Merrell Fankhauser

One of the most interesting cult figures in rock history, Fankhauser's best work came as the leader of several interesting groups during the '60s and early '70s: the Impacts (instrumental surf), Merrell & the Exiles (solid British Invasion-style rock), Fapardokly (great Byrds-ish folk-rock), the H.M.S. Bounty (fine late-'60s folk-rock), and Mu (spaced-out progressive blues/psychedelia). When Mu broke up in the mid-'70s, Fankhauser began working as a solo artist, issuing a series of independent albums. These usually show him in a considerably mellower and more mainstream folk-rock mood than his earlier work, sometimes recalling Crosby, Stills, & Nash and often featuring violinist Mary Lee.