5 comments about Chi-Lites - Greatest Hits.

1. ALL TIME CLASSIC BEST OF CD , EVERY TRACK I LIKE ALOT , THEY WERE ANOTHER SUPER SOUL GROUP FOR THE 70'S SEEK THIS OUT ......TIMELESS



2. The only setback is the coldest days of my life isn't the full version.



3. This is an enjoyable compilation. The Chi Lites were a second tiered group, they were a quality soul group yet they did not have as many hits as the Temptations, Four Tops or other more prominent groups.
   
   What I like about them is that, out of completely nowhere, they would inject these psychodelic and fuzzed out guitar riffs, the phatest bass lines of the era and I love that guy with the deep, I mean DEEP voice. He was an instrument all by himself.
   
   The ballads are nice, but the songs like "Have you Seen Her", with its crazy fuzzed out, introductory guitar tone, is what gets me going. "Power to the People" is another psychodelic song. Don't miss "Are you my woman" which is the song Beoyance sampled for her hit "Crazy in love"!
   
   This group went a bit against the grain which I like.



4. If you're like I was, you probably know "Oh Girl" and "Have You Seen Her" and have acknowledged that they're great songs, but you secretly suspect the Chi-Lites of being something of a one-hit wonder (okay, a two-hit wonder). Then you will be pleasantly surprised to discover that nothing could be further from the truth. This compilation is full of great songs, and not just in the "Oh Girl-Have You Seen Her" variety. There's also a good bit of early funk to go with the soul. Most importantly, it's all worthwhile. The Chi-Lites concentrated on the three most important things (as far as I'm concerned) in pop music: Melody, harmony and lyrics. They nail them all. "We Are Neighbors", "Let Me Be the Man My Daddy Was", "Stoned out of My Mind", "Homely Girl", "Give More Power to the People" are splendid examples, but I could include every song on this compilation. And, as other reviewers have noted, the sound quality is superb, crystal-clear. I frequently spin around to see if Eugene Record is standing behind me. No, it's just the CD. If you have any affection for the sweet sound of 60s and 70s soul, buy this record, and you'll be well rewarded.



5. They may not as been as popular as other similar groups of the day but the group that started out as Marshall & the Chi-lites found their niche in pop history. When you first heard the heartfelt wailings of "Oh Girl" or "Have You Seen Her" or the Rare Earth sounding "(For God's Sake) Give More Power to the People" we were hooked. We didn't know much about the politics of such songs back then when they were released, we just knew what we liked. We liked the Chi-lites. And still do.

5 comments about The Chambers Brothers - Greatest Hits.

1. This is a great compilation of the band that truly exemplified the genre Psychedelic Soul. If you dig The Temptations, and Sly And The Family Stone than this is a must have. Raw Funky Soulful jams that are truly infectious. Songs from this album can be heard in samples on alot of hip hop tracks. Buy this album for sure/



2. While I agree with most of the other reviews concerning the music quality of this album, I thought I'd mention - for the truly picky - that the sound quality is not consistently good. It sometimes seems that this disk was produced on the cheap, and probably not from the original masters. Even for the time when they were made, I reckon that the master recordings should be in better shape than some on this reproduction. (I'm anxious to hear these tracks on other Chambers Brothers albums to confirm my suspicions.) The sound is sometimes murky, often distorted more than most from that era, and the frequency range is typical of mass-produced LPs of the day - not as good as many masters of the time. So I guess that this is a mediocre transcription.

   Nevertheless, I agree that the songs range from fair to inspired, powerful, and sometimes downright beautiful. It's unfortunate that the mastering could likely do them better justice. Still, this is nitpicking. The music rocks - and usually makes me forget my yen for better transcriptions.

   (Incidentally, those who appreciate the more psychedelic throes of "Time Has Come Today" might check out Vanilla Fudge's first album, "Vanilla Fudge." The music - and, unfortunately, the sound - are much in the same vein.)




