Parallelograms: Map the Eleven Songs and Check the Sequence

For Parallelograms, verify the eleven-song sequence before treating a longer digital listing as the original album. Linda Perhacs’ debut appeared in 1970 on Kapp, and her official Bandcamp listing presents the eleven-song program from “Chimacum Rain” through “Delicious.” Her 2012 interview describes how producer and arranger Leonard Rosenman became involved after hearing a demo, and notes that the label changed the order she had chosen and that she disliked the original pressing. Those details give a listener two useful questions: what order does the edition actually use, and which arrangement details matter to you? They are more informative than simply calling the record “rare” or “psychedelic folk.”

Use the eleven tracks as your listening map

The sequence starts with “Chimacum Rain,” “Paper Mountain Man,” “Dolphin,” “Call of the River” and “Sandy Toes,” followed by the title track, “Hey, Who Really Cares?,” “Moons and Cattails,” “Morning Colors,” “Porcelain Baked-Over Cast Iron Wedding” and “Delicious.” Keep that list open while you listen. The titles can help you remember where you are, but they are not a substitute for the recording itself. If you are comparing two copies, check the track order and the number of songs on the actual package instead of relying on an album thumbnail in a shop or streaming app.

For a short first-listen exercise, compare the first track with the title song, then return to “Morning Colors” or “Delicious.” Write down which instrument or vocal detail you noticed first. On a second pass, choose one arrangement layer to follow. This helps you build a useful description of the record from what you heard, rather than repeating broad adjectives or claiming that every listener will experience the music in the same way.

Know what the arrangement credits do and do not say

Sundazed’s label page describes Rosenman as the album’s arranger and credits Perhacs’ work to a group of session musicians. Perhacs’ interview adds her own account: Rosenman and his wife helped realize her ideas for individual songs, while she remembers that the label changed the sequence she preferred. These sources support a practical listening question about collaboration and ordering. They do not prove that a modern pressing reproduces her preferred sequence or that every edition uses the same source tape.

The word “arranged” can also be too broad to tell you what you will hear. Use the credits to choose one track, listen for the relationship between the vocal and instrumental parts, then note whether the arrangement feels sparse or layered to you. Treat descriptions such as “synesthetic” or “dreamlike” as an invitation to listen, not a fixed diagnosis or a code for what a song must mean. Perhacs has discussed the idea of sound synesthesia in connection with her work; a listener can respond to that idea without claiming that their own perception is the same.

Separate the original album from expanded listings

The original eleven-song sequence is distinct from later packages that add archival material. Sunbeam’s deluxe double-LP listing (SBR2LP5060) places the album on its first two sides and adds eight tracks across the remaining sides, including demos, an alternate take, an interview and a previously unreleased song. Apple Music currently displays the standard eleven-song sequence. A count above eleven is a reason to inspect the track names, not evidence that the original 1970 LP had more compositions. Look for labels such as “demo,” “alternate” or “interview,” and record where the original program ends.

This check is especially helpful if you want to buy vinyl. A streaming service can group bonus material with the album title even when the physical LP contains only the standard sequence. Compare the product’s front and back cover, catalog number and side labels with the exact release listing. If a record is advertised as a reissue with a specific mastering or source, look for those credits on the page for that pressing; Sundazed’s product statement about its own release is not a guarantee about every Kapp, Wild Places or other reissue.

Use Perhacs’ account of the first pressing carefully

In her interview, Perhacs said she was surprised the label did little to promote the original LP, that its track order differed from the one she had chosen, and that she found the pressing disappointing enough to stop listening to her copy. That is valuable firsthand context, but it should not be turned into a blanket claim that every original pressing is bad or every later edition fixes it. Her recollection describes her experience with the record and its release history; it does not rank all surviving copies or establish how each later mastering sounds.

Before buying, decide whether you want the Kapp issue, the eleven-song program, a documented mastering or bonus material. Then compare the details that match that goal. Age alone does not establish which sound you will prefer.

Inspect a copy without confusing age and condition

For a used copy, ask for photographs of both labels, the cover, the side sequence and any visible runout text. Match the country, catalog number and format to a release-specific record. Grade the disc and jacket separately, and ask whether the seller’s condition description comes from visual inspection or playback. A 1970 date or a claim that the album is a cult classic does not tell you whether a disc is clean, flat or correctly identified.

For a modern release, note the label, catalog number, mastering credit and pressing plant when the product page supplies them. Sundazed describes its own vinyl release as pressed at RTI, but that line should be attached to that product and not carried over to other versions. If a listing uses words such as “definitive,” “audiophile” or “original tapes,” ask for the edition-specific documentation behind the claim. Marketing language can help you find a product; it cannot replace its actual credits or identify a copy in a seller’s hand.

A focused listening plan

Play the eleven original tracks in order once and mark the point where an instrumental texture first changed what you were listening for. On the second pass, compare the opening song with “Parallelograms” and one later track. Follow the voice on one pass and a supporting part on the next. If you listen with the cover nearby, write down whether the image changes your attention; then repeat without looking. These are personal observations, not tests with a correct answer.

If you compare editions, use the same original song and passage, align playback levels and keep record noise separate from your impressions. Verify the track order and bonus material before deciding which program you want.