Sagittarius - Present Tense

1968

Columbia 9644

Track List:

Another Time, Song To The Magic Frog (Will You Ever Know), You Know I've Found A Way, The Keeper Of The Games, Glass, Would You Like To Go, My World Fell Down, Hotel Indiscreet, I'm Not Living Here, Musty Dusty, The Truth Is Not Real. CD Bonus Tracks: Artificial Light, (Of All The Living Lies), Get The Message, Mass 586, Love's Fatal Way, My World Fell Down, Hotel Indiscreet, Lonely Girk, The Keeper Of The Games, Sister Marie.

Review:

This one of those albums which truly deserve words like stunning, beautiful, and classic. Imagine a cross between Forever Changes and Pet Sounds, with a dash of Sergeant Pepper thrown in. The overall feel is psychedelic, though in a lightweight, baroque, poppy style rather an acid-fuelled, mind-bending, over the top kind of way.

Produced by Gary Usher at about the same time he was producing the Byrds' 'Younger Than Yesterday' it has the same tone of pop-cum-psychedelia. It featured the angelic voice of Curt Boettcher, formerly of The Association ('Along Comes Mary' and 'Cherish'), some of his former band associates and some of Usher's associates, like Bruce Johnston, Glen Campbell (not the Misunderstood one!), and Terry Melcher. Curt's voice and production expertise are what makes this album really shine, though. He also wrote pure, simple songs, mostly romantic ballads, embellished with harp (the stringed variety), harpsichord, vocal harmonies, sitars, tambourines and the occasional mellotron

The sentiments are of nostalgia, wistfulness, and romance. 'My World Fell Down' has the strongest Beach Boys influence, and memorable hook lines. It was released as a single and only managed a lowly 70 in the U.S. charts, which is hard to understand considering its brilliance. 'Musty Dusty' is so nostalgic that its joint composer, Tandyn Almer (with Boettcher) was reputedly in tears as he wrote it. 'The Keeper of the Games' sounds like something Bryan Maclean might have included on Forever Changes. 'The Truth Is Not Real,' featuring Usher's vocals with heavy phasing, is another one with deep, metaphysical lyrics and a melody reminiscent of George Harrison's 'Blue Jay Way'.

On the CD reissue (on Sundazed) you get alternate takes and demos, but also some unwelcome intrusions from the Firesign Theatre, a bunch of not-too-clever satirical comics. They are not enough to spoil an otherwise magical album, though.

Reviewed by DoctorDark

Santana - Santana

1969

C.B.S (cbs 63015)

Track List :

Waiting, evil ways, Shades of time, Savor, Jin-go-la-ba, Persuasion, Treat, You just don't care, Soul sacrifice.

****Submit a review?****

Santana - Abraxas

1970

C.B.S (cbs 64087)

Track List :

Singing winds-crying beasts, Black magic woman - Gypsy queen, Oyo como va, Incident at Neshabur, Se a cabo, Mother's daughter, Samba pa ti, Hope your feeling better, El Nicoya.

****Submit a review?****

The Satellite Circle - S/T

2001

Rage Of Achilles iliado 14

Track List :

You Were Never The King, Remedy, Black Mountainside, Slow Descent, The Thin White Line Between Happiness And Sanity, Simplicity,  The Beginning Of The End Of The World, Need To Keep This To Myself, The Beginning Of The End Of The World Part 2.

Review:

Satellite Circle were formed in 1997 by guitarist Jonas Nordin, Drummer / vocalist Jonas Ericson, and bassist Fredrik Holmgren who all originate from Sweden and show their love for 70's style rock. They play deep thundering guitars in Sabbath, Mountain style but have also been likened to Sir Lord Baltimore not only for musical influences but by the fact that the drummer and vocalist are one, which is just way cool.
  Jonas Ericson sings with melodic anger and beats his drums with tree trunks, fused tightly with Jonas Nordins adrenaline guitars and Fredrik Holmgren' deep gut churning bass, together has the musical intensity of an anti-aircraft gun. Yet for a band that rocks hard they play superb eastern style psych as in the hypnotic "Black mountain side", and the equally sublime  "The beginning of the end of the world", which goes to show the bands capabilities of musical diversity and reinforces that this album is not just another tear your head off & piss down your neck affair. Still when all said and done this is a predominately heavy rock, stoner rock, psychedelic metal whatever you want to call it personally, it is what it is and it is a fine hard hitting album.
Get refreshed!!.
 
