Erkin Koray/Wooden Shjips

Erkin Koray
Erkin Koray
(1973 - World Psychedelia Ltd./MIZ)

This is a prime example of the far-reaching influence of psychedelic music of the late '60s/early '70s. Erkin Koray, known as the Turkish Hendrix, is a psychedelic guitar guru and a musical trailblazer for rock 'n' roll in the Middle East. His fusion of traditional Turkish folk and rock created what is now known as Anatolian rock.

Though this is considered Koray's first album, it is actually a collection of singles dating back to 1967. Lots of the songs on the album gorge themselves in acid/psychedelic rock, while others are much more reserved and folky, clearly prior to the psych explosion.
A holy matrimony of East meets West.

Tracklisting:

1. "Mesafeler" – 3:40
2. "Askimiz Bitecek" – 3:22
3. "Yagmur" – 3:41
4. "Silinmeyen Hatiralar" – 4:11
5. "Istemem" – 3:29
6. "Çiçek Dagi" – 2:39
7. "Nihansin Dideden" – 4:05
8. "Sana Birseyler Olmuş" – 3:08
9. "Seni Her Gördügümde" – 3:22
10. "Aska Inanmiyorum" – 3:34
11. "Kizlari Da Alin Askere" – 3:32
12. "Anma Arkadaş" – 4:04

Download Erkin Koray

MP3: Erkin Koray - “Mesafeler”
MP3: Erkin Koray - “Sana Birseyler Olmuş”

In other news, the San Franciscan quartet Wooden Shjips (and no that's not a typo) will be playing tonight at the Independent. While visiting their Myspace page last night I noticed they placed Erkin Koray in the coveted, "Number One Friend" spot, or whatever it's called. That was the inspiration for this post. They released their debut album on the highly respectable, and Santa Cruz-based, Holy Mountain label late last year. Support local music! (As I give you their stuff for free! Oh, the irony.)

Download Wooden Shjips
MP3: Wooden Shjips - “We Ask You To Ride”