3. This CD has all you need to know about the Chamber's Brothers.
   The mix is right on the money: Time, Can't Turn You Loose, and my favorite version of People Get Ready - no one does it better.
   The Time has Come Today Album was indeed a better release, however, this one is good and has all of the Chamber's Brothers goodies. This music never goes out of style!



4. this Band should be far more known.everybody knows "Time Has Come today" but this Band was far more than a Commerical or Catch Phrase Group.they Blended Many Styles&were right there with Sly&The Family Stone,Jimi Hendrix,etc... at Fusion&Adding many styles into there work.History hasn't done this Band Justice at all they have Meant to Music as we know it.check this Out&Hear Music without a Label.



5. Everybody knows "Time Has Come Today," but how many remember the Chambers Brothers' deeply moving version of Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready"? That song alone justifies the price of this CD! But there are a number of other fine, funky tunes on this CD as well, such as "Please Don't Leave Me" and "All Strung Out (Over You)." And the Brothers' version of "In the Midnight Hour" surpasses even the great original hit version in its power. In short, this CD has more harmony and soul power than 99.9% of the other pop albums you or I own!

5 comments about Farewell Aldebaran.

1. This album was so far ahead of its time that it developed a cult following all of its own and then it became almost impossible to find in any form. I was attracted to it because of Judy Henske's singing but her song writing and arrangements shine through this, too.
   
   If you were around for the psychedelic '60's, you need this album! Then get Judy's new stuff and you will be entertained for MANY hours.



2. I have several vinyl copies of this album and was excited to see a CD offering. This CD offering, however, is not the one to be excited about. While the packaging is a very good recreation of the original sleeve, the source material is obviously not the original tape. The timbre is pitched very far to the treble and on one song there is an unforgivable noise intrusion of the sort one gets when ripping tracks with cheap software and not checking the result. If this project was done for love, it was not enough love. If it was done for money, it is reprehensible. Wait for Henske to release an official CD version of this.



3. In spite of the fact that doubt has been cast on the veracity of Radioactive's recording techniques (copied from vinyl?)it is worth going to any lengths to procure this quite extraordinary album. Apparently, Frank Zappa loved it but my God, we all loved it at Edinburgh University in 1969/70 too. I loved it so much that I bought several copies, one from the Flea Market in Paris. It was not easy to come by.
   
   Judy Henske, with the contralto voice of an angel, was reading the Oxford Book of English Verse when she and Loving Spoonful musical director, the brilliant arranger and composer Jerry Yester, made this nugget. Judy is the only popular musician who really deserves the title poet and at the time she was married to Jerry.
   
   Snowblind is a sort-of rocker whose protagonists are Fullbrook Sedgwind and Rosy (with HER STOCKINGS ROLLED), sung with gusto, let us say. Horses on a Stick is a ride through life on a fairground roundabout where your horse is shod with starlight, his hooves strike sparks in the night. Almost too beautiful to bear, with a jingle jangle musical arrangement and lovely harmonies arranged by Jerry and Judy. Lullaby has a tune of really rare beauty, and St Nicholas Hall (sends greetings to all, of the lambs who have strayed from the fold. A message sent, from Sister Content ( you remember her as your Dean - She is Mean and Incredibly old)) is a liturgical request from a convent to help out with all manner of requests from missionaries to the organ rebuild, ending with a heavenly chorus and a sharp single note at the end. Unique.
   