Reviewed by Sir Eel - February 2002

Saturnia - The Glitter Odd   ** Download Samples HERE **

2001

Cranium CRM 006

Track List :

Chrysalis, Bliss, Still Life, A Trick Of The Light, Azimuth/Menadl, Organo, Borealis, The Glitter Odd.

Review:

Saturnia are from Portugal and the band comprises of Luis Simões and Francisco Rebelo. This album is a strange but pleasant experience with a nice surprise in store for the listener in the shape of an interesting take on Digital Recording.
Self-confessed vinyl junkie and Audiophile Luis Simões came up with the wonderful concept of making a CD sound like a piece of vinyl.....yes, you did read that right!! The album opens with the sound of a tone arm gently dropping onto a 'record' complete with authentic crackle. Throughout the album between tracks is an authentic vinyl crackle and the CD ends with the
'tone arm' running off at the end, lifting from the 'record' and returning to to its rest...how cool is that? The packaging too is very cool, the CD looks like a mini vinyl record, underneath which you will find a slipmat and on the left of the turntable is a tone arm which shows through the closed case like clear record deck lid!!!. The front cover artwork is of Luis Simões 28" Paiste Symphonic Gong.
The treat does not stop here as musically there is a fantastic array of instruments played here by the talented duo:
Gibson Explorer, National Lap Steel, Epiphone and Les Paul Guitars, Electric and acoustic sitars, nº1 Electronics Theremin, Paiste 28" Symphonic Gong, Jazz Bass, Chimes, Castanets Phase Shifter, Digital Pitch Shifter, a host of guitar effects such as Whammy, Cry-baby and Wha-Wha, Organs, Synthesisers, Vintage Keys and a host of computer effects.
Saturnia's roots lie in 1960's psychedelia and Progressive Rock and also with modern dance music and this strange marriage of genres forms the basis for The Glitter Odd. On paper you would most likely dismiss this concept as being 'unlikely to succeed' but in truth its the exact opposite. The opening track 'Chrysalis' is Piper At The Gates Of Dawn/Saucerful Of Secrets Floyd, meets 90's dance beats and sets the scene for a wonderfully ambient and relaxed album from this extremely versatile band.
The Glitter Odd is a very clever blend of classic British Psychedelia, spacey ambient vibes and 70's prog flavoured organ that grows on you with each and every playing with the tempo shifting lazily between 'horizontal 4 O'clock in the morning waves of blissed out chill sounds' (A Trick Of The Light) to funky Farfisa dub beats laced with Theremin (Organo) and back again.
In case you are wondering, the wonderfully trippy title track is my personal favourite (no surprise there!!).
This refreshingly different album will appeal to fans of organ led 70's Prog, Ozric Tentacles, Nodens Ictus and early Floyd.

To purchase this excellent CD please follow this linK:
http://www.cranium.co.nz/catalog/A_1748.htm

Reviewed by pOoTer

The Scientists - Heading For A Trauma

1986

Au-Go-Go

Track List :

Swampland, The wall, Fire escape, Raver, Clear spot, Happy hour, We had love, Temple of love, Murderess in a purple dress, Psycho cook supreme, Demolition derby

Review:

For the uninitiated The Scientists were Australia’s best kept secret and by far the best band to ever escape those distant shores and infect the world with low down real gone rock ‘n’ roll. The purists will yell “This isn’t psychedelia”........but hey......do I care?
Words escape me to describe the Scientists sound, their obvious influences are The Stooges, The Birthday Party, The Cramps, the MC5 and something radioactive that just crawled out of a swamp. Suffice to say that this is spaced out grunged up slime dripping rock ‘n’ roll that would scare your parents to death, I will not actually review this, but instead quote from a press review of a 1985 gig that I was present at:
‘The Scientists once aimed to form a shaky wall of white-boy crucifixion blues; tonight they bulldozed it down with a menacing relish and replaced it with a monolith of white noise. They were totally out of control, stampeding through a set with boot-bruising force, guitars cutting a big gushing slit of passionate noise, drums pumping a lusting pelvis into the heart of noise disorder and ejaculating the phlegm of sex into the steamy air of desire.
It was fast, wild, savage, disgusting - in fact everything rock ‘n’ roll should be.’
Kim Salmon is God?

