Anteater's Top 30 Albums: * Free Booze inside *

Wow, you've been really productive lately. I've finally read through your thread and I must say I'm impressed with the diversity here! Also quite a few brilliant mentions here like Island, Pharoah Sanders and Caravan and then of course so much I don't know here .. I have a lot of your recommendations now in my collection and I don't think I ever got one I didn't like so I'm looking forward to checking this stuff out :) I can see I have a lot of work to do.

Also, kudos for great reviews! Of particular interest to me so far is that Genesis album. I'm surprised to see it mentioned here because I honestly haven't heard mention of it before (you know it's usually selling england and larab) so I'm very much looking forward to checking that one out.

Also looking forward to see what your top 3 are gonna be. Keep it up! :D
 
1.

Cromagnon – Orgasm (1968)​
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1. Caledonia (4:22)
2. Ritual Feast Of The Libido (3:26)
3. Organic Sundown (7:11)
4. Fantasy (7:20)
5. Crow Of The Black Tree (9:40)
6. Genitalia (2:46)
7. Toth, Scribe I (10:39)
8. First World of Bronze (2:48)
​

Ah...here at last. The final review. Numero Uno. The Gourishankar of my collection...yaddahyaddahyaddah. Never mind the jabber, this video can illustrate the awesomeness better than I can.

[YOUTUBE]rPiO_G-DEHs[/YOUTUBE]

*lets reactions sink in*

Scared yet? Interested maybe? For those who just watched this mindfuck, be aware that the above song was, unbelievably, released in 1968 and the opening track to the album you are about to read about.

Let's get on with the show!

Introduction:

Once upon a time and many years ago, in a magical decade where LSD was legal and love was free, there were two teen-pop producers, Austin Grasmere and Brian Elliot, who wanted to do something more with their lives than flood the radio with shit you could snap your fingers to. Hence, they met up Bernard Stollman, the legendary head of Godz and Sun-Ra distributing record label ESP-Disk, landed a production deal, recruited a mysterious band of demons from the depths of Hell known as The Connecticut Tribe, and working together birthed this disturbingly unreal release at the end of the age of Flower Power.

And thus, ladies and gents of rab, I am most happy to present to you the most fucked up and uncompromising slice of insanity to ever grace recorded form, a song lineup which in a mere forty minutes will absolutely rape and destroy any preconceptions you might have about what makes an album ahead of its time or not. For compared to this, Loud Reed's Metal Machine Music is small potatoes and Comus's First Utterance but merely an afterthought in a walk down Orgasm Lane.

Ultimately this is, quite simply, one of the most amazing albums one could own, for better or for worse. Whether you end up hating it, loving it, or give less than two craps about what I'm saying, everyone should nevertheless pick this up and shove it in some empty corner or their respective musical cesspools, especially if you're curious about the roots of early industrial and noise-rock music.

The Album:

1. Caledonia: Yep, this is the black metal/bagpipes industrial folk freakout you heard in my introduction video, hence I won't be reviewing it. People who study music history could spend their whole lives studying a track like this though, I'll say that much.


2. Ritual Feast Of The Libido: Poor guy, I think they're shoving his hand in a meat grinder. Three minutes of hell to your ears ftw!


3. Organic Sundown: If this doesn't give you nightmares, I don't think anything will. For seven minutes we are treated to some disturbing early variety of pagan psych-folk from some dark corner of eternity where human bones become drumsticks under moonlight and the dead crawl up from the sea to dance along the starlit shore. Pretty damn amazing if I do say so myself!


4. Fantasy: Hey look everybody, The Beach Boys are in town! Oh wait...they're dead. And what's with that rotting woman laughing in the corner of the room? Who's screaming? Why is the clock ticking so menacingly with the sound of sirens? Most importantly of all though...why am I so damn scared?


5. Crow Of The Black Tree: Folksy and almost idyllically psychedelic by these guys standarRAB, this is a fantastic acoustic onslaught featuring Residents-esque call-and-response, and over the course of 9 minutes repetitively yet surely grinRAB itself to an incomprehensible nothing.


6. Genitalia: Pop music from the depths of Gehenna and beyond. If you haven't crossed over to being awestruck yet, I think this track will do it.


