Cromagnon - Cave Rock

New Vinyl Record - Cromagnon - Cave Rock

Already commercially successful as tune-smiths for teenyboppers, Austin Grasmere and Brian Elliot approached Bernard Stollman looking to focus their talents on something more original and unrestrained.

Stollman asked, “What would be your theme?” and Elliot replied: “Everything is  one.” Bernard said, “Go do it.”  What followed was Cromagnon's (Grasmere, Elliot and the Connecticut Tribe) non-linear journey through the subconscious, weaving together bizarre instrumentation and meter with a psychotic blending of musical styles.

Bagpipes, pounding percussion, blood-curdling yelps, chanting, laughing, and billowing subterranean rumblings create the otherworldly soundscape that is Cave Rock.  Heralded as one of the best freak-out records of all time, Cave Rock was ridiculously ahead of its time and brings to mind the savage sound-fuckery of Nurse with Wound and Throbbing Gristle as well as the hallucinations of early Red Krayola.

Austin Grasmere (lead vocals, music)

Brian Elliot (lead vocals, music)



Peter Bennett (bass)

Jimmy Bennett (guitar, bagpipes)

Vinnie Howley (guitar)

Sal Salgado (percussion)

Nelle Tresselt (honorary tribe member)

Mark Payuk (vocals)

Gary Leslie (vocals, multi-sound effects)

Recorded 1969, A1 Sound Studio, New York City

Co-produced by Austin Grasmere and Brian Elliot

Engineered by Onno Scholtze

Original cover illustration: Howard Bernstein

Original cover art from the collection of Gregor Kessler

Production Manager: Adam Downey

Digital remastering by Douglas McGregor

Design by Miles Bachman