Most celebrated as the band that delivered the song “O Death” from the Stanley Brothers to Camper Van Beethoven, the L.A.-based quintet Kaleidoscope was formed in the mid-60s around singer-multi-instrumentalists David Lindley and Solomon Feldthouse, the former (who would go on to play in Jackson Browne’s band in the 70s) schooled in bluegrass, western swing and vaudeville, the latter in modal jazz, Middle Eastern and Balkan folk music. Over four years and four albums, Kaleidoscope dropped these two wide-ranging collections of influences into a vat of boiling South California acid folk with some often pretty fascinating results. But don’t let all that make you think the band made “difficult” music.
Their debut single “Please” is an amiable, immediately ingratiating folk tune about a guy just learning to make his way in the world without undue (however well-meaning) outside interference. Feldthouse sings the verses with a talky matter-of-fact-ness. The lyrics are thoughtful and firm (“I know you mean to help… but don’t you realize you can’t live my life”), and the chorus is mostly just a single word – “Please” – which he holds solidly on a single note while harmonies shift and swirl all around him for nearly ten seconds. And finally, this simple request: Don’t say nothing at all. Just stand by me.
