Touch-Touch (1969)

Touch were one of the first American progressive and avant-garde rock bands, but they have remained unjustly buried and forgotten under the shadow of so many other, more media-savvy contemporary groups. Founded by former Kingsmen member Don Gallucci, famous for his timeless guitar riff in the 1963 song "Louie Louie", and former members of Don & The Goodtimes, Jeff Hawks (vocals) and Joey Newman (guitar), they wanted to move away from the limitations of typical 1960s pop songs and delve into more daring and avant-garde compositions. As a result of this union, Touch was born. With the addition of bassist Bruce Hauser and drummer John Bordorano, they recorded a self-titled album between late 1967 and early 1968. This, their only released album, would be highly praised by legendary figures such as Jimi Hendrix, Jon Anderson (singer of Yes), and Kansas guitarist Kerry Livgren, all of whom stated that it was one of their main influences early in their careers. Composed of an amalgamation of sounds that ranged from psychedelic rock to rather pretentious progressive rock, with hints of carefree pop but also a touch of self-indulgence, it is a historical sonic document that, although it may sound somewhat primitive today, contains great performances and commendable arrangements concepts that would later be reflected in the releases of many British progressive rock bands and underground sounds.