Reviewed by pOoTer

The Scientists - Atom Bomb Baby

1985

Au-Go-Go ANDA 37

Track List:

Travis, Leadfoot, Bad priest, It came from out of the sky, Hell beach, Go baby go, Atom bomb baby.

Review:

Another slab of swamp infested glory from Australia’s finest in this mini album on Au-Go-Go records. The menacing throb of the Taxi Driver inspired Travis opens this classic piece of Scientists fare, divebombing into Leadfoot and Bad Priest before jolting into the 50’s monster movie tale It Came From Out Of The Sky that see’s the Scientists fuelled up on nitro and throbbing guitars.

Reviewed by pOoTer

The Scientists - This Heart Doesn’t Run on Blood, This Heart Doesn’t Run On Love

1986

Au-Go-Go ANDA 32

Track List:

Nitro, Solid gold hell, I cried no tears, Crazy heart, This life of yours.

****Submit a review?****

Tracks - Web Of Sound:
Mr Farmer, Pictures & Designs, Tripmaker, I Tell Myself, A Faded Picture, Rollin' Machine,
Just Let Go, Up In Her Room

The Seeds - Master Recordings

1977

Sonet

Track List :

****Submit a review?****

The Seeds - Future

1967

GNP Crescendo 2038

Track List :

Introduction, March Of The Flower Children, Travel With Your Mind, Out Of The Question, Painted Doll, Flower Lady & Her Assistant, Now A Man, A Thousand Shadows, Two Fingers Pointing At You, Where Is The Entrance Way To Play, Six Dreams, Fallin’.

****Submit a review?****

The Seeds - Web Of Sound

1968

Music Box SMB 136

Track List:

Mr. Farmer, Pictures And Designs, Tripmaker, I Tell Myself, A Faded Picture, Rollin’ Machine, Just Let Go, Up In Her Room

****Submit a review?****

Greg Segal - Always Look On The Dark Side Of Life    ** Download Samples HERE **

2001

Phantom Airship Records PARGS01

Track List:

As The sky Turns To Fire, Cold Sky, Night Circus ((Pt 2),), Introduction, If I Die Tomorrow, So Far, King Of Illusion (Edit), A Man Who Was Here, Discharge (Edit), Nothing In The Dark (That’s Note Here In The Light), The Taker, I Was Back In School Again, Honour, Motifs, The Time To Be, Demolished, What Gives You The Right.

Review:

Always Look On The Dark Side Of Life comprises of selected recordings that cover a nine year period, 1984-1993. The original format was a series of home produced cassette tapes that were distributed around the US and from these tapes this CD was produced.
The overall feel to Greg’s music is one of darkness and foreboding events, with much of the inspiration taken from dreams and this gives the music a wonderfully Gothic edge.
The style is dark guitar based heavy psych with occasional use of keyboards and the songs are wonderfully haunting and evocative. To be totally honest this CD got way more than our usual ‘10 plays for review purposes’ with me carrying it round in my truck, playing it on the CD Walkman at home and work and it being almost a permanent feature on the Pooterland HQ CD player for many weeks.
If I am forced to draw comparisons (and there aren’t many) then I guess there are elements of heavier Cream (particularly in the vocal style), Terry Brooks & Strange and even possibly a little Jethro Tull creeping in here and there.

Overall a thoroughly enjoyable and original journey that encompasses the end of the world, evil spirits, strange worlds and the Dark Side Of Life......

For more info on Greg Segal check out this website: http://www.gregsegal.com
or drop him an email: gregsegal@gregsegal.com

Reviewed by pOoTer - November 2001

Greg Segal - In Search Of The Fantastic

2002

Phantom Airship PARGS02

Track List:

Alone, Looking For Paradise, Nad, Sahara 1909, Congruence Asserts Its Presence, Madstone, Returns, Snallygaster, The Deros Discover King Solomon's Mines, Sanctuary.

