The Trees Community’s “Christ Tree” released in 1975. Folks, this is a must have record. This is easily one of the hottest LP’s I’ve come upon in a long while. A fellow record collector and friend of mine shared this with me and my life has been better because of it. Now I’m gonna pass it along to you all. Fortunately the Trees have gone out of their way to rerelease and reissue their recordings and some live material. There’s a subsite dedicated to The Trees Community over at Psychedelicfolk.com. There you can find heapings of great info.

Here’s some words taken from Psychedelicfolk.com:

This album, starting beautifully with sitar, harp and Christian harmony vocals, starts first very clearly structured, then becomes a rather free excursion through the world and various genres, and instrumental improvisations referring to various cultures, in different sections, while the group returns to songs. This freedom is done which such calmness like in meditation, while it brings you into direct confrontations with these worlds and experiences, in a way I think I am afraid wouldnt work for those Catholics that I know here in Belgium, because they would find it too direct and not like confirming their relationships with experience-less dogma. For those who are able to face things a bit more directly, this is a truly remarkable recording.

Here’s excerpt from a review from Unbroken Circle: 

“Rating an album like this is somewhat superfluous, it is beautiful and cleansing, it is almost disturbing and insane. Once heard you will never ever forget it, it is unique in the way that few are. Only Taj Mahal Travellers, Sun Ra, Alice Coltrane and a few others have gone so far out, the question is – do you want to join them? (and will you get back).” 

Now I know I’ve said this is a “must have”, but if you have an aversion to religiously oriented lyrics/music, I’d stay away. While this record has some religious overtones, the music and genuineness far exceeds imo. Oh, and they have a Myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/thetreescommunity

 Enjoy! 

By request, here’s the track list:  

1. Psalm 42
2. Parable of the
3. Mustard Seed
4. Psalm 45
5. Invocation
6. Village Orchestra
7. Jesus He Knows
8. I will not leave you
9. comfortless
10. Chant for Pentecost
11. Psalm 46