Russ Giguere - Hexagram 16 (Reissue) (1971/2013)

Named after a music-related excerpt from the I Ching, this 1971 solo album by Association rhythm guitarist and singer-songwriter Russ Giguere not only sports an amazing cast of characters but also draws songs from some of the best songwriters (Judee Sill, Randy Newman, Bill Martin) the early '70s L.A scene had to offer. So why has it languished in obscurity for over 40 years? Well, Hexagram 16 is a reflection of a more innocent, carefree time in the music industry, when a label president (Warner Brothers' Joe Smith) could greenlight a solo album on a whim, and when said solo album could be made without a care for commercial concerns. Giguere assembled some of his best friends in the biz Bernie Leadon, Larry Knechtel, Chris Ethridge, Judy Henske, Jerry Yester, Spooner Oldham, Herb Pedersen and co-producer John Boylan among them and recorded an album that veers wildly from breezy, Byrds-ian country rock ("Let It Flow;" "Rosarita Beach Cafe") to heavier, almost prog rock compositions ("My Plan;" "Pegasus"), with none of the pillow-y harmonies present that sent the Association to the top of the charts. The predictable result: Hexagram 16 sold not a lick in its day, but has gathered quite a respectable following in the intervening years. This Real Gone release marks its CD debut, with notes by Richie Unterberger featuring quotes from Giguere about the making of the record.