Review:

Greg Segal is a favourite of ours here at Pooterland and we dig his previous solo work along with the ambitious Jugalbandi project of Greg and rocketeer percussionist extrordinaire Hyam Sosnow, so receiving this we kind of thought we knew what were expecting...er.....WRONG!!!.
The accompanying letter from Greg said not much more than 'Expect the unexpected' and damn he was right there!!.
Opening with some excellent gothic poetry courtesy of the master of the macabre himself, Edgar Allen Poe we immediately knew this was a different bag indeed!!.
What follows this foreboding prose and steps forward out of the shadows with an evil gait and fetid breath is a monumental album containing dark and menacing psychedelia of a kind never thought possible.
Not a man known to pass on a guitar effect, Greg uses his skill (and monstrous effects rig) to the max and creates a doomy soundscape that is the very essence of darkness and it is this that envelops you for the next 19 tracks as we are sucked into the dark, fantastic world of Greg Segal.
On the whole the album feels like a journey across the world under cover of darkness as elements of music from lands far away dance into view and then vanish suddenly into the shadows as some giant omnipotent force lumbers across our path.
Long, shadowy, mainly instrumental effects laden passages are the fare here as we are buffeted along by the product of Segal's dark macabre mind, down narrow dimly lit alleys, through misty graveyards in the dead of night and deep amongst the slimy black weeds in dark phantasmagorial lakes.
A brief respite in the form of a Stooges-esque throb The Bad Ass Ride and we are whipped away again into the shadows for the remainder of the ride.

Gothic and baroque psychedelia for the next millennium...

The question is, could you survive the entire album if you were Mic'd up on your favourite brand of blotter? We reckon you would have to be a hardened 'traveller' to escape unscathed, either that or we just have rather supple cerebrums these days ;-P

Reviewers Tale:
My son came down one breakfast time and saw the Sony Discman laying on the kitchen table where it had been left the night before, he gestured toward me with the headphones so I said "Sure, go right ahead"
His eyes lit up as he cautiously slid the headphones over his head gauging my response, I just stared right back at him, expressionless and waited him to click 'Play'. He jumped suddenly as I had left the volume in my favourite position (No.11) and as the Edgar Allen Poe piece started he flashed me a grin and said simply "Cool".
Having never heard anything quite like this before (he is 10) he stood there transfixed by the ghoulish poetry for the next minute or so and then suddenly his face screwed up like he had just bitten into a fresh lemon, at the same time he is tearing the headphones off his head and shouting "Cor, he's not very good at the violin is he?"....

Reviewed by pOoTer - July 2002

Shadows of Knight - Gloria

1966

Dunwich (sd 666)

Track List:

Gloria, Light bulb blues, I got my mojo working, Dark side, Let it rock, Oh yeah, It always happens that way, You can't judge a book (by looking at the cover), I just want to make love to you, Bad little woman, Gospel zone, Hey Joe, I'll make you sorry, Peepin' and hidin', Tomorrow's going to be another day, Spoonful.

****Submit a review?****

Shadows of Knight - Back Door Men

1967

Dunwich (sd 667)

Track List:

Bad little women, Gospel zone, The behemoth, Three for love, Hey Joe, I'll make you sorry, Peepin' and hidin', Tomorrow's going to be another day, New York bullseye, High blood pressure, spoonful.

****Submit a review?****

Shiva's Headband - Take Me To The Mountains

1970

Capitol (st 538)

Track List:

My baby, Take me to the mountains, Homesick armadillo blues, Ripple, Song for peace, Ebeneezer, North Austin strut, Come with me, Good time, Kaleidoscoptic.

Review:

Take Me To The Mountains was one of the best albums of 1970, which was a very good year, the drugs were relatively pure and they had not yet destroyed our best minds, yet.
That was to follow, not precede, Allan Ginsberg's proclamation notwithstanding.

I was a rock critic then, and also an employee of Capitol Records. No conflict of interest there, let's just put that cavilling to rest. There never is a conflict between money over there and opinion over here, as long as the opinion has a little integrity.

SHB swung through town with a typically Texas swagger, a cross between Doug Sahm and Lyndon Johnson. They had this nasty Austin superiority, which both made the music special and caused the Zen Buddhists of the day to cringe.
The chick (ok word in those days) singer was lusty, the violin crunched the sky like the album cover illustration; the organ a little strange in a rock band, but powerful and eerie. The sound was nice, folk rock that I favored, like the Mamas and Papas or Grateful Dead.
I hear it today and it still sounds good. That goes for all three. What doesn't go for all three is this: SHB's lyrics were really honest and good and hold up today and aren't sappy.

