hear and when he put in the tape dub of the record (yes that’s right a cassette tape, this was back in 1999) and started “Windmills Of Your Mind,” the opening wash of Moog sounds and familiar melody didn’t really thrill me, but then those drums came in and I was completely floored. Something about those drums, combined with the guitar and the darkness of the mood, really reminded me of early Portishead in its sound. I’ve never been sure if it’s a live drummer and guitarist or if all the sounds come from the Moog, but if it is a live drummer, I really wish I knew who it was, cause they are just about perfect.
Eventually I tracked down a copy, first at Saturn Records in Oakland (which then became part of my wedding inspired sell-off) and more recently again at Atomic in Burbank. Though I’m not particularly fond of Moog records generally, or even 80% of this album in particular, the two tracks that lead off each side, the aforementioned “Windmills” and “Goin’ Out Of My Head” are really very stellar. I know that Katalyst sampled “Windmills” and I figure a few others probably have as well. If there was one Moog record to have, this is the one I’d recommend. Just remember it’s from Richard Hayman, not Dick Hyman…
Cheers,
Michael