7. Toth, Scribe 1: 10 minutes of...arabient black metal? In 1968?? Holy fucking shit!!!!!!!!!


8. First World Of Bronze: A relatively normal song after all the mindraping the last seven tracks have given us. Hendrixean guitar shreRAB itself to oblivion as our two pop stars and The Connecticut Tribe sing into a rurabling stupor that fades off into a brief, yet wordless feedback.

. . . O.O!


Conclusion:

Screwed up beyond reason and perhaps thankfully obscure, Cromagnon's Orgasm is just one of those things you run across by reputation that you simply have to hear to believe. Even if it eschews anything and everything that makes most music enjoyable to listen to, the fact that it was doing so over half a decade before anyone else is certainly worthy of recognition.

And thus, even if you don't feel the need to obtain ANYTHING else that I have reviewed in this thread up til this point, get this. By understanding the nightmares of the past, you'll appreciate your own favorite music better, and perhaps even see it in new light as a result.

In conclusion: long days, pleasant nights, and thanks for reading! :D
 
I totally guessed your nuraber one in here would be some obscure 1960's mindfuck. A really great thread Anteater, just bursting with obscure and talented artists, may it be kept throughout all rab history for the committed merabers of future generations. Pretty much every artist on here made my to-get list, and I'm thankful for all the energy put into this as it's really given some great names. Your thread gets an A- from me.

The minus is because you never gave out the booze!
 
I am listening to Island's Pictures right now and I take back what I said about the production. There is nothing wrong with it, it's on par with most 70s prog. I'm liking this more than previous listens.
 
7.

Herbie Hancock - Maiden Voyage (1965)​
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1. Maiden Voyage (7:53)
2. The Eye of the Hurricane (5:57)
3. Little One (8:43)
4. Survival of the Fittest (9:59)
5. Dolphin Dance (9:16)
​


Introduction:

Heading out on a ship at dawn, the sea sparkles in a silent way, nothing more than a wet calm around you in the wake of the rising sun. Perhaps there's a sense of anticipation in reaching the eventual destination, but the time you spend looking out upon the water can seem, in many ways, a memory that you will look back upon with fondness and perhaps the tiniest bit of longing...

Well, that's merely one sort of feeling I get when I pop in this modal classic from the mid 60's, released by everyone's favorite Cock in a rather good year for jazz, though Coltrane's A Love Supreme surely overshadowed this album at the time of its release. Regardless of how much more important or beloved other releases of the classic jazz decade(s) are though, I always end up coming to the conclusion that this is among the most awesome releases above them all. Hell, it's perhaps my favorite jazz record of all time when all is said and done, and that in and of itself is a tall order considering how much I collect.

But why is this my favorite? Well one one hand, I love the general, sorta spacious atmopshere; the mood is very laid back, authentic, tranquill and features piano sometimes prominently even when I normally hate it (see Thelonius Monk). The sax is rarely harsh, the drumming quiet oftentimes, and all in all it is simply unlike the majority of hard-bop releases. It stanRAB out sharply in a year where nearly everyone was beginning to experiment with jazziness in some way or another.

On the other hand, I find the tidal-esque instrumentals and song titles compelling in a way that's a bit iffy to discern in worRAB. For me I guess, Maiden Voyage feels like a really cool concept album without being one in name. The motifs flow like water and continually come back to one another through the five tracks. The whole package is, in a word, fantastic.

Here are my impressions of each piece:

The Album:

1. Maiden Voyage: Piano, drums coupled with some very chill and memorable trumpet work kicks this record off on a high note, with more emphasis given to the trumpet as the atmosphere reels you down into the sea. Sax peeks in every so often, providing a nice touch, and the piano near the end is wonderfully fragile. Conclusion: its a jazz staple for a reason!. :D


2. The Eye Of The Hurricane: The most swingin' track of the five and noticeably nirable. Trumpet is strong here, but the crazy sax work that comes up after the two minute mark and beyond is where its at. Drums aren't full blown but noticeably a bit higher in the mix. Great piece from start to stop!


3. Little One: A drumroll echoes from a distant place as sax and trumpet entwine with a definite melancholy edge. The two take turns over the next few minutes as the drum comes back into audible range. A little around halfway the piano quietly takes first seat, leading off until the interplay comes back, making the track a full circle. Not too bad at all!

4. Survival Of The Fittest: Longest track. We're led off at the beginning with drumming thats a bit more energetic and heavy than we've heard so far. Piano is erratic, trumpet marches and twitters and sounRAB frankly fun whenever its around. Overall this is a fairly frantic and tense affair, but that's why it's awesome!