Eventually, the SHB played the Fillmore stage for its fifteen minutes of fame. After that they disappeared. I heard they went back to Austin.

R.I.P. Shiva's and all my other favorite "one album" bands: 13th Floor Elevators, Dave Ray at Paxton Lodge, John Koerner (same place) Blue Velvets and Sea Train. 

Reviewed by Virginia Hanley

[sh-man-tra] - Cornucopia    ** Download Samples HERE **

1998

Cranium CRM003

Track List:

Recurring nocturnal habit, Shipwreckers, Guinii, Spawn Of Tamagotchi, Reprise of the infernal machine, Sextent dawn, Paraphernalia, Archimedes bath, Epoch.

Review:

sh-man-tra are many things, which will appeal to some and most likely confuse others.....
In many ways they are undefinable in their shape shifting style which drifts seamlessly through Avant Garde, Jazz Fusion, haunting Psychedelia and Progressive Rock, injected periodically with sudden slabs of big riffs and this is all thrown together to build the dark and surreal world that is Cornucopia.
The cover shows a post-apocalyptic alternate reality, populated by legions of marching androids(?) broadcasting some sinister message.  Cornucopia can be seen as a dark journey through a maleovolant  hallucinatory universe, the songs are rich and varied with very little vocals. Spawn Of Tamagotchi and Epoch are our two faves with some fine heavy psych guitar that is fighting to get out, but instead is cleverly kept at bay to good effect.
An eclectic and very fine album that is both inspiring and HIGHLY original.
To buy this CD follow the link below:
http://www.cranium.co.nz/catalog/A_1038.htm

Reviewed by pOoTer

sh'mantra - Formula Orange

2000

SCD02 (Independant Release)

Track List:

CD one: Kiutl, Robots on The Beach, Pit and the Pendulum, 74.40s 167.20e 04:46:18, Sweat Of The Sun-Tears Of The Moon, Sunburst On The Cayman Trench,
Absence_substance_quantity_quality_relation_action_affection_position_time_location_cond ition_place and state_presence.
CD two: Recurring Nocturnal Habit II, Inanimate Articulate, tws.

Review:

This is one release we have been eagerly awaiting after being more than impressed by sh-mantra's debut release Cornucopia on New Zealand's Cranium Music label. I believe there have since been some personnel changes in the band and as a result Alex Hole has been able to take the band down a much more psychedelic/experimental route than on Cornucopia. Couple this with the fact that sh-mantra have released this independantly, giving them the advantage of 'spreading out' over two CD's this almost couldn't fail!
Side A (CD One) starts with the omnipotent and mysterious 'Kiutl' with it's Close Encounters synth 'scale' that laps at you gently and beguilingly until around 5:17 when things start to heat up with sinister effects laden guitar and synth kicking in. The darkness creeps in and from the shadows emerges a monstrous, white hot space rock riff complete with hammering
bass/drums before it takes a dive to a peaceful plateau with soft vocals.
'Robots On The Beach' is more of a gentler song that terminates with a gargantuan metal riff overlayed with synthesiser madness. 'Pit And The Pendulum' is more sh-mantra of old, an excellent prog rock style opus with deranged lyrics and haunting keyboards building up to a peak, topping out at 9:96. The curiously titled '74.40s 167.20e 04:46:18'(??) is a wonderful ambient voyage of epic proportions that takes you out into the dark corners of space and monkeys with your senses and for full effect should be listened to in a darkend room at full
volume (we insist!!)........it will thrill you and scare you simultaneously. 'Sweat Of The Sun-Tears Of The Moon's' 3:57 of mesmerising acoustic guitar reminds me of late period Bauhuaus or even Jethro Tull and unfortunately ends all too soon.
Just when you though it was safe to go back in the water, things are taken up a few levels with the evocative and menacing 'Sunburst On The Cayman Trench' a moody drum lead track laced with samples that spirals lazily upwards before being met by a blistering slice of distorted guitar and frenzied synth attacks.
You fall washed-up and depleted to the floor in a crumpled heap but are slapped into life by splintered shards of guitar and a spine-chilling keyboard lick carries you out into the ether for a 17 minute white knuckle rollercoaster ride in the farthest depths of deepest space, out here no one can hear you scream........Look no further for your daily dose of blistering psychedelia than
'Absence_substance_quantity_quality_relation_action_affection_position_time_location_con dition_place and state_presence'

Now peel yourself off the wall and reach for the second CD...........

