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The Parable of Arable Land is the first studio album by Red Krayola, then known as The Red Crayola. Self-described as a "Free Form Freak-Out", the songs on the album introduce mainstay Mayo Thompson's signature style of abstract lyrics wed to minimalist (and often avant-garde) melodies and rhythms. The album is also notable for instrumental cameos by label mate and 13th Floor Elevators frontman Roky Erickson.

Recording

The Familiar Ugly Freak-Outs (the group of 50 friends who provide the Free Form Freak-Outs that appear between each song) were recorded on April Fools Day 1967 in a 3 hour session. They were instructed by the band to play whatever they pleased. To demonstrate, the liner notes by "General Fox" (presumably the producer Lelan Rogers, as he was present for the session) describe how "a young man made his music by striking two match sticks together... His girlfriend kept time by blowing in a pop bottle." Roky Erickson of 13th Floor Elevators plays organ on Hurricane Fighter Plane, as well as mouth organ on Transparent Radiation.

The band then recorded the rest of the album's material on the following days: 5th of April 1967 (unspecified, possibly Former Reflections Enduring Doubt & The Parable of Arable Land), 10th of April 1967 (Pink Stainless Tail, Hurricane Fighter Plane, War Sucks and lost song recordings called F.R.E.D and Water Vessel), 11th of May 1967 (unspecified).

The album was originally recorded in mono, the songs were later processed through a stereo effects chamber with added psychedelic effects (such as backward tapes, sped up tapes, loops and sound effects) for the stereo mix. Mayo Thompson describes how it happened "Our first album was recorded mono. is Walt Andrus's studio wizardry. We made the mono version and then like two days later I was around the studio, and they said, 'Come here, what about this for a stereo album?' And I sat there and listened to it and I said, 'sounds okay to me, crazy, but sounds okay.'

Music

While marketed as a "psychedelic" album, the album also had a lot to do with (like Frank Zappa's work of the time) modern 20th-century composers such as Harry Partch, John Cage and the avant-garde in general.

The most non-traditional and avant-garde of the six songs is the title track. An instrumental, it features nothing but a sparse and exotic-sounding percussion loop with minimal improvisation on top of it, building in intensity and then settling down over the course of about three minutes. This is not part of the "Free Form Freak-Outs", as it seems to be somewhat orchestrated. This track in particular foreshadows the blatantly minimalistic and non-commercial nature of their rejected second album, Coconut Hotel.

Each of the songs bears a lengthy subtitle (listed in quotations instead of the typical parentheses) lifted directly from its own lyrics (except for "Parable of Arable Land", which is an instrumental).

The Familiar Ugly played music on instruments such as industrial power tools, talking dolls, furniture, bells, bottles, sticks, flutes, whistles, kazoos, guitars, drums, harmonica and even a revving motorcycle.

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Pitchfork	9.3/10
Spin Alternative Record Guide	9/10
Uncut

In a retrospective review, Pitchfork critic Alex Linhardt praised The Parable of Arable Land as "one of the most visionary album" of 1967. Trouser Press wrote that the album "boasts a more engaged intelligence than most of the era's aural acid baths". Mark Deming of AllMusic remarked that "The Parable of Arable Land exists on a plane all its own; if art-damaged noise rock began anywhere, it was on this album."

In 2011, The Parable of Arable Land was selected by Andrew VanWyngarden of MGMT for inclusion in NME's list of "The 100 Greatest Albums You've Never Heard".

Jimi Hendrix owned a copy of The Parable of Arable Land - Kathy Etchingham believes that Hendrix picked up the album on an impulse because the cover artwork was similar in style to his own drawings.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Frederick Barthelme, Steve Cunningham and Mayo Thompson

Personnel

The Red Crayola

• Frederick Barthelme – drums
• Steve Cunningham – bass guitar
• Mayo Thompson – guitar, vocals

The Familiar Ugly (known members)

• Haydn Larson - spoons
• Roger Hamilton AKA William West
• Butch Caraban
• Pat Pritchett
• Pat Conley
• Danny Schwartz
• Barbara Metyko
• Alicia Garza
• Linda Linda
• Donald Pick
• Elaine Banks
• Sara Quigles
• David Potter's Wife
• Joe Pritchett
• Dennis Glomm
• Ian Glennie
• Larry Frost
• Skip Gerson
• Mike Metyko (F.R.B Rapho)

Additional personnel

• Roky Erickson – organ ("Hurricane Fighter Plane"), harmonica ("Transparent Radiation")
• Bonnie Emerson – guitar
• Danny Schacht – harmonica

Technical

• Lelan Rogers – production
• Walt Andrus – engineering
• George Banks – cover design

References

1. "2 - Red Crayola, the - the Parable of Arable Land - US - 1966". 22 January 2011.
2. https://imgur.com/a/6dpkAUh
3. https://tapeop.com/interviews/16/mayo-thompson/
4. ^ Deming, Mark. "The Parable of Arable Land – The Red Crayola / The Red Krayola". AllMusic. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
5. ^ Linhardt, Alex (February 9, 2004). "The Red Krayola: The Parable of Arable Land / God Bless The Red Krayola and All Who Sail With It". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
6. Coley, Byron (1995). "Red Crayola/Krayola". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. pp. 322–23. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
7. "The Red Krayola: The Parable of Arable Land". Uncut. p. 97. hey deepened the relationship between rock and noise, submerged in musical garage freakouts from which they emerged coherent...
8. Grant, Steven; Robbins, Ira; Kenny, Glenn. "Red Crayola (Red Krayola)". Trouser Press. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
9. "100 cult albums to hear before you die, chosen by your favourite rockstars". NME. August 30, 2018. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
10. "Inside Jimi Hendrix's blood-spattered record collection". NME. 4 April 2018.
11. "The Familiar Ugly (Parable of Arable Land Gatefold 1967)".
12. "Haydn Larson Spoons".

External links

• The Parable of Arable Land at Discogs (list of releases)

• Radar Records albums
• Red Krayola albums
• 1967 debut albums
• International Artists albums