   Three ravens, about a knight dying after battle with only a deer to protect him (the racing moon will trace his resting place, 'til dawn, when above him, with hungry eyes, and shining wings, three ravens fly.....) has the loveliest tune and chorus I have ever heard (she lifted up his head, and kissed his wounds so red, and by his side, she wept and died, in bitterness) with beautiful harmonies too. It is honestly true to say that the only thing that comes close in raw emotion is Dido's Lament from Dido and Aeneas by Henry Purcell. Raider (stole a Morgan mare) is about the reevers, I think, who made forays into other counties in Northern England to steal livestock, heavy on the banjo and country rhythms, and Mrs Connor is about an ageing, ill prostitute who is on her own and near her end (and when death comes to Mrs Connor, he'll lay lays his hoary length on her and groan..), to a city jazz arrangement. Rapture is a tour de force about rapture beyond the usual human pleasure, ie, almost religious rapture (divers asleep, dream of the deep, towering over their heads. Lost comrades gather, by their bed) with a soaring end-line and a voice that I have not heard before, anywhere, or again since. Charity is about a magic ship with a wierd cargo (ivory rings, singing peacocks and things: from the East, there's a beast, on a chain made of gold ...) and the ship is called the Charity .... and you can hear the sea is the ocean harmonies and major seveths of the final chorus (and the figurehead, is a Barbary Queen, with a breast as cold as the sea is green).
   
   Farewell Aldebarn is about the the death of a galaxy (see, she is descending now, starting the slide), set to a bossa nova, I promise you, and ending up with a vocoder nightmare as she slips away. I cannot stress enough how odd and how heartstoppingly beautiful this album is. If one each of these songs had been on ten albums, all ten would have been worth buying. Judy's voice is, well, unique, and the arrangements, words, tunes and musiocianship are unforgettable. This is a one-off and Judy is a genuine poet/singer. Even Dylan never produced images or beauty like this.
   
   Final note: I gather from Judy herself that Raider is based on the Scottish Border Ballads. I nearly got it right!



4. This was a classic "lost album" until it was reissued. Somewhat dated sounding and nowhere as unique as the Silver Apples or the United States of America who built their own electronic equipment. Still this is a nice album of ballads, especially the effects laden ones. "St. Nicholas Hall" has a nice use of a Mellotron that almost sounds voice like, "Farewell Aldebaran" has nice Moog touches and "Lullaby" has spooky ethereal lyrics though other songs are more conventional. Then again Judy Henske wrote "High Flying Bird" which was written before but later covered by Jefferson Airplane showing that she was a pioneer of 60's folk rock and for that genre this is a lot more interesting than the political whining or overly precious and whimsical storybook lyrics of other albums of that time that were much better known.



5. Congratulations on finding this rare diamond in the very, very rough. I first heard about Farewell Aldebaran through Plainsong, the British country rock band led by Iain Matthews (also another diamond in the rough). They play a pretty wicked cover of "Raider" and after hearing about this album as their psych-folk "bible," I had to track it down. Luckily I didn't have to search for TOO long, and eventually found this release, on the UK label Radioactive Records. MAN is it weird. I've never heard a record as wild, eclectic and creative as this one. No two songs are alike, and it's overflowing with great musical ideas.
   
   Judy Henske's voice is the thread essentially tying the album's disparate tracks together--she's got a great range, from the bluesy howl on "Snowblind" (the album's hardest rocking track) to the sing-song on "Horses On A Stick," to the hymn-like operatics of "St. Nicholas Hall," and the country twang of "Raider." "St. Nicholas Hall" makes hilarious fun of church collection, and "Raider" is bizarre clanking folk.
   
   Some tracks, like "Three Ravens" sound almost like tweaked-out Mamas and Papas, while the Yester-sung "One More Time" is rather jazzy. The title track, the album closer, is perhaps the most strange of the bunch, with really trippy effects washing over a driving descending chord progression. The entire album is laden with lush production--lots of interesting instrumental arrangements and soaring vocals with different sounds on every single song.
   
   If you're a fan of 60's/70's psychedelia and folk, this is a great one for you--you'll be able to whip it out at parties as that secret weapon record nobody's ever heard of. It's quite a ride, and if you're adventurous and open-minded you'll probably find yourself quite rewarded with lots of fun listens.

No comments about The Golden Road: The Electric Coffee House, Vol. 2: Further Travels into Unexplored Rock Te.

4 comments about Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: Eric Clapton.

