The 5th Dimension

This two-fer combines Stoned Soul Picnic (1968) and Age of Aquarius -- the 5th Dimension's (5D) third and fourth long players -- and a pair of extra tracks -- onto one CD. By mid-1968, the quintet of Lamonte McLemore, Ron Townson, Billy Davis, Jr., Marilyn McCoo, and Florence LaRue had already established themselves during an impressive run of Top 40 entries marked by a remake of the Mamas & Papas' "Go Where You Wanna Go" and a handful of Jimmy Webb penned classics, such as "Up, Up and Away," "Another Day, Another Heartache," "Paper Cup," and "Carpet Man." These long players represent the transition from Webb's input and influence to that of Laura Nyro. Producer/arranger Bones Howe and the 5D's musical director Rene DeKnight were once again calling the shots behind the scenes. Nyro's "Stoned Soul Picnic" provides a perfect pop sensibility that effortlessly supports the combos' complex harmonies. Likewise, the lyrics could not have fit better into the countercultural mindset of the era. She also supplied the happy-go-lucky hit "Sweet Blindness." Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson's "California Soul" made an impression on listeners with its straightforward groove that sounds closer to Motown than most earlier 5D outings. The Age of Aquarius (1969) finds the 5D continuing to conquer the cash registers and airwaves. This success was no doubt thanks in great part to the international number one hits "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures,") as well as Nyro's "Wedding Bell Blues" and "Blowing Away" which made a significant showing on the adult contemporary and pop charts. Undoubtedly, the icing on the cake for the band was the Grammy Awards they received for "Record of the Year" and "Best Contemporary Vocal Performance by a Group." The two bonuses -- which were originally included on the respective Buddha Records reissues of Stoned Soul Picnic and The Age of Aquarius in 2000 -- are "East of Java" and "Chissa Se Tornera," the latter having been recorded and released specifically for the Italian market. ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide