Near the Beginning

Near the Beginning: A Christian Fantasy is a novel by Nicholas J. Pela, self-published through CreateSpace in 2009, that centers on Joseph Winters, a devout God-fearing Christian whose experiences in the afterlife deviate significantly from his expectations.^[1] The story is presented as a fantasy narrative firmly rooted in biblical truth, exploring themes of faith, the hereafter, and spiritual discovery through the protagonist's unexpected journey.^[2] Pela, a retired airport planning consultant, licensed pilot, musician, composer, husband, father of three, and grandfather of six, draws on his personal background to craft this tale, which incorporates elements of family legacy, including encounters with ancestral figures such as three sisters revealed to be the protagonist's grandmother and great-aunts.^[1] The 208-page paperback, written in English with ISBN 978-1448697274, targets a broad readership interested in Christian fiction, though it has garnered limited public reviews and remains a niche work in the genre.^[1] Its publication reflects the growing self-publishing trend for inspirational literature at the time, emphasizing moral and theological reflections over conventional fantasy tropes.^[2]

Background and production

Band context

Vanilla Fudge formed in 1967 in New York from the remnants of a local group called the Pigeons, with the core lineup consisting of vocalist and organist Mark Stein, bassist and vocalist Tim Bogert, guitarist and vocalist Vince Martell, and drummer and vocalist Carmine Appice.^[3] The band quickly rose to prominence in the psychedelic rock landscape through their debut album, Vanilla Fudge (1967), which featured slowed-down, heavily arranged covers of pop and rock songs such as the Supremes' "You Keep Me Hangin' On," transforming them into brooding, organ-dominated explorations that peaked at number six on the Billboard 200 and established their signature psychedelic symphonic rock style.^[3][4] Following their breakthrough, the band released The Beat Goes On in early 1968, an experimental collection blending covers with improvisational elements that Appice later described as a "horrible album" due to its lack of cohesion, which he believed temporarily stalled their momentum.^[4] By mid-1968, Renaissance marked a pivotal shift, as it was their first album to emphasize original material—five of its ten tracks were band compositions—allowing them to move beyond reinterpretations and assert a more distinctive artistic voice amid the evolving heavy rock scene.^[3] This progression reflected Stein's view of the group as "the first experimental band to have big commercial success," blending psychedelia with orchestral flourishes that influenced emerging acts.^[4] After Renaissance, Vanilla Fudge's career was shaped by intensive touring in late 1968 and early 1969, including 17 shows opening for Jimi Hendrix, as well as performances alongside the Who and the Yardbirds, which honed their live improvisational prowess and solidified their underground reputation despite commercial pressures.^[4] Internal dynamics were tested by creative disagreements, particularly over the direction of prior recordings, but the core quartet remained stable, fostering a collaborative environment that propelled them toward Near the Beginning as an extension of their original-song focus.^[4] These experiences underscored the band's determination to refine their heavy, organ-driven sound without diluting its psychedelic intensity. In the broader psychedelic rock milieu of 1968–1969, Vanilla Fudge operated amid a vibrant scene dominated by bands like the Doors, whose poetic mysticism and organ textures echoed in their own brooding arrangements, and Jefferson Airplane, whose experimental San Francisco sound inspired a collective push toward mind-expanding improvisation.^[5] Seeking to evolve beyond initial cover-based fame, Vanilla Fudge aimed to deepen their contributions to this genre by integrating heavier rhythms and symphonic elements, positioning Near the Beginning as a maturation of their role in bridging pop accessibility with the era's hallucinogenic explorations.^[4]

