15. Ozric Tentacles – Pungent Effulgent (1990)
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 Clouds 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 Clouds Disperse), Ayurvedic
14. Make A Rising – Infinite Ellipse and Head With Open Fontanel (2008)
Another favorite from last year. Rooted in both the worlds of psychedelia and Indie-related s
hit but resembling none of the bands 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 bands 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)
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