1. This doesn't do Eric's blues work justice. It's way too brief and
   some of the ssongs included are debatable.
   And that no Yardbirds era track is included is a shame.
   If you want to have Eric's Blueswork only- you should get
   Bluesbrakers with Eric Clapton
   Blues (2cd collecting many of his blues nmbers culled from albums
   between 1970 -1992, far from perfect, but still quite good)
   From the Cradle
   Me And Mr. Johnson
   Riding With The King
   Sessions for Robert J.



2. This CD basically covers 3 phases of Clapton's career
   The first phase would be John Mayall. The second would be Cream and the third would be Derek and the Dominoes.
   The first phase includes "All your love" and "Steppin out" both are very solid however, from his Mayall days he does several other songs that are just as worthy. One would he "Hideaway" and another would be "Ramblin on my mind"
   Next as I said is his Cream phase. Rollin and Tumblin is a shortened version of Robert Johnson's "If I had possession over Judgement Day" I would recommend the version on "Me and Mr. Johnson much more than I would this one.
   I'm so Glad is a Cream anthem and I'm not even sure it is blues. They could have made a better choice here. Like maybe "From four until late" for instance.
   There is a song with Howlin' Wolf that to me is not very interesting.
   From the Dominoes phase they have picked "Have you ever loved a woman" which to this day could be his finest moment with the blues. He still does it in concert.
   "Mean old World" is next and it is with Duane Allman on acoustic slide guitar. I like thie duet a lot.
   And finally he does "Crossroads" which to me is good but the Cream version on Wheels of Fire is much better.
   This is still a very good blues album. It is for collectors like myself. It is worthy of any blues collection.



3. A ten-track CD is not very impressive, not even when one song is a self-indulgent 16 minutes long (the live "Spoonful").
   But if you're looking for a collection of Eric Clapton's bluesiest material, some of which is quite rare, check out this installment in the "Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues" series.
   
   This is mostly 60s and early 70s material, songs recorded by John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers, Cream, Blind Faith, and Derek & The Dominos ("Crossroads" in an eight-minute live rendition). And while this is only a fraction of the blues recorded by Eric Clapton, it shows how important Eric Clapton was in leading the blues renaissance in rock music.
   Highlights include the acoustic slide guitar-fest "Mean Old World", which features the late Duane Allman, the smouldering slow blues "Have You Ever Loved A Woman", Otis Rush's "All Your Love", and the aforementioned "Crossroads", and while this is obviously not a career-spanning compilation, it would be a very nice supplement for the "mid-level" fan who wants to dig a little deeper.



4. This is a great collection of material from the Clapton vault...some will be very famillar..but there are a few rare gems on this CD..a'la a live Derek&Dominos Crossroads. There are no modern Clapton cuts here...but for me thats ok. I always liked Clapton's more direct tone...before all these techno freeks started building pedal boards and custom amps...thats when everyone started sounding the same to me. Really, has Clapton ever sounded better than he did on the Blues Breaker album? Just a Les Paul into a Marshall combo...one of the most delious guitar tones I've ever heard. Just pop this in your cars CD player and drive.

1 comments about Zalatnay.

1. After reading a review in a mag about this record, I decided to purchase this CD. It is amazing. If you love the classic rock sound overlayed with raspy Hungarian hottie vocals, buy this.

3 comments about Hollinndagain.

1. Animal Collective has such a unique sound. This Album being mostly all live, with weird noises, distorted vocals, and chants, this album makes for a weird, but sort of calming CD to listen too. I loved this CD. It is a great CD and should be a must have for all Animal Collective fans.



2. Best re-issue of 2006 by far. Originally released on vinyl only, only 300 copies were pressed. Now everyone has access to it! A glimpse back into Animal Collective's noisy-er days, these are some of the first recordings they did. All of the songs are great and including a live version of "Lablakely Dress" (a song from their first album, Danse Manatee). Greatest band of all time. Buy it now and say you heard their first material before everyone hops on the bandwagon, which is likely to happen following their upcoming release.



