Amanita was the second album by Bardo Pond

Bardo Pond

Bardo Pond are an American psychedelic rock band formed in 1991, and who are currently signed to London based label Fire Records. The current members are Michael Gibbons , John Gibbons , Isobel Sollenberger , Clint Takeda , Jason Kourkonis , and Aaron Igler...

, released on April 3, 1996. It was released as a double vinyl LP on Drunken Fish Records, as well as a single CD and cassette on Matador Records

Matador Records

Matador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of indie rock artists and bands.-History:Matador was started by Chris Lombardi in 1989 in his New York City apartment. The following year, Lombardi was joined by former Homestead Records manager Gerard Cosloy, and the two of them have...

; it was their first release on Matador. (The vinyl version has two bonus tracks.) Counting their four early self-released cassettes, this is the band's sixth or seventh album, but is generally viewed as their third officially-released album.

The album title refers to the highly-toxic Amanita

Amanita

The genus Amanita contains about 600 species of agarics including some of the most toxic known mushrooms found worldwide. This genus is responsible for approximately 95% of the fatalities resulting from mushroom poisoning, with the death cap accounting for about 50% on its own...

genus of mushrooms, a few of which have hallucinogenic properties. (The pre-release cassette was entitled The High Frequency, causing the album to occasionally still be called this.) "RM" is named after one of the band's father figures and collaborators (as Hash Jar Tempo

Hash Jar Tempo

Hash Jar Tempo is a collaborative musical project between the members of Philadelphia-based psychedelic band Bardo Pond and Experimental guitarist and composer Roy Montgomery...

), New Zealand guitarist Roy Montgomery

Roy Montgomery

Roy Montgomery is a guitarist from Christchurch, New Zealand.He has played in several New Zealand bands, including Compulsory Fun, Murder Strikes Pink, The Pin Group, The Shallows, Dadamah and Dissolve...

.

A Drunken Fish mail-order catalog described the album thus:

"As the resin oozes on, sticking everything in its path to the couch, Bardo stumbles into the 2nd phase of a full length zone-out. Limp-lidded guitars are in more abundance than ever, courses are being plotted with the controls set for the heart of the bowl, and somewhere deep inside a 'rock' band has emerged... however baked it may be."

The album was recorded at Studio Red.

All lyrics were written by Isobel Sollenberger, and all music by Bardo Pond.

Track listing (2xLP)

1. "Limerick" - 10:21
2. "Sentence" - 5:08
3. "Tantric Porno" - 6:13
4. "Wank" - 5:28
5. "The High Frequency" - 6:51
6. "Clean Sweep" (bonus vinyl track)
7. "Sometimes Words" - 4:38
8. "Yellow Turban" - 7:38
9. "Rumination" - 6:22
10. "Be a Fish" - 4:42
11. "Tapir Song" - 7:32
12. "Brambles" (bonus vinyl track)
13. "RM" - 9:18

Track listing (CD, cassette)

1. "Limerick" - 10:21
2. "Sentence" - 5:08
3. "Tantric Porno" - 6:13
4. "Wank" - 5:28
5. "The High Frequency" - 6:51
6. "Sometimes Words" - 4:38
7. "Yellow Turban" - 7:38
8. "Rumination" - 6:22
9. "Be A Fish" - 4:42
10. "Tapir Song" - 7:32
11. "RM" - 9:18

Band personnel

• Isobel Sollenberger - Lead Vocals, Flute
• Michael Gibbons - Guitar, Vocals
• John Gibbons - Guitar, Vocals
• Clint Takeda - Bass
• Joe Culver - Drums, Vocals

Credits

• Greg Calbi - Mastering
• J. Cox - Producer, Engineer
• David Frank - Assistant Engineer