If mental-illness induced psychedelic rock is your thing ala Syd Barrett, or Daniel Johnston you need to know about Skip Spence. Originally from Windsor, Ontario, Spence first appeared on the radar as a guitarist in the Quicksilver Messenger Service, then as a drummer in Jefferson Airplane, only to leave the band after one album to co-found Moby Grape.

Schizophrenia plagued Spence his entire life until his untimely death in 1999, but the legacy left byOar, his only solo release, will tell his story for decades. Made in 1969, after Spence’s stint in New York’s Bellevue Hospital, this record features him on guitar, bass, drums, and vocals. Oar is a sincere, unpolished, psychedelic masterpiece that is a must for any fan of real, no-bullshit music. Check it out for yourself with these three mp3s, then go buy Oar here.

Alexander Skip Spence – Little Hands

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Alexander Skip Spence – I Think You And I

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Alexander Skip Spence – All Come to Meet Her

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