PSYCHEDELIC/SPACE-ROCK/STONER:
HIGH TIDE: Sea Shanties Remastered+Bonus Tracks CD
HIGH TIDE: High Tide Remastered+Bonus Tracks CD
In many ways, thanks to the AMAZING remastering job that this album's undergone, you simply can't believe that this album is 37 years old - yes, 37 years!!! It sounds fantastic! But, at the sme time, what makes it so magical, is that fact that it truly is one of the legendary psychedelic rock albums of the seventies, even though its release in 1969, predated Hawkwind AND The Pink Faries, both of whose styles can be traced right back to this band and specifically this album. With guitarist and vocalist Tony Hill, the "Paul Rudolph' of the band, violinist and keyboardist Simon House (way before his time with Hawkwind), bassist Peter Pavli and drummer Roger Hadden, this whole album and all its thirty five minutes of previously unreleased tracks, positively glows with energy and vitality. You only have to listen to the full and jaw-dropping nine minutes of the instrumental 'Death Warmed Up', not only to be blown clean away by the experience, but to witness some of the most incendiary electric guitar work this side of classic early seventies Pink Fairies. When you also see that it's preceded by the equally fiery furnace that is the opening five minute of 'Futilist's Lament', with the remaster allowing you to hear things in the music that you never before heard on any previous version, you know that you are in the presence of greatness and timeless rock, as the band surge ahead, House's violin and organ work on this track really evident, but Hill's guitar fire dominant. The near five minutes of 'Pushed, But Not Forgotten', with its variation between serene and erupting, features some gorgeous work from Simon House, and the effect is a lot like the more sedate parts of 'Mountain Grill' Hawkwind. The five minute 'Walking Down Their Outlook' is a sizzling slice of psychedelic rock songwriting, again, the whole band providing a mix of explosive and relaxed to awesome effect. The near ten minute 'Missing Out' returns to the blazing dueling between violin and guitar as the song spirals upwards, on a sea of fuzzed guitar work and soaring violin, the effect so amazingly full of feeling and supercharged with electricity. The album proper finishes with the surging six minutes of 'Nowhere' as it all comes to an amazing close - but there's more
Thirty five minutes of previously unreleased bonus tracks include twenty three minutes of tracks recorded for thealbum but left off due to time constraints, and these begin with the eleven minute instrumental 'The Great Universal Protection Racket' which twists and turns its intricately and dynamic rhythmic way through the piece as the explosive drum work is even more evident, while the guitar leads glow red hot and the heady sinuous violin work carves its path alongside the blast of fuzzed, electrifying and truly psych guitar work. The five minute song 'Dilema' is probably the most relaxed thing on here, and even this is strong and steaming, while the six minutes of 'Time Gauges' weaves a solid and charged instrumental web of violin-guitar led, passion, grace and fire. Completing the picture is a stunning demo (even their demos were hot!!) of 'Death Warmed Up' plus a demo of 'Pushed'. All in all, this is an essential album for anyone into Hawkwind, Pink Fairies and the early UK psych jamming scene in general, now expanded and with a sound so superior, that really suits, you'll have no choice but to cast all previous versions aside and get this album.
The second album, from 1970, was more instrumental, with, originally, just three lengthy tracks that exhibited all the ingredients that made the first album so red hot, but adding a sense of almost musical maturity as the lengthy workouts from the electrifying guitar and violin leads of Hill & House positively soar over the solid rhythmic foundations provided by Hadden & Pavli. But there's also more "invention" going on here, as the band add a certain maturity to the playing, and less like an on-fire Pink Fairies, more like a less space-rock but still psych Hawkwind, even adding an almost fusion-esque element to the nine minutes of 'The Joke' while still retaining everything that makes the band such a force, the guitar work still cutting through but now cleaner sounding and less fuzzed up, while the violin work still soars and flows superbly. This is also true of the fourteen minute 'Saenonymous' which twists, turns and flies, an added sense of dynamics giving it more "structure". Not as fiery as the first, but just as enjoyable, only on a different energy level. Here we have, again, just short of thirty five minutes of previously unreleased tracks, including demos of two of the album tracks, a completely re-recorded version of 'The Great Universal Protection Racket', now lasting a shade under sixteen minutes and even more awesome than before, plus a three minute track called 'Ice Age' that was recorded at sessions from later that year, and a more relaxed, typically '70-era slice of hippiedom songwriting with House soaring away on violin as the drums tumble forward. Overall, a great album, as both are, sounding absolutely amazing and, once more, superceding any previous version by miles.
