The fact that this record exists at all is nothing short of amazing. In 1973, Augusto Pinochet took control of Chile in a violent, CIA-assisted coup, and his resulting reign essentially abolished civil rights for the Chilean people for nearly two decades. One aspect of Pinochet’s reign was the destruction of a large amount of music, and most Chilean recordings made after 1973 have most certainly been destroyed in one way or another. Love, Peace & Poetry: Chilean Psychedelic Music covers songs released between 1964-73, and it’s an absolutely fascinating look at this tumultuous time in the country’s history, featuring songs that range from the political (Los Mac’s “La Muerte de mi Hermano”—detailing the death of one’s brother at war—is rife with machine gun sound effects) to the downright sexy (the largely instrumental “Erotica” by Aguaturbia features a dry groove over which a woman breaths out orgasmic moans right up to the ending). At 17 tracks, however, the album does feel a bit bloated, as some tracks (particularly near the end) feel too imitative of what was happening with American psychedelic music at the time. Yet for every so-so recording, there is an absolutely spectacular one (the fantastic, joyous “Foto de Primera Comunion” by Los Jaivas), all in all making this a worthwhile—if not absolutely essential—journey into the Chilean underground.