Octopus

by Richie UnterbergerOctopus's modest stature with collectors is due to the fact that they recorded for the ESP label, which specialized in some of the strangest rock, jazz, and avant-garde music of the 1960s (the Fugs were their most famous rock band). If not for that happenstance, it's doubtful that their self-titled LP (from 1969) would be a sought-after item. The band, which from the sound of things were very young, played typical late-'60s hard rock-psychedelia, with long bluesy jams and some anti-establishment lyrics. Tom Miller's tenor sax added a raw jazzy feel to some of the instrumentation, but otherwise there was nothing notable about their material or approach.