JOHNSON NOISE: Smoke The Tape CD
The wondrous bluesy power-trio line-up of electric guitar, bass and drums, with guests players on harp, organ and sitar, and if you want to sum the band up on one track, there's a fifteen minute composition called 'Blind' which starts life as a slowly building psychedelic song with good strong lead vocal and the band solid, moving slowly forward, before the track builds and breaks out into this absolutely jaw-dropping ten minutes or so of blazing, blistering electric guitar-led instrumental magic that will have you on the edge of your seat or leaping around the room or doing air guitar or any combination of the three, but whatever you do, it's one of the finest slices of heady, roaring, psychedelic jamming styled guitar burnouts that you'll have heard in years, a track that you'll just play and play and play. Elsewhere, it starts life on Motormadness' as a driving, muscular slice of steaming, roaring stoner-blues-rock - sort of raging Monster Magnet with a more commercial edge and some STUNNING lead guitar work with suitably psychedelic effects - as the album immediately has you hooked in its spell, such is the might and stature of this genius track one. 'Bad Neighbourhood' is unleashed, a feast of psych and seventies rock power, as Blue Cheer-meets-Monster Magnet with some wondrously fuzzed, wah-wah, more fuzzed, psychedelic, electrifying guitar work, a rhythm section that's hot and on fire, all in a song that takes you by force and refuses to let go, not that you want it to - as it powers its way through to your head and heart, a monstrous and massive six and half minute song that's so addictive, it's almost criminal. 'Waiting Everywhere For Anybody" is pure seventies psychedelic slow burning rock-blues with some more stirring lead guitar work above throbbing bass and crashing cymbals as the whole thing takes off into some kind of seventies-sounding cauldron of almost early Led Zeppelin quality and, to a degree, structure, specifically hints of 'Dazed And Confused' shining through in spades. A cover of Motorhead's 'The Watcher' starts out as a slow, murky acoustic-led slice of psychedelia before the electric band erupts, the bass booms out, the drums roar and the guitar positively scorches as the vocals provide a strong and steaming rendition of the classic song, this time delivered in pure stoner-rock style and sounding made for it. With a further five tracks on the album, all as good as what I've already described, enthused and conveyed, this is one absolutely spellbinding and brilliant album from start to finish, spot on in every department and ticking every box in the psychedlic rock and stoner-blues fan's enjoyment list - and you can't argue with that.
MOSGENERATOR: The Late Great Planet Earth CD
Stoner rock trio with a lyrical concept album and when they play it hard, there's a certain element of early Black Sabbath in there, but when they play it soft, there's an early Pink Floyd quality to it, yet when they steam ahead as a stoner-blues power trio there's early Blue Cheer in there at one end, and 'Black' album era Metallica peeking through at the other. Either way, they have a dozen songs over forty three minutes that are way more varied than most in terms of pace, force and dynamics while the quality of writing is reflected in the "aware" lyrics that are delivered with passion and power from a strong lead vocalist. But it's the mix of the unlikely Floyd/Sabbath leanings that wins the day and makes this such a strong and engaging album, one that straddles a line between prog and psych-stoner with an almost unique style and confidence, something that rocks like a demon at one point then provides the Dark Side Of The Moon at the other. It's class, it's quality and you should be listening to it!
