Pre-Revolution Psychedelic Rock from Iran: 1972 – 1979. ‘Back From The Brink’ is the only legitimately licensed collection of the godfather of Iranian psychedelic rock, Kourosh Yaghmaei, whose recordings were thought lost after Islamic fundamentalists took control of Iran. They weren’t: Kourosh had protected them, and their collection here - spread over three LPs - bolstered by Kourosh’s first person recollections of Iran’s ‘70s rock scene and its death after the Khomeni Revolution, tells the story of an immensely talented artist’s desire to persevere in the face of terrible adversity. Kourosh and his brothers Kamran and Kambiz were amongst the few inspired Iranian musicians determined to change Tehran’s musical landscape in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. The trio, armed with rented, second-hand instruments and records by The Ventures, The Kinks, and The Doors, merged Western garage rock, psychedelia and Iranian folkloric music to create a sound unlike anything that came before them. Later, inspired by the unlikely duo of Elton John and James Taylor, Kourosh’s music took a sophisticated turn, and he churned out funky, progressive rock that is as imminently enjoyable as it is impossible to categorize. But while most Pre-Revolution musicians – including his brothers – fled Iran in 1979, Kourosh stayed, loyal to the country of his birth. He has suffered a performance and recording ban for 22 of the last 32 years. Yet he remains stoic and resolved to continue bolstering Iranian musical tradition.
