The Kaplan Brothers "The Universal Sounds Of The Kaplan Brothers" 1969 US Private Underground Psych Folk First album.

Released on their own Kap Records, 1968's "The Universal Sounds of the Kaplan Brothers" is the first of their highly sought after albums. Musically it offers up a mix of originals, popular MOR hits and the truly bizarre (c'mon, can you imagine the crowd bopping along to 'Hava Nagilia'?). Backed by bassist Jeff Czech and guitarist Scott Klynas, the album starts out with a bang. The self-penned instrumental 'Running Scared' sounds like the brothers had been listening to a lot of Enrico Morricones spaghetti western soundtracks while stoned out of their minds (love the whistling segment). Their popular covers are equally fascinating. Bobby Hebb's 'Sunny' makes a congas propelled appearance that is as wrong spirited as you can get. Their dark and pained cover of 'A Taste of Honey' is equally wrong-headed though it sports some killer fuzz guitar (courtesy of Kylnas). Elsewhere 'Malaguena Solorosa' offers up a bizarre mixture of Spanish and Balkan influences, while Jimmy Webb's'Gentle On My Mind' is reworked to give it a lounge edge that has to be heard to be believed. These guys must have been a blast to hear live (particular after a couple of beers). Love the album's back cover. The 'genre' pictures are hysterical.