The San Francisco Bay Area scene of the late '60s was one that encouraged radical experimentation and discouraged the type of mindless conformity that's often plagued corporate . When one considers just how different , , and sounded, it becomes obvious just how much it was encouraged. In the mid-'90s, an album as eclectic as would be considered a marketing exec's worst nightmare. But at the dawn of the 1970s, this unorthodox mix of proved quite successful. Whether adding elements to king 's embracing instrumental on and or tackling moody the band keeps things unpredictable yet cohesive. Many of the albums that came out in the '70s are worth acquiring, but for novices, is an excellent place to start. ~ Alex Henderson