Recording sessions

The recording sessions for Vanilla Fudge's Near the Beginning took place primarily in New York studios during late 1968, aligning with the band's intense touring commitments that year. The core studio tracks, including "Shotgun" and "Where Is Happiness," were captured at Mirasound Studios, while "Some Velvet Morning" was recorded at the Record Plant, both in New York. These sessions reflected the group's self-produced approach following their split from longtime producer Shadow Morton, allowing for greater creative autonomy but also introducing logistical strains amid their grueling performance schedule.^[6][7] A distinctive element of the album's production involved incorporating live recordings to capture the band's raw energy, particularly for extended improvisational pieces. The 23-minute track "Break Song," which dominates the album's B-side, was recorded live at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles in late 1968, featuring extended solos from each member and edited down from an original length of approximately 30 minutes. This decision to prioritize the live take over potential studio recreations stemmed from the band's desire to preserve their onstage chemistry and psychedelic spontaneity, though it complicated post-production efforts to integrate it seamlessly with the studio material.^[7][8][6] The sessions were marked by internal challenges, including growing interpersonal tensions that led to fragmented workflows, with band members often recording their parts on separate days. Balancing experimental psychedelic effects—such as distorted bass tones via fuzzboxes and controlled feedback from hollowbody guitars—with the demands of a self-directed process proved demanding, especially under the pressure of wrapping production in time for the album's February 1969 release. Despite these hurdles, the approach yielded a hybrid album that blended studio polish with live immediacy, recorded by engineers Bob Hughes, Eddie Kramer, Tony Bongiovi, and Bill Halverson.^{[8][7][9][6][10]}

Production decisions

Vanilla Fudge's decision to self-produce Near the Beginning represented a significant shift from their earlier albums, which had been helmed by producer George "Shadow" Morton, allowing the band to assert greater artistic autonomy and shape the record according to their evolving vision.^[11][12] This move stemmed from their growing studio experience and desire to capture a more authentic psychedelic rock essence without external intervention, as guitarist Vince Martell noted: "We knew what we wanted the project to be."^[7] Central to the production were choices blending reinterpretations of established material with original compositions to balance familiarity and innovation, including covers like Jr. Walker & the All Stars' "Shotgun" and Lee Hazlewood's "Some Velvet Morning" alongside originals such as Carmine Appice's "Where Is Happiness."^[6] These selections highlighted the band's penchant for transforming soul and pop tracks into extended, atmospheric jams while integrating self-penned pieces to showcase their songwriting growth.^[7] Additionally, the inclusion of live elements, particularly for psychedelic improvisations, emphasized raw energy over polished studio takes, aligning with the album's heavy, exploratory sound.^[11] Instrumentation played a pivotal role in defining the album's dense, psychedelic texture, with Mark Stein's prominent Hammond B3 organ providing swirling, baroque layers that anchored the arrangements, complemented by Tim Bogert's aggressive bass lines, often distorted via a Mosrite fuzzbox for added heft and drive.^[7][6] This combination, rooted in the band's R&B influences, created the signature "heavy psychedelic" foundation, as Stein's organ floods evoked the dramatic intensity of contemporaries like The Rascals.^[11] The band selected a live recording of "Break Song" from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles to preserve its improvisational vitality and onstage chemistry.^[10][13][7]

Musical content

Track listing

The original LP release of Near the Beginning features five tracks divided across two sides, blending covers of contemporary hits with original compositions that showcase Vanilla Fudge's psychedelic rock style.^[6] Later CD reissues, such as the 1998 Sundazed Music edition, include bonus tracks from singles and outtakes to expand the album's contents.^[10] These additions feature:

• "Good Good Lovin'" (Carmine Appice, Tim Bogert, Vince Martell, Mark Stein) – 5:45, an original B-side single
• "Shotgun" (single version) (Autry DeWalt) – 2:33, a shorter edit of the album opener
• "People" (single) (Carmine Appice, Tim Bogert, Vince Martell, Mark Stein) – 5:20, an original non-album single track

Song arrangements

Near the Beginning exemplifies psychedelic rock through its emphasis on heavy organ textures, prolonged improvisational segments, and reinterpretations of cover material that intensify the originals via slower pacing and atmospheric depth. The album's arrangements blend soulful roots with experimental extensions, creating a dense, immersive soundscape driven by the band's signature approach to elongating structures for emotional weight. This style reflects Vanilla Fudge's evolution toward harder-edged psychedelia, incorporating live-recorded elements to capture raw energy without overpolishing the performances.^[14][11][15] The opening cover of "Shotgun" transforms the original soul-funk track into an extended psychedelic excursion, stretching its runtime with adrenalized hard rock riffs and soul-infused grooves that build tension through repetitive motifs and instrumental breaks. This arrangement slows the brisk original tempo, infusing a heavier, more deliberate groove that aligns with the band's "fudge" philosophy of thickening and intensifying source material. Similarly, "Some Velvet Morning" employs layered vocals and ethereal effects to evoke a mysterious, dreamlike quality, reworking the duet's intimate pop into a brooding psychedelic vignette with subtle atmospheric swells.^[11][15][7] "Where Is Happiness," an original composition, introduces Eastern influences through trippy avant-garde introductions and exotic modal structures, diverging from the band's typical Western rock framework to explore reverb-soaked psychedelia and complex progressions. The sprawling "Break Song" stands as a 23-minute live jam prioritizing improvisation, featuring extended solos that showcase the group's onstage synergy in a free-form exploration of rhythm and texture. Closing with "The Look of Love," the arrangement adopts a concise, lounge-inflected brevity, contrasting the album's expansiveness with a subdued, intimate resolution that hints at cabaret elegance amid the prevailing intensity.^[11][8][7] Throughout the tracks, Tim Bogert's prominent bass lines provide a pulsating foundation, often employing fuzz tones to anchor the psychedelic drifts, while Carmine Appice's dynamic drumming delivers bruising, double-bass propelled rhythms that propel the extended jams and heighten the slowed reinterpretations. These elements underscore the album's cohesive arrangements, where production choices like live takes enhance the organic, improvisational flow without dominating the musical narrative.^[15][16][14]

