A Lovely Sight

A small independent label based in Chicago, the Numero Group are known for unearthing obscure but worthwhile recordings — and they have acquired an enthusiastic cult following among hardcore collectors. The Numero Group have paid a lot of intention to soul and gospel rarities, but Pisces' A Lovely Sight is neither soul nor gospel. The focus of this 2009 release, which was recorded in the late '60s, is psychedelic pop/rock. If one has never heard of Pisces, that doesn't mean that he/she isn't knowledgeable of psychedelic music. Pisces were a little-known group from Rockford, IL; in fact, they never released a full-fledged vinyl LP when they were together. But this 44-minute CD contains 15 of their late-'60s recordings, and their material is generally enjoyable. Back in the late '60s, psychedelic music was diverse. There was psychedelic hard rock, psychedelic blues-rock, psychedelic folk-rock, and psychedelic pop/rock — and Pisces are mostly psychedelic pop/rock but show some appreciation of folk-rock on occasion. Some of these tunes might have become AM radio hits had Pisces been discovered by Columbia or RCA and received the right promotional push, but they never enjoyed that type of support. Of course, obscurity isn't a negative among the obsessive collectors who buy the Numero Group's releases — in fact, obscurity is a major plus for them — and lovers of '60s psychedelic music will find that A Lovely Sight, although mildly uneven, has a lot going for it and is well worth checking out.