Anywhere

Like many other debuts from the era's hard rock groups, Flower Travellin’ Band’s Anywhere came out in 1970 boasting more musicianship than originality. But the group's cover songs flourished with innovative adaptations, starting with an awe-inspired psychedelic freakout rendering of Muddy Waters’ “Louisiana Blues” that jams out for nearly 16 minutes. The Tokyo-based quartet even elongated Black Sabbath’s namesake tune an extra three minutes, replete with singer Akira “Joe” Yamanaka approximating a young Ozzy Osborne’s throaty inflections (right down to his wailing “Ooh noo!”). A Wishbone Ash–esque cover of the traditional tune “House of the Rising Sun” proved that there was much more to Flower Travellin’ Band than cranked tube amps and mind-melting acid-rock. A sprawling take on King Crimson's "21st Century Schizoid Man" plays with such crazed changes and unpredictable arrangements that it’s easy to understand the kind of minds that thought the album cover photo might be a good idea. Two bluesy harmonica-honking instrumental originals bookend Anywhere.