Side B (CD Two)'Recurring Nocturnal Habit II' revisits the opening track on Cornucopia, sh'mantra's debut release (Cranium CRM003) it opens with an almost Floyd-like intro developing into a hypnotic piano led mantra. This serves as a warm up for what is to come, starting with 'Inanimate Articulate' with its unusual time signatures, Avant-Garde/Jazz drumming that has
touches of Van Der Graaf Generator. A rising wall of impenetrable feedback announces the arrrival of 'tws', a truly epic (24:47) and giant slice of flawless brilliance.

This double CD album is an absolute masterpiece of sheer self-indulgence and is quite possibly one of the best albums we have heard so far this year. Formula Orange is a rich, dark and complex tapestry of sound that shouldn't be entered into lightly, but for the Intrepid Traveller who is prepared to go the distance the reward is most satisfying.
There simply is not enough music of this quality and depth being produced today anywhere on the planet and for those of you who fancy something exciting and powerful we recommend entering into the profound world of sh'mantra.
 
Contact sh'mantra direct at contact@shmantra.com or shmantra@hotmail.com, alternatively visit their website www.shmantra.com where you can purchase this CD.
If you prefer phone, they are in Australia on 0401 051 419.
Please mention Pooterland when contacting them.

Reviewed by pOoTer

Silver Apples - Silver Apples

1968

Kapp KS 3562

Track List:

Oscillations, Dancing gods, Dust, Program, Velvet cave, Whirly-bird, Misty mountain, Lovefingers, Seagreen serenades.

****Submit a review?****

Silver Apples - Contact

1969

Kapp KS 3584

Track List:

You and I, Water, Ruby, Gypsy love, You’re not foolin’ me, I have known love, A pox on you, Confusion, Fantasies.

****Submit a review?****

Sky Saxon - New Fruit From Old Seeds Volume 1

1983

Archive International Productions AIP 10009

Track List:

Go ahead and cry, They say, They say, Darling I swear that it’s true, Do the swim, Trouble with my baby, A thousand shadows (live), Bad part of town, Love in a summer basket, Did he die, Wish me up, Shuckin’ and jivin’, You took me by surprise.

****Submit a review?****

The Standells - Dirty Water

1968

Eva

Track List :

Dirty Water, Little Sally Tease, Black Is Black, Barracuda, Animal Girl, St. James Infirmary, Try It, Summer In The City, Why Did You Hurt Me, Rari, Paint It Black, Medication, Why Pick On Me, Sunny Afternoon, Mr. Nobody, Wild Thing.

****Submit a review?****

The Standells - Why Pick On Me-Sometimes Good Guys Don’t Wear White

1966

Tower ST 5044

Track List:

Why pick on me, Paint it black, Mi hai fatto innamorate, I hate to leave, Black hearted woman, Sometimes good guy’s don’t wear white, Girl and the moon, Looking at tomorrow, Mr. Nobody, My little red book, Mailine, Have you ever spent the night in jail.

****Submit a review?****

Strange - Translucent World

1973

Outer Galaxie TW1000

Track List :

Ruler of the Universe, The Kiss of a Butterfly, Lost,

Review:

Get out your dictionary and look up Heavy Psychedelia and it will say:
‘Uncompromising, unrelenting extreme terrifying unstoppable force produced by Terry Brooks and Strange’. Strap yourself in and be prepared to get slapped around the face by your neural ganglion the devil is in town and he is packing a lethal dose of psychedelics.
For those who like their psych loud and bad, look no further, you are looking at the definitive article.