Release and promotion

Release details

Near the Beginning was released in February 1969 by Atco Records, with the catalog number SD 33-278.^[6] The album was originally issued as a vinyl LP in both mono and stereo formats, featuring a gatefold sleeve.^[6] Later CD reissues include a 1998 edition by Sundazed Music, which added bonus tracks such as outtakes and alternate mixes.^[10] In 2024, Esoteric Recordings released the nine-CD box set Where Is My Mind? The Atco Recordings 1967-1969, featuring a remastered version of the album along with the band's complete Atco output.^[17] The cover art, designed by Jim Visconti with photography by Robert Kahn, showcases psychedelic imagery emblematic of late-1960s rock aesthetics, including surreal, colorful visuals aligned with the band's heavy psychedelic style.^[6] Some original pressings have been reported to include inner sleeves mislabeled from the band's prior album, Renaissance.^[18] The album's release was integrated into the band's promotional efforts, coinciding with an extensive 1969 touring schedule that encompassed over 80 U.S. concerts, as well as international dates in Canada, Italy, Switzerland, and Germany.^[19] Live performances during these tours featured tracks from Near the Beginning, such as the extended "Break Song," which was recorded live at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles for inclusion on the album.^[14] As part of the release strategy, singles drawn from the album supported its promotion alongside the live shows.^[6]

Singles and marketing

The primary single extracted from Near the Beginning was "Shotgun", a psychedelic cover of Jr. Walker & the All Stars' 1965 hit, released in February 1969 with an edited runtime of 2:37 for radio play, backed by "Good Good Lovin'".^[20] The track, which opened the album with over six minutes of extended arrangement in its full version, received a promotional push through live television appearances, including a performance on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 2, 1969, just prior to the single's commercial release.^[21] It peaked at number 68 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking the band's final charting single in the US.^[22] A second single, "Some Velvet Morning", followed in May 1969, offering a slowed and atmospheric reinterpretation of Lee Hazlewood's 1967 composition, backed by the original track "People" and also edited to approximately three minutes for airplay on a promotional DJ copy.^[23] Marketing efforts emphasized the album's psychedelic aesthetic, with advertisements in trade publications like Billboard highlighting the singles' heavy rock arrangements and the band's evolving sound.^[24] Unique promotional items included posters featuring swirling, colorful designs that echoed the album cover's trippy imagery, distributed to radio stations and retailers to tie into the era's counterculture vibe.^[25] Internationally, single releases varied, with stronger emphasis in Europe where Atco/Atlantic promoted "Shotgun" alongside a special double-LP compilation The Fantastic Vanilla exclusive to Italy, which boosted visibility and led to regional airplay success. The band supported these efforts with a late-1969 European tour, performing festival sets at events like the Newport Pop Festival and Denver Pop Festival earlier that year to build momentum for the singles abroad.^[26]