SAMAVAYO: Deathmarchmelodies! CD
There's a nine minute track on here called 'Let M'c' that starts in a hail of thick, sludgy, wall-to-wall strung-out bass and guitar chords, adds slow solid drums, a distant throaty roar and you'd swear that you're about to witness an intense example of stoner doom. But then it all suddenly fires up, still the thunderous chords well in place, as the drums erupt and a slice of solid sounding stoner rock emerges to great effect, vocals on top and flying. If that wasn't enough to get worked up about - and as an intense, highly charged stoner rock composition, it is in a league of its own - just after the five minute mark, the vocals drop, the band fires up even more and then launch into this storming finale, with surging, searing electric guitar leads absolutely on fire over solid supercharged rhythms and as the guitar effects, growling bass and crunching drums accelerate, the effect is just jaw-dropping as a sort of stoner answer to Skynyrd's 'Free Bird' lights up your life. Elsewhere, it's a case of all-out electrifying stoner rock, but done with a stunning production, a great attention to detail and a freshness that sets it apart from most others in its arena. Vocals are excellent, while the separation of the drums, bass and guitar are quite incredible while at the same time still possessing that huge sounding sludge that gives stoner rock its unmistakable sound. The final icing on the cake come from the songwriting and the band's passionate and powerful belief in it, producing 8 songs, including one immense sixteen minute album closer, that are absolutely on fire and choc full of head-banging intensity. This is one that you turn up to "11" and watch those windows rattle.
SIENA ROOT: A New Day Dawning CD
A band with a sixty eight minute, 13 track album that comes across as a more psychedelic version of classic early seventies Cream, right down to the, at times, jaw-droppingly close, identikit Jack Bruce-sounding vocals of the lead singer. With tracks ranging from three to nine minutes in length, this is stunning song-writing throughout, with some quality material that, in some cases, a band such as Cream would have killed for. The additional presence of organ on several tracks provides an early seventies Deep Purple quality, and the two strong influences combined, on songs of this quality, makes for one stunning seventy minutes of enjoyment. Most of the tracks stride forward in a typically bluesy Cream-esque manner, while the playing and production is superb, with some well tasty lead guitar work along the way, while a track like the ballad-style 'Fever' is a slow blues of magical qualities with some stunning, restrained lead guitar as the whole thing slowly builds to mighty organ chords, stirring guitar and solid slow rhythms. Throughout the album you're treated to quality song after quality song, and if Cream had existed with Jon Lord on organ, then this would have been the result. Superb!
SULA BASSANA AND THE NASONI POP ART EXPERIMENTAL BAND: Vol 1 CD
To celebrate ten years of the Nasoni label, several of its musicians from bands such as Liquid Visions, Johnson Noise, Weltraumstaunen & Zone Six got together to record this album, and the result is an astoundingly successful, cohesive and consistent album of songs and instrumentals, that positively oozes early seventies from every pore, only this time it' a much more varied sea of influences. Quite a few of the lead vocals are very Nico-esque only more upbeat, while the rhythmic approach is more early Krautrock and the electrifying guitar leads are pure seventies UK psych and German Krautrock. Whatever cauldron these elements are placed, the result is a strong set of tracks that really rise up and take hold. With tracks from three to over nine minutes in length, we're talking a wondrous st of psychedelic songs with glorious sounding lead vocals and vocal harmonies, swirling organ chords, mellotron magic, steaming lead guitars and all manner of influences along the way, from early Amon Duul II on a track such as 'Risin' only with harmony vocals replacing their shrill sounding lead vocal, through Ash Ra Tempel, Velvet Underground, Pink Floyd and beyond, with vari-textured, multi-layered songs and arrangements providing a vocal and instrumental magic that is as a whole entity, greater than the individual components. Every track is a gem and anyone into any of the classic seventies psych bands and Krautrock bands, just has to hear this as you'll be wanting to re-live its magic for many years to come.