Reviewed by pOoTer

Strange - Raw Power

1976

Outer Galaxie OG 1001

Track List :

Love Me, Fields and Fields of People, Are You My Friend, To The Far Side of Time, Life Jam

Review:

More gargantuanly heavy psych from the maestro himself Terry Brooks, a slightly more tuneful excursion than Translucent World and not quite so terrifying, this album is packed with Strange’s unique form of heavy psychedelia. This is psych like you have never heard before and is both beautiful and haunting on one hand and deeply malevolant on the other. Haunting lyrics and blistering guitar make this a must have for the discerning heavy psych fan. Not that covers are always a good benchmark of whats inside the package, but this time the sleeve says it all........

Reviewed by pOoTer

Sky Sunlight Saxon - Starry Ride

1984

Psycho 29

Track List :

Starry Ride, I'm inlove with Life, Drums stars & Guitars, 24 Hour rocker.

****Submit a review?****

Sky Sunlight Saxon and Fire Wall- Destinys Children

1984

PVC 6912

Track List :

Starving for your love, Burning down the walls of the city, Spirit of the sixties, Love dog, House of mine, Sha la la la its a groovy thing, Over reaction/Hollywood Blvd (medley).

****Submit a review?****

The Soft Boys - Underwater Moonlight

1986

Living Cream

Track List:

I Wanna Destroy You, Kingdom Of Love, Positive Vibrations, I Got The Job, Insanely Jealous, Tonight, You’ll Have To Go Sideways, Old Pervert, The Queens Of Eyes, Underwater Moonlight.

****Submit a review?****

Soft Machine - The Soft Machine

1968

Probe CPLP 4500

Track List:

Hope for happiness, Joy of a toy, Hope for happiness (reprise), Why am I so short?, So boot if at all, A certain kind, Save yourself, Priscilla, Lullabye letter, We did it again, Plus belle qu’une poubelle, why are we sleeping, Bos 25-4 LID.

Review:

If you were rifling through the LP covers in a record shop in the late 60’s, this one would surely have caught your eye. It had cardoard cutout rotatey bits and a fine picture of a tattooed lady with no clothes on.
There were also pictures of the band and sleeve notes but we needn’t dwell on that, need we? In those days we didn’t know that members Daevid Allen, Kevin Ayers and Robert Wyatt would go on to become leading lights of British psychedelic and progressive rock. We just bought the album
for the sexy picture. Such is hindsight. Having got it home and avoided the critical gaze of parents, we slip it on the turntable and discover we have bought a jazz album by mistake. At
least that’s what the first two minutes or so tell us. But then it all breaks down into the wah-wah bass guitar with echoey drums solo that is “Joy of a Toy” and we think ‘hey, this is a bit odd.’ We have Kevin Ayers to thank for that one.
After a reprise of the first track we are treated to an account of Robert Wyatt’s eccentric lifestyle, which drifts into echoey justification of why he is in the band, namely he is an ace drummer! Ratledge and Ayers pour in their ideas on bass and keyboards. Sounds float around from one speaker to another in the best stereo separation of any album you’re likely to hear. Then we hear Robert Wyatt’s superb, emotional, sad, glorious ballad, “A Certain Kind.” This is probably the best of all the love songs of the Canterbury romantic genre. The whole album is worth getting for this and is a good pointer in the direction of Robert’s many solo works.
Side 2 opens with the rockier “Save Yourself,” followed by “Priscilla” and “Lullabye Letter,” all of which are up-tempo jazzy-rocky songs.
Halfway through “Lullabye Letter,” Mike Ratledge unleashes a devastating solo on his Lowrey organ, which sets the scene for the next half a dozen Soft Machine albums. Then we are into the totally hypnotic “We Did It Again.” This consists of Ayers repeating the song title over and over
and over and over…. again. Ayers dominates with the next track, “Why Are We Sleeping,” his baritone voice intoning coolly about his favourite nightclub milieu and its analogy to life, reality and illusion.
In restrospect this album displays the electrifying but one-dimensional genius of Mike Ratledge, is a superb departure point for Kevin Ayers and introduces us to the talents of Robert Wyatt, a magnificent drummer and vocalist who has entertained us with his genius for many years.

Reviewed by DoctorDark

Soft Machine - Vol. 2

1969

Probe SPB 1002

Track List:

Pataphysical introduction (part 1), A concise British alphabet (part 1), Hibou, Anamone and bear, A concise British alphabet (part 2), Hulloder, Dada was here, Thank you Pierrot Lunaire, Have you ever been green?, Pataphysical introduction (part II), Out of tunes, As long as he lies perfectly still, Dedicated to you but you weren’t listening, Fire engine passing with bells clanging, Pig, Orange skin food, A door opens and closes, 10:30 returns to the bedroom.

