"The Original Human Being" is the fifth studio album by American rock band Blue Cheer. It was released in October 1970 by Philips Records. The album shows the band moving into a more psychedelic and progressive rock style, incorporating brass and string orchestral arrangements.
The album features the band's longest recorded song, a 12-minute jam entitled "Babaji (Twilight Raga)." Notably, it also includes the track "Good Times Are So Hard to Find," which became a moderate radio hit for the band and remains one of their most popular songs. Despite the radio success of "Good Times Are So Hard to Find," the album itself did not fare as well on the charts, reaching only #160 on the Billboard 200.
Band members responsible for this album were Dickie Peterson, Bruce Stephens, Ralph Burns Kellogg, and Norman Mayell. The orchestra arrangements were done by some of the band members as well.
"The Original Human Being" is characterized by its move away from the blues-oriented hard rock that Blue Cheer had been known for, which initially gained them considerable attention, towards a more experimental sound. Despite its significant stylistic departure, critics and fans alike have since come to regard "The Original Human Being" as a cult classic within the Blue Cheer discography.