TAIPUVA LUOTISUORA: I CD
Don't even dare to ask me how you pronounce the band's name - a good start if ever there was one. You'll gather, though, that we're talking a Scandinavian band and - thankfully - an instrumental one, at that. A quintet who feature two lead guitarists, rhythm section and a guy with an arsenal of synths and keys - so you'd guess we're talking Ozrics territory here, right? Well, sort of
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I know Jerry at AI has been raving about this CD saying how awesome it is, so you'd expect instrumental psychedelic rock of the best kind. Well, I'm not so sure - not about the music - that's spot on - but about what it is. You see, to me, this is psychedelic rock meets - shock!horror! - progressive rock in one bubbling cauldron of acid-tinged seventies fire. Take track two for example (all the tracks are in Scandinavian tongue so don't even go there!) - you get the familiar Ozrics-y bubbling synths and soaring lead guitars, but the structure of the composition and the fullness of the track give it a distinctly proggy feel too. Track 3 opens with acoustic guitar chimes and flute as the lead electric guitar and rhythm section suddenly steam in only for the second guitar and synths to provide a flying melody line that gives it much more of a richer sound. Then it drops down into something that's decidedly dynamic prog of the very best kind as this wondrous riff comes out of nowhere, but just as they should play on that one, they change it completely and this lead synth solo comes out of nowhere and completely changes the feel of the track before they then dive back into the main body of the piece and pursue the all-out attack, more changes than model at a clothes show. Yet it works - it works a treat. Whatever you call it, this remains absolute class - the standard of playing, composing, production and overall emotive power is at a height from start to finish, and their sense of dynamics allied to a warm-hearted sense of melody, makes this an intensely enjoyable trip from start to finish. If you love instrumental psych-rock and want something a bit different, that doesn't wreak of Ozrics yet has class and quality running all the way through it, then you'll love this album.
THE GREAT ESCAPE: Nothing Happens Without A Dream CD
A sort of stoner rock concept album from a German trio with English vocals, great playing and arranging, plus a keen sense of dynamics. Take 'The Other Part Is Gone' for example. Between its mellow and raging passages, it really shows that the band can write, coming across more as a stoner answer to 'Black Album'-era Metallica than any of yer average stoner rock bands, in terms of dynamics, production and sheer quality. 'Endless Waiting' is founded on a bed of wall-to-wall riffing from the bass and guitar as the superbly produced drums crash and drive as the foundations on which it all rides. The vocals are upfront and sung forcefully well, while the whole machine drops back to provide a truly breathtaking and quite gorgeous slow psychedelic guitar lead in the mid-song solo, as the drums and bass roll slowly forward. Then it all gathers steam, and blasts back into the main body of the song. Very much in classic Pink Fairies mould, it's another stunner. Throughout the rest of the album, the quality of everything - writing, playing, production, dynamics, singing - is simply awesome. From slow and reflective, to all-out guns blazing, this is way above any mere stoner rock album. This is class with a capital "c" and anyone into first rate rock and metal with a psychedelic heart should check this out - it's stunning.
