Though they were considered an enigma in the world of '60s rock collectibles, there was never a group called Fapardokly; the 12 songs on their self-titled album were recorded by Merrell & the Exiles, a Southern California group headed by legendary cult folk-rocker Merrell Fankhauser. That group cut several singles for the tiny Glenn label before heading off in a psychedelic direction and mutating into H.M.S. Bounty. The equally tiny UIP label decided to gather a few of the Glenn singles, add a few more psychedelically oriented tracks that Merrill and his group had recorded, and release the package as the work of a group called Fapardokly. Although it was not recorded or intended as a unified work, it stands as one of the great lost folk-rock classics of the '60s. Fankhauser went on to make more excellent obscure recordings with H.M.S. Bounty in the late '60s and Mu in the early '70s. ~ Richie Unterberger, Rovi