Review:

After their USA tour with Jimi Hendrix, the ban d return to England and disbanded, Kevin Ayers felt tired of rock'n'roll way of life and decided to take a time at Deya, Ratlege and Wyatt with a new LP contract in their hands, decided to call Hugh Hopper, a friend of old Canterbury days to play the bass. With the addition of brother Brian Hopper on sax (not as a permanent member) they get into the studio to create a better sound and quality album, more jazzy than pop, more experimental than vocal, it has a brilliant beginning with the suite of side 1 (as it was conceived in the vinyl) pataphysical introduction".
Hibou anemone and bear with great and consistent instrumental passages, they fly through space with the organ-drum playing and the solid bass touch (thanks Hugh), a good song Thank you Pierrot Lunaire with great vocals by Robert Wyatt.
Side 2 is more experimental and less ""punchiër" as side one but it was a big advance on Soft Machine's music, they don't know what future depares to them....

Reviewed by Alejandro Casado, Argentina - June 2002
alesscasado@yahoo.com.ar

Soft Machine - Third

1970

CBS 66246

Track List:

Facelift, Slightly all the time, Moon in June, Out-Bloody-Rageous.

****Submit a review?****

Track List:
Eamonn Andrews, Mousetrap, Noisette, Backwards, Mousetrap reprise, Hibou Anemone and Bear, Moon in June, 12/8 Theme, Esther Nosejob, We Did it Again.

Review:
Fantastic live show from Jan 4th 1970 that showcases the classic SM line up of Mike Ratledge (kbds), Hugh Hopper (bs), Robert Wyatt (dr, vox) and Elton Dean (sax) as well as Lyn Dobson (fl, sax, vox).
The band was in the transition from initial psychedelic group to a jazz-fusion combo and that shows in horns becoming prominent sound among distorted organs and fuzz bass as well as vocals becoming less prominent, there are occasional scats from Wyatt and Dobson.

The only song with proper vocals here is "Hibou Anemone and Bear" and even that is preceeded by lenghty jamming. Material here is from 1st three albums, plus a few songs that didn`t make its way to any SM studio album, "Eamonn Andrews", "Mousetrap", "12/8 Theme" (the last one appeared on one of Hugh Hopper`s solo albums).

The sound is intense and performance is really superb. The documented live show also has its reputation for providing one of the live versions of "Facelift" to the final edition on "Third", but sadly the unedited version is left out.
You can`t say that this band rocks, since this is rock only remotely, but Hugh Hopper was right when he said that Softs were a mean live band in late 60s and early 70s.

Submitted by Stereomouse - February 2004

Soft Machine - Fourth

1971

CBS 64280

Track List:

Teeth, Kings and Queens, Fletcher’s blemish, Virtually (parts 1-4).

Review:

Soft Machine's fourth album is the progression of things that the group shows in some songs of second and in all third, here the jazz form replace the space and psychedelic sounds of second album with the band as a quartet with some collaborations as future softs bassist Roy Babbington has a peak in the band's sound and musical direction for the next 2 albums. Without vocals but an excellent performance as drummer Robert Wyatt plays his last Soft Machine album, Hugh Hopper composed the excellent and "classic" Virtually suite, Mike Ratledge composed another excellent jazz theme "Teeth" and Elton Dean plays excellent solos in his own personal way, it means sometimes ""jazzy" sometimes "free" but everytime hoy.
Listen it with a cup of wine,a cool album to be enjoyed.

Reviewed by Alejandro Casado, Argentina - June 2002
alesscasado@yahoo.com.ar

Soft Machine - Fifth

1972

CBS 64806

Track List:

All white, Drop, Mc, As if, LBO, Pigling bland, Bone.

****Submit a review?****

Soft Machine - Six

1973

CBS

Track List:

Fanfare, All white, Between, Riff, 37 and a Half, Geseolveut, E.P.V, Lefty, Stumble, 5 From 13, Riff IIoft Wee, The Sd Factor, Stanley Stamps Gibbon Album, Chloe And The Pirates, 1983