Soft Sounds for Gentle People, Vol. 1

It was perhaps the ultimate compliment to Nuggets and its long impact that three decades after its initial release, a new CD bootleg series looking at intriguing obscurities and one-offs from a group of American mid to late 1960s-into-1970s acts began by exploring its seeming sonic polar opposite – folkish contemplations, calm but still peppy grooves, gentle trippiness, sunshine pop ease and dawn of Laurel Canyon vibes. But the first volume of Soft Sounds For Gentle People, appearing in 2003, in some ways was a mirror funhouse version of the Nuggets universe, with plenty of the featured bands or performers having direct or indirect connections via producers, songwriters or being veterans of the scene as such. Thorough liner notes from its unknown compilers provide a lot of the details from there, but the real treat is of course the music itself, with a focus mostly but not entirely on California acts. The David Axelrod-produced “I Think I’ll Just Go And Find Me A Flower” by Moorpark Connection sets the tone elegantly, and from there it’s a well-sequenced amble. One of the most surprising entries comes near the start: the understated string-swept proto-funk “Naturally Stoned” by the Avant Garde, an actual top 40 hit from a band featuring future TV host and crank Chuck Woolery.