VIBRAVOID: 2001 - Love Is Freedom CD
Opening with two and a half minutes of furnace heat guitars and synths and bass all swirling around to provide this incredible sounding space-scape, it moves firmly into a four and a half minute driving space-rock track with solid rhythms, synths swooping, bubbling and soaring all over the mix as smokin' psychedelic lead guitar scythes through, the vocals are lightly phased, the stereo mix worthy of early seventies and the whole thing not a mile away from a cross between '70-era Hawkwind & Pink Floyd. This then subsides to reveal a rather fine slower paced song with some stinging electric guitar work cutting through the heart of its charms for three incendiary minutes as bass and organ go into the main riff from Pink Floyd's 'Interstellar Overdrive' to superb effexct but just as you think you're getting a cover of that, the clattering, rolling rhythms move into this furnace-heat slice of equally Pink Floyd-sounding genius as the guitars light up, the synths swoop all around, the rhythms drive ahead with power as the bass pounds away and you're suddenly mutated into early Hawkwind. Then the pace drops to leave resonant bass and now Guru Guru-styled psychedelic guitar leads that echo and build, rising high as a new rolling rhythm begins, the space-rock synths swirl once more, the guitar riffs away madly and this head-bending slice of seventies space-rock unfolds with all the magic you could want, for nearly eight minutes. The next song is pure early Pink Floyd, Barrett-era at that, but so souped up you could imagine that if that era Floyd were suddenly magically transported to the modern realm, this is exactly what they'd sound like - and it's a simply amazing four minutes of genius. The rest of the album continues to be this incredible sounding mix of start-of-the-'70's Pink Floyd, Hawkwind & Krautrock, ending with an astounding seven minute track called 'The Tascam Mantra' which, like the rest of the album, will just blow you away. To say this is one immaculate album is the understatement of the year, and Anyone into the bands I've mentioned will derive huge amounts of long-lasting pleasure out of one of the finest albums around in its field.
WELTRAUMSTAUNEN: Weltraumwelt CD
Second album from the duo project of Sula Bassana's Dave Schmidt & Jonas Flux' Rudi Heinrich on a variety of guitars, basses, drums, effects, synths, piano, organ and vocals. Despite that normal sounding instrumentation, this is a way above normal album with some of the best mind-altering, head-bending slices of swirling electric guitar-driven psychedelia on the face of the earth. A selection of short songs and lengthy instrumentals, this is lights-down, joss-stix glowing, candles alight, smoking stuff of which late nights of drug-induced tripping are truly made. In many ways it's real space rock but taken to a psychedelic max, with some driving rhythms, soaring, swooping space synths, scorching, effects-laden psychedelic guitar work and almost early seventies Hawkwind styled outer space passages where the rhythms give way to this molten cauldron of guitars and synths that is just amazing. It's the sort of album you really have to - and want to! - hear from start to finish in one sitting - it really does take hold to such an addictive extent. I hate to say it, but it's very much "Space Ritual" stuff in that respect, so the whole thing takes on the form of one giant space trip for all of its absolutely stunning forty eight minute running time. The dynamics and construction aren't a million miles away from something like 'In Search Of Space' and, while the band do NOT sound like Hawkwind, the way a space passage moves into electro-acoustic song and then into a driving slice of psych-rock is showing a similar sense of emotive dynamics. This album doesn't so much rock and roar as smoulder and burn, but it's sheer sense of atmosphere is faultless and the fact that it transports you to an alternative universe, a positive bonus. All round, a simply brilliant project superbly executed.
ZONE SIX: Live Wired 2004 CD
Sevnty eight minute, perfectly recorded and sounding live album from 2004 by the instrumental quartet who mix jamming rock, acid rock, Krautrock, space-rock and psych-rock into a quite breathtaking cake that is not only easily digestible but will leave you wanting more - lots more. Across six tracks, a long short one at five minutes and four lengthy workouts between ten and twenty three minutes, this quartet of synths, electric guitar, bass and drums, provides some of THE finest instrumental jamming on the planet. All four musicians play a blinder of a set, but the lead guitarist is just jaw-dropping throughout. Like a cross between Cream's Clapton & Guru Guru's Genrich, with hints of Gottsching & Brock at either end, guitarist Julius K whips up a storm of Kraut-infused acid rock that goes supernova every time you hear it, which will be long, loud and often. As good as any long version of 'Uncle Harry' from the legendary Pink Fairies, this is a Krautrock and psych-rock fan's dream electric guitar-led album, and whether building up and roaring into an inferno heat magic, creating a chiming guitar heaven or providing some stirring passages of storm-force psychedelic rock jamming, this is undeniably 100% stunning.
