I guess The Tea Party’s Splendor Solis album would most commonly be slotted into the category of psychedelic rock. It offers a lot more though. With an array of traditional electric guitars as well as more interesting instruments from around the world combined with a vocal sound that, to me, sits somewhere between Jim Morrison and Jimmy Page, Splendor Solis is really set apart from that category.

A remnant from my own youth, this album is embedded deeply into my psyche so I speak here about it with a certain bias but I’m fairly certain of its musical value and quality for others to enjoy. Other Tea Party albums never really hit the spot for me like this one so it stands as a bit of an anomaly for me but maybe that’s also what makes it special.