Reception and legacy

Critical reviews

Upon its release in early 1969, Near the Beginning received mixed critical responses, with reviewers praising the band's bold psychedelic experimentation—particularly the sprawling, live-recorded "Break Song"—while critiquing the album's uneven pacing and occasional self-indulgence.^[15][13] Retrospective assessments have echoed this ambivalence, often portraying the album as a "tale of two sides" with a stronger first half driven by dynamic covers like the heavy rock rendition of Junior Walker & the All-Stars' "Shotgun" and the eerie, harmony-rich take on Lee Hazlewood's "Some Velvet Morning." AllMusic reviewer Joe Viglione highlighted its self-production as a return to roots, crediting engineers Tony Bongiovi and Eddie Kramer for polished sound, but faulted tracks like "Shotgun" for lacking variation and the 23-minute "Break Song" for its tiresome drum solo, ultimately viewing it as a transitional effort less innovative than the band's debut. The site awards it 3 out of 5 stars.^[14][27] On Prog Archives, the album averages 3.46 out of 5 from user reviews, which commend proto-progressive elements in the opening tracks' fusion of psychedelia and hard rock but decry the second side's chaotic jam sessions and overlong solos as directionless.^[11] Common themes across critiques include appreciation for the group's independent self-production, which captured raw live energy especially in "Break Song," alongside consistent notes that the record falls short of the debut's groundbreaking covers and commercial breakthrough.^[14][15][11] Modern reassessments, spurred by its inclusion in the 2024 Cherry Red box set Where Is My Mind? The Atco Recordings 1967-1969, underscore renewed interest in Vanilla Fudge's catalog, with commentators lauding standout moments like the blues-infused bonus jams while reiterating the album's indulgent tendencies as emblematic of late-1960s excess.^[13][28]

Commercial performance

Upon its release, Near the Beginning entered the Billboard 200 at number 99 on March 1, 1969, before climbing to its peak position of number 18 during the week of March 22, 1969.^[29] The album spent a total of 27 weeks on the chart, reflecting moderate commercial success in the United States compared to the band's debut album, which had reached number 6.^[29] Internationally, the album performed strongly in Europe, particularly in Italy, where it topped the Hit Parade album chart for the week of September 27, 1969, and remained on the listing for 17 weeks overall.^[30] This success underscored robust sales in the region, with the album entering the Italian charts in early September 1969.^[30] The lead single, "Shotgun," achieved a peak of number 68 on the Billboard Hot 100 during the week of March 29, 1969.^[31] Despite the album's chart trajectory, it did not receive any RIAA certifications, though its performance indicated solid initial market reception for Vanilla Fudge's psychedelic rock style in 1969.

Cultural impact

The album Near the Beginning contributed to the evolution of psychedelic rock and early heavy rock through its extended improvisational structures, particularly the 23-minute closing track "Break Song," an instrumental jam featuring solos from each band member that foreshadowed the extended live explorations later popularized by jam bands.^[32] Vanilla Fudge's heavy, organ-driven sound on the album influenced subsequent acts, including Deep Purple, whose guitarist Ritchie Blackmore cited the band as heroes and a primary inspiration for their early organ-heavy style, stating, "We loved Vanilla Fudge—they were our heroes."^[33] This connection was amplified by the departures of bassist Tim Bogert and drummer Carmine Appice following the album's release; the duo formed Cactus and later Beck, Bogert & Appice, projects that Appice noted directly shaped Deep Purple's rhythm section dynamics and heavy approach.^[34] Near the Beginning has seen several reissues that have helped preserve its place in rock history. Rhino Records released a CD remaster in 1998, restoring the original four-track album with improved audio fidelity from the Atco masters.^[10] In 2024, the album was included in the comprehensive 9-CD box set Where Is My Mind? The Atco Recordings 1967–1969 by Esoteric Recordings (Cherry Red), newly remastered from the original tapes and featuring both mono and stereo mixes where available, along with bonus tracks and live recordings to highlight the band's full Atco era output.^[35] The release marked a pivotal transitional phase in Vanilla Fudge's career, shifting toward self-production and more experimental arrangements after producer Shadow Morton's departure, but internal tensions led to the band's breakup in early 1970, shortly after their follow-up album Rock & Roll.^[4] Near the Beginning is referenced in histories of 1960s rock for its embodiment of the fuzz tone era, with Bogert's prominent fuzz bass lines on tracks like "Shotgun" exemplifying the distorted, aggressive tones that bridged psychedelic experimentation and proto-metal.^[36] The album appears in discussions of psychedelic music documentaries and books, such as those chronicling the New York rock scene's shift from soul covers to heavier psychedelia, underscoring its role in pioneering the "fuzz" sound alongside contemporaries like The Jimi Hendrix Experience.^[37]