Fear Itself (band)

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The album cover of Fear Itself on Dot Records, DLP 25942, 1969.

Fear Itself was a music band formed by Ellen McIlwaine in the late 1960's in Atlanta, Georgia. There were four band members. McIlwaine was the lead singer and played the harp, rhythm guitar and organ. Chris Zaloom was lead guitar. Paul Album played bass guitar, and Bill McCord was on drums.

The band's genre could be described as psychedelic blues-rock, similar to Big Brother and the Holding Company and Janis Joplin. Inspired by Jimi Hendrix and Cream, the group's sound was unique due in large part to the McIlwaine's gospel-bluesy voice and lyrics.

One song, "Bow'd Up," had a sarcastic tone that expressed soulful, hard-edged feminist sentiment. Their album, called Fear Itself, was comprised of these nine songs:

Side One

Crawling Kingsnake

Underground River

Bow'd Up

For Suki

In My Time Of Dying

Side Two

The Letter

Lazarus

Mossy Dream

Billy Gene

The group performed at Woodstock Festival in 1969, and eventually separated after the bass guitarist Paul Album was killed by a drunk driver. McIlwaine later moved to Canada and started a solo career.

The album, Fear Itself, was oringinally released on vinyl in 1969 by Dot Records, and was re-released on CD in 2006 by World IN Sound. The new CD contains bonus track, "Born Under a Bad Sign."