F.J. McMahon - Spirit of The Golden Juice (1969)

On his sole, rare album, F.J. McMahon's style has been compared to a couple of other folk-rock singer/songwriters of the era, Tim Hardin and Fred Neil. Indeed, there are similarities, though they're not blatant. There's an understated, introspective quality to the compositions and the vocals, and a laconically bluesy flavor to some of the melodies and guitar work. McMahon's singing isn't as rich as Neil's and Hardin's, however, nor as sorrowful as Hardin's, and the production and arrangements are quite a bit more barebones. Nor are his songs as outstanding, or varied in flavor. Bringing up all these qualms is picking on him a bit; by the standards of LPs that were likely only heard by few local or regional listeners, it's above-average, and a pleasant enough fit for a slightly melancholy mood. --- Richie Unterberger

The first LP release produced by The Circadian Press, the brainchild of Sacred Bones printmaker Keegan Cooke. We could not be more proud to present F.J. McMahon’s only album, Spirit of The Golden Juice. This is the first faithful and fully licensed reproduction of the album originally released in 1969 on the Accent label. Pressed in a tiny quantity and scattered around the California coastline, Spirit of The Golden Juice has become a top item among collectors and folk/psych lovers alike. Its a spell-binding blend of heartfelt singer-songwriter emotion and spiraling acoustic guitar accompaniment, standing up proudly alongside heroes like Hoyt Axton, Kris Kristofferson, and Fred Neil, but with a raw and adventurous spirit all its own.

As his sole musical release, F.J. McMahon created one of the most emotionally compelling and cohesive albums ever. (source)