Biography of The United States of America

Formed at the University of California at Los Angeles, the United States of America released a self-titled album in 1968 that blended an avant-garde sensibility (leader/founder Joseph Byrd was a respected contemporary composer) with eerie, piercing instrumentation and coolly foreboding lyrics. Musically it's quite advanced for its era, with an eclectic array of then-futuristic electronic instruments augmenting the standard rock lineup. But what saves the music from coming off as too calculated are Dorothy Moskowitz's lovely vocals, which bring to mind a somewhat icier Grace Slick. The group dissolved quickly, breaking up after just one LP. Joe Byrd released a similar, less impressive album as the leader of Joe Byrd & the Field Hippies; Moskowitz briefly joined Country Joe & the Fish in the early '70s. ~ Richie Unterberger