We continue our week of non-music albums with “An Album A Day” installment #2. Irv Teibel’s Environments™ series was a ’70s new age phenomenon created by a sound recordist who had the bright idea of packaging field recordings as groovy party records. These attempts became less subdued over the course of the series (there were 11 LPs released, of which I own — and never really listen to — seven). Disc 1 (“The Psychologically Ultimate Seashore” b/w “Optimum Aviary”) was a self-described “gentle, subtle trip” and “the most sensuous recordings ever made!” Disc 11 (“Alpine Blizzard” b/w “Country Thunderstorm”) eschewed the natural artwork for two bare female backs emblazoned with a snow-peaked mountain and a bolt of lightning respectively. Nothing says sexy like an Alpine Blizzard. Teibel himself wasn’t usually credited on the LPs, which were released by Atlantic (weird, right?) on every format from LP (Quadrophonic!) to cassette tape to 8-track and eventually compact discs. They are very common and not sought after by most collectors. If you pay more than $4.99 for a stunning mint/mint example of one of these records, you’ve been ripped off.
Disc 4 was the first in the series I ever encountered. It was purchased at Canterbury Records in Pasadena on August 18th, 2007. It has the distinction of being one of the first ten records I purchased after moving to Los Angeles. See, wen I arrived here on May 5th of 2007 I only signed on for a six-month sublet. I didn’t bring any records with me, and had no intention of buying any during those first six months because I didn’t know if I was going to live here beyond the agreement I signed. I had no job, I had two friends, and no intention of buying a new stereo system until I was sure of my long-term plans. As I met more people, entrenched myself in Los Angeles, and felt better about my prospects here I decided to visit some local record stores. Or, at least…that’s how I like to remember it. The truth is, when you’re a collector of any kind you can never shake that which compels you to collect. It was only a matter of months (or maybe one month?) before I drove to Pasadena to buy a milk crate from Target for the few records I’d recently purchased from Amoeba. And wouldn’t you know it, there was a record store nearby called Canterbury. And while the selection wasn’t very good, I couldn’t pass up on Environments™ and an minty original pressing of X record Los Angeles on Slash.
The first time I listened to the album was late at night when I was subletting Nate’s room and living with Ilya, Nicci and Sari. We’d gone out — as we did very often those days — to Spaceland or The Echo on a Monday night to hear local bands and drink ourselves silly. Afterwards we laid around the living room (at the time there was a couch or two and a large futon mattress spread across the floor for optimal comfy cozy time) with some candles lit and listened to the b-side “Gentle Rain In A Pine Forest” in complete silence. In those days we’d listen to shit like Talk Talk’s Spirit Of Eden or Daturah’s Reverie and just kind of enjoy our buzzes together. It was a simpler time back then. We had part-time jobs, we had fun together, and we went out together on an almost nightly basis. And, yeah, listening to a distant thunderstorm by candlelight when you’re drunk in the wee hours of the morning can be a memorable experience. Hence this story.
Are there better entries in the Environments™ catalog? Sure. But do any of them hold a place in my heart as dear as Disc 4? Absolutely not.
It’s funny, last week I was considering selling all seven volumes of these records to save some space on my shelves. Now that I’m writing this, I no longer know if I could part with any of them so easily.
Irv Teibel
Environments™ Totally New Concepts In Sound – Disc 4
(Altantic – SD 66004, 1974)
A) Ultimate Thunderstorm [MP3]
B) Gentle Rain In A Pine Forest [MP3]
