Australian psych-master's 3rd album offers up a darker, more moody effort then their first 2 recordings. Sometimes it's difficult to follow a group with a career spanning over 40+ years, doubly so with a catalog as impressive as theirs. Fortunately enough for me, each record is fantastic. No matter where you stick your face in, you’ll be met with really great tunes. Light some candles and enjoy this one.
Towards the very end of the title track, Rollins screams so fucking hard that his voice almost resembles guitar feedback. Every time I hear that track it reminds me of the end of The Lawmower Man. There's strong evidence at the end of Damaged [see Damaged I] of the route the group would eventually take on this release. Apparently it caused a bit of a stir amongst the fanbase at the time, but fuck 'em, this record sounds great. Turn it up to full volume and scream along.
To be in the audience for this recording must have been most exciting. It features a lot of young, soon-to-be heavy hitters in the European Jazz scene. The group doesn't stray too far into total freak-outs, instead opting for tightly scheduled solos making it a very assessible listen. Overall, it's a pretty solid set and a great way to spend 48 minutes of your life. This is most pleasant at early evening, right as the sun begins to set. Put this on and take that trip. You've earned it.
My good friend James suggested I go back and 'revisit' the first 4-5 U2 albums, and naturally like any stoner nerd I looked the records up. My insatiable appetite for dumbass music knowledge led me to Dik Evans, and thus Virgin Prunes found their way into my ears. I honestly anticipated this record to be over the top bullshit noise, based on the cover alone, but fortunately these chaps had some chops and I was thoroughly pleased.
Presented here is a slow bubbling collection of ambient tracks, bordering on noise, madness, and sometimes uneasy feelings. It is so incredibly easy to get lost listening to this album, especially if you're sitting in your own living room. It's a deep listening experience to say the least. This revolving group of nerdy, mostly English chaps make some strange, sometimes dark ambient madness. Besides the music itself being pretty unconventional and hard to pigeonhole, their packaging for releases is also strange as well. Instead of standard printed cardstock/cardboard presentations, the group insist upon handcrafting original works of art on a smallish scale. Opting for using a variety of screen-printed materials, sometimes yarn or thread, dyed muslin and other fabrics, which I feel adds an evermore outsider aesthetic. Reissues opted for easier reproduction and more commercial friendly methods, which is cool too. Grab this, strap yourself into your favorite assgroove and blast off!
