Jimmie Haskell – California '99

Anybody figure out the proper way to fold the cover on this oddity? If so please let me know!

To Claudia on a Thursday is originally a great track from one of the all time 60s sunshine pop psych bands, The Millennium featuring genius producer Curt Boettcher.

This is one of the weirdest albums I have ever had the pleasure of hearing. Movie soundtrack composer/arranger Jimmie Haskell finally smoked enough grass and sampled enough LSD to turn a Tom Gamache story into a concept album so bizarre that it was doomed to sub-cult obscurity.

The concept is ummm, odd to say the least... In the near future, the U.S. is bankrupt. So to get a fresh start, we change our name from America to California. Every state becomes a county and every city is a district. Some sort of race war happens and and black people take over Washington D.C. and rename it "Kingdom" the new white capitol being San Clemente on the west coast. Mother nature declares war on California, sinking most of the former state of California. The Mississippi River's banks widen 10 miles, drowning all nearing cities. The 'county' of Florida dries up and becomes California's largest desert. Still following? Food is in short supply, so America's former breadbasket is now reserved for growing marijuana, which a large variety of insects munch on, and then the insects are harvested for food production (yuck). Sports are outlawed, the only sport left is "snoring contests". Oh and of course California's government is 100% fascist. Alright, enough about the concept. It does get funnier and stranger though.

Being on ABC Records has its benefits. Mr. Haskell managed to pull in some great ringers who were on ABC to help him out. Joe Walsh, who was then in The James Gang contributes his guitar and voice to "California Fairy Tale". Denny Doherty of The Mama's & The Papa's also contributes to a track. Blues legend Jimmy Witherspoon has the best guest spot doing a spirited cover of The Band's "The Night They Drove old Dixie Down" I have no clue why that song makes an appearance here, it stands out and above anything else on the record.
Between the real songs are interludes that tell a story. A story about a confused young man who is struggling to find himself in 1999 California. During these interludes are weird moog sounds, several different beeps, buzzes and sound fx that would make Mort Garson scratch his head.

All in all its a good album. Especially if you're into psychedelic drugs and eclectic music. How Jimmie Haskell and company managed to make such an unintentionally hilarious record is beyond me. Even more questionable is how ABC Records agreed to put this album out thinking it would make a profit.

The album cover and label misspelled J.R. Robinson, should be J.R. Robertson