5. Dolphin Dance: And we now return to a track very much in the vein of the opening track, except perhaps a bit less introspective and more hopeful in tone. If there's a better closer for a work like this one, I certainly can't think of it, haha.

Conclusion:

The ship has sailed, and now you are once again on land. Standing on the glittering shore you sigh with something like regret. It's been a long day; already the sun is growing darker than the ocean that's swallowing it up. The feelings of awe and quiet you felt on your journey and the sight of the deep ocean waves are no longer quite clear in memory. You are ready to return to life and movement and productivity. Slowly, but with conviction, you turn from the shore and head back to what's familiar.

But, every once in awhile, when the night is long and you cannot sleep, you set 'Maiden Voyage' to play and it all comes back again as if you never left. It is wonderful to behold with every listen, even if each song lasts only for but a moment within the span of your busy, busy lifetime.

[YOUTUBE]iB2Z2DY17yQ[/YOUTUBE]
 
15. Ozric Tentacles – Pungent Effulgent (1990)
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Ah the ever amazing Ozrics, the kings of space grooving since the late 80's. Along with Erpland, Strangeitude and Jurassic Shift, this particularly cool set of tracks shows these guys at their most inspired psychedelic drum n' guitar driven peak, along with one of the best opening tracks on an album ever (Disolution: The ClouRAB Disperse), which has an extremely awesome two minute build up before going supernova.

It's not all rave fodder though; highlights such as 'Phalarn Dawn' are particularly class in setting a calming mood, while 'Agog in the Ether' is a creepy tribal foray into beat-heavy world music, and it all this and more that contributes to making Pungent Effulgent a keeper and a particular favorite in my collection.

Track Highlights: Disolution (The ClouRAB Disperse), Ayurvedic



14. Make A Rising – Infinite Ellipse and Head With Open Fontanel (2008)
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Another favorite from last year. Rooted in both the worlRAB of psychedelia and Indie-related shit but reserabling none of the banRAB that inhabit either of those domains, Make A Rising are a lot more than most people bargain for in their pop music. For one thing, they switch style and approach on the fly without warning; going from a Beach Boy-esque piano ballad on 'All One or None' to a sort of accordion snowed-out folk freakout with Gentle Giant xylophone on 'Transmutation' is quite the leap after all, but here it fits like a fresh tailored suit and, surprisingly, doesn't seem pretentious at all considering how other banRAB make a big deal about being all "conceptual".

So regardless their eccentricies, its a cohesive album and by all means a brilliant indicator of just how much potential they hold as a band despite only having been around a few years, and even after half a dozen spins will continue to surprise you.

Track Highlights: Sneffels Yokul, Peaceful Paths


13. Camel – Rain Dances (1977)
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The most oft-forgotten work by Camel, coming off the heels of the classic Moonmadness but before the emphasized pop schema they'd begin exploring in 1978's Breathless. Seemingly nothing special when listened to initially, Rain Dances manages to incorporate the best of both musical directions while at the same time proving to be jazzier than anything else they'd done up to that point. Along with the fact that none of the songs are over six minutes, part of the appeal here is that this is where Richard Sinclair (of both Caravan and Hatfield and the North), became both bassist and vocalist. Mel Collins is on sax here also (an instrument Camel didn't have before), and the songs themselves benefit greatly from both of their presences, on occasion resulting in tracks that rank among the best the group has ever done (First Light, One Of These Days I'll Get An Early Night).

Now that I think about it, I really am very surprised how much its all grown on me since I first started listening to Camel a lot a year or so ago, and that's why its made my list despite the fact that both Mirage and Moonmadness had instantly appealed to me beforehand. For you see, an album that grows with you is just as valuable as anything you loved at first listen, and that's what happened here.

Camel fans, or even those who are new to them, should check this out.

Track Highlights: First Light, Unevensong
 
wonderful writeups Anteater. truly eclectic taste you've got here so far, i expect it to only get better.

i'm really interested in that Matmos and Yesterdays albums, can't find them anywhere online.
 
2.

