Imagine. One day I walk into a store and see this enticing looking cover. Hmm a Double Album by a band I have never heard of. Price £5 and usually it would retail at around £20. SO I take the chance and rush home to listen to it. As the sounds start I am amazed by the lovely richness of the music. I started listening to 1993 - Close Your Eyes (Forget The World).
Track 1 In The Wake Of. It starts off sounding very similar to the Ozric Tentacles I had already heard - but I found the sound far richer and nicer. Very soon my imagination starts racing and I am in a world of beautifully intense music rippling with divine imagery. I am listening to the first 7 minutes of almost 110 minutes of music and I am entranced with the sound already. There are no vocals until the end and the words come out (spoken gently) 'This combination of between movement which is very machine like and between absolutely nothing turn this ... it is timeless . We have no beginning no end.'
That small interlude allows the transition to track 2 - Where Is Here which starts with a swirling jangle of sound and gathering the beat that seems to ebb and flow all around your being. By this time I am aware that I have picked up an absolute GEM of an album and am increasingly excited about every sound coming from the speakers. Another spoken interlude in the central portion of this song 'If you are frightened of dying and you're holding on - you see devils tearing your life away. If you've made your peace then the devils are really angels freeing you from the earth'. By this time I am listening intently - and then the sounds carry on inventively lifting your imagination as it continues.
This band are from the UK - Yorkshire to be exact and they have brought Space Rock forward in a wonderful natural movement. There are samples from movies (Wizard Of Oz) and I often feel as if the music has an exotic East European background side to it. But this is a band that is as psychedelic natural as anything you can imagine. You will find some amazing quotes (Ken Kesey on L=Sd^2) by which time the album gathers a really great intense section.
If you want to experience a psychedelic mind-expanding TRIP without actually taking any drugs then this music will get you there !
I could fill a book with my pleasures of these songs - I have been listening to them regularly for the last 10 years or so and I will allow you to share with me.
'Inner space as much as outer space provides the boundary for our exploration' is the speech on the final track - Eternal Guidance. And by this time you should find that the experience is total... and then the fade out begins with Dorothy from the Wizard Of Oz saying repeatedly 'Because I Love You All - Because I Love You All' Of Course. LOVE is what IT is ALL ABOUT!.
Here is a track listing...
1993 - Close Your Eyes (Forget The World)
01 In The Wake Of... (7:37)
02 Where Is Here? (6:42)
03 Passage By Night (8:44)
04 L=Sd^2 (6:33)
05 S.O.L. 93 (5:02)
06 Star Jumper (5:41)
07 Western Lands (5:46)
08 Close Your Eyes (Forget The World) (9:29)
1994 - Out There Somewhere
01 Elevator (6:15)
02 Diesel Spaceship (5:12)
03 First Light (6:11)
04 Guidance Is Internal (7:56)
05 Out There Somewhere (10:08)
06 From Time (15:08)
07 (Eternal Guidance (6:40)
if you want further proof of what this album is like then just open this page for another excited beings comments :o)
http://www.progressiverockradio.com/modules/myReviews/
Guidance Is Internal:
Wow! This is teriffic stuff. A Fantastic post here zaxxon! Thanks lots :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this one !
ReplyDeleteI had only "Out There Somewhere" @320...
But not anymore...
I have the original first edition (single CD) of this one... bought via mailorder - space rock at it's best !!! Influences from HAWKWIND and progressive acts like ELOY, PINK FLOYD as well ;-) cool post...will download the additional tracks later...thanks in advance... cheers !!!
ReplyDeletegreat music, thank you so much
ReplyDeleteYeah, very much like Hydria Spacefolk, as promised. Good stuff, as usual!
ReplyDeleteDave K.
Happy to please. I see that part of this was re-released as Let's Get This Mother Outta Here along with a Video of L=Sd^2. I dont think that is on my original CDs. Will check - but I think an album I have played so often, I would have sussed by now.
ReplyDeleteA bit of trivia... one of the 2 keyboard players Les Smith went on to play in the band Cradle Of Filth (Dont ask me how he descended there though).
Damian Clarke was the other keyboard player - I dont know too much of his subsequential career and Andy Banks was the guitarist with Mick Reed on drums, and last but not least the anonymous Sputnik on bass.
If anyone gets the video with a link - that would be nice.
WHOA! This is totally out there and space-rock essential goodness!
ReplyDeleteMy cup of tea! Thanks for tipping us off to this one.
For 24/7 killer mp3 radio jams of jazz rock and prog fusion tune in here: JazzRock-Radio.com
~ JazzFusionGuy for jazz-rock world domination . . .
A modern space-rock, a neo-prog version of Hawkwind, Eloy, jade Warrior and others. Very climatic and involving on certain parts. Itr´s no a materspiece, but highly recommended for those that have prejudice with neo-prog
ReplyDelete"Damian Clarke was the other keyboard player - I dont know too much of his subsequential career and Andy Banks was the guitarist with Mick Reed on drums, and last but not least the anonymous Sputnik on bass."
ReplyDeleteMick Reed went on to form the Nine Invisibles, who have at least two extremely awesome albums.