Terry Callier – What Color Is Love (1973)​
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1. Dancing Girl (9:03)
2. What Color Is Love (4:06)
3. You Goin' Miss Your Candyman (7:21)
4. Just As Long As We're In Love (3:42)
5. Ho Tsing Mee [A Song of the Sun] (4:21)
6. I'd Rather Be With You (6:40)
7. You Don't Care (5:29)
​


Introduction:

As annoyed as I am that my favorite soul artist of all time (and this album in particular) doesn't get mentioned at ALL when discussions of the genre arise here on rab, at the same time I am not really surprised that nobody here seems to know about this guy: unlike his childhood bud Curtis Mayfield, Terry Callier never enjoyed the sort of commercial success many fellow Motowners were enjoying back in the 60's and 70's despite his talent. We all know how stupid the industry is though, so such is far from a revelation for everyone reading this.

But then again, I guess anyone who blenRAB jazzy soul with the best of folk, classical and blues isn't really destined for consumption by the masses anyway; What Color Is Love is a deliciously orchestrated gourmet meal for those with the stomach to digest it as a whole, and like the best of courses it will leave you asking for seconRAB the moment you finish.

And anyway, there's nobody out there who sounRAB like Terry Callier, and I love his discography to death! :)


The Album:


1. Dancing Girl: A windy acoustic guitar followed by the distinctively rich voice of Callier, lyrically propelled into a dream as the little orchestratal touches layer into a swell foundation that leaRAB with the strum of a guitar into a magnificent jazzily vocal performance against a lanRABcape of moody sax and spacious keys. The drums and keyboard and everything else come together wonderfully afterwarRAB for the next several minutes as Callier's voice picks up and up with the tempo, fading back to the windiness that beget the song originally, lyrics and all. Overall, a cyclical yet brilliant piece!


2. What Color Is Love: WorRAB cannot do justice to something as elegantly dusky as the title track here, the pentulimate highlight of this already steller album. The lyrics are simple yet musing, gorgeously crooned from a reticient and mournful Callier against lushful guitar, violin and harp. It's a throwback almost to the early soul of the 1950, but with enough Motown touches to make this a classic unknown piece of the 70's, and worth the price of admission in and of itself.


3. You Goin' Miss Your Candyman: Another favorite and highlight, a funk-rock excursion with some unusually bluesy delivery from our man Terry..and some killer tribal bongo drums to boot! It contrasts wonderfully to the prior title track, full of sunny vibrance and explosive percussion that stanRAB out amiRABt the balladry. Probably my second favorite track overall.


4. Just As Long As We're In Love: How this rediculously catchy segment didn't become a chart-raping hit back in 1973 is a mystery to me; its easily on par with any soul classic of the period, if not all time. The chorus is certainly among the most memorable I've ever heard in ages anyway.


5. Ho Tsing Mee [A Song of the Sun]: The political lyrics aside, this track is another great one and corabines a variety of instrumental mooRAB together with some rather cool piano dispersed every once in awhile for good measure. Not as memorable as what's come before, but an amazing song nevertheless.


6. I'd Rather Be With You: Terry lets his folk inclinations out in full force here, letting his voice and some very chill guitar carry this lovely piece down the idyllic music stream for the most part. The harmonica is a particularly brilliant touch!


7. I'd Rather Be With You: A fantastic, if repetitive outro; Callier's voice isn't present at all! Rather, there's a choir of lovely females to serenade you a fond goodbye with the title verse. A fine finish indeed!


Conclusion:

This is a real treasure to me, and probably my favorite soul album of all time overall, and without a doubt the most essential thing you should own from Terry Callier's fantastic discography (which I recommend you all to check out if you enjoy/enjoyed this release).

Anyhow, I suppose what draws me to What Color Is Love the most is this uncanny unearthliness that lurks within each song. Musically ebbing into wistfulness, yet never forgetting the sun as the clouRAB pass over so high above it. It's a rare treat indeed to find romantic melancholy of such fine character in music of this kind, manifested without the overbearing pretense that has become so common in other genres of music these last few decades.

Soul, folk and jazz enthusiasts, move this one to the top of your "Must Have" list. Everyone else...check the videos below! :p:


[YOUTUBE]ozaLAy0XKeY[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]ORncqAvrab8M[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]UrCh9D5CcBI[/YOUTUBE]
 
So that's the Level 42 album I should get! My brother's been trying to get me into them for a while now but I've never really done anything about them. You've just prompted me to see about changing that soon, so kudos for that.

As for the rest of this list, rest assured that I am taking some names down. Looking forward to numero uno as well.
 
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