3. Strictly speaking, "Hollinndagain" is not a new Animal Collective album. It's their only live performance, recorded several years ago and previously only available for a limited printing. Only on vinyl. It was sort of the Holy Grail for Animal Collective fans.
   
   Well, fortunately that's done, since this live album has finally come out on CD. And only mild tinniness shows that it is a life performance, as Animal Collective buzzes, bangs, and wobbles through a string of eerie songs -- this is nicely solid, atmospheric music.
   
   It starts off slow, with a soft fizzing noise, as if the band is setting up in front of an open mike. The buzzing gets louder and is laced with synth, and slowly segues into a hesitant little pop melody that slowly falls silent... and explodes back into the raucous, plaintive "Pride and Fight." It sounds like a tribal chant on acid.
   
   They run through explosive percussion of "Forest Gospel," which sounds like someone let the Muppet Animal loose onstage, as someone mumbles intermittently. Then the band runs through a dreamlike psychedelic soundscape, trips back to a wavery chant song, and finally into an eerie darker song. It sounds like someone is sobbing... until it twists into a tangle of twisted squeaks and groans.
   
   "Hollinndagain" is very much a child of Animal Collective's first proper album, which was dreamlike, creepy and sort of tribal. You hear that frequently here. But this live performance showed how they were starting to explore new sounds and new ways of presenting their bizarre experimental music.
   
   Except for a faint echo on the vocals, you wouldn't even know this was a live performance. Their music blares out with explosive energy, and the softer songs are only a reprieve -- smashing drums, buzzing guitars, and a colourful smorgasbord of sound effects, from static to squeaky wheels to alarm clocks.
   
   And the songs flow nicely into one another, without much audience noise -- I can only assume that the music stunned them into silence. The only flaw is the finale, "Pumpkin Gets A Snakebite" -- after the slow decline of the previous song, it's jarring to hear this raucous little song song smack you in the face.
   
   The formerly rare "Hollinndagain" is a glimpse of the evolving Animal Collective back when it was young, and definitely an entertaining little album.

5 comments about Tear the Roof Off 1974-1980.

1. I always dug me some P funk but, George songwriting comes with so many deranged subliminal messages until writing a sound review on their work is as challenging as listening to it. It would take a Havard Scholar to uncode the hidden messages of his lyrics. You know what, I ain't mad at all because their music is so uncompromsingly good that figuring out their lyrics becomes as fun and engaging as playin' a board game. But this ain't Mr. Monopoly- these some funky terresial brothers here to liquidate your restrictions and make you lose it on the mothership. And 30 plus years after the bomb dropped, Parliament's music still has the explosive energy that will make any weapons of mass destruction look like a fireworks show on ABC.
   
   Essentially, Parliament was an anti-establishment group like Funkadelic. Where as Funkadelic's rebelliousness was aimed towards the decline of social harmony, Parliament targeted the bland sameness and predictability of more commercial oriented R&B of it's time. Gamble and Huff's once invincble formula had now become the status quo and so did James Brown raw funk. And "mainstream" disco was already beginning to water down and cheapen the genre for record sales. So Parliament's rise to prominence was perfect timing to provide the remedy to an "Endangered Species" quickly losin' their souls to the souless capitalism of society. That attitude primarily provides the premise for many of their songs. Wheater they're poking fun at radio DJ's by creating thier own radio station; WEFUNK "P-FUNK (wants to get funked up)" or havin' a funky mad scientist who's responsible for creating Starchild and the "Children of Production" to deprogrammed all of these so unfunkiful dancin' squares! "Dr Funkenstein" These jams prove that Parliament and P funk was more than just a group. It was a state of mind and subculture that had its own politics and culture (much like a country or a continent). Their lengendary status was not only cemented by it's legion of followers, but also by the sci fi concept that was used as its foundation (which was appropriate because their music was out of this world!). What makes their music great is that unlike many anti establishment groups, their music doesn't have a bitter or angry tone to it. Instea,d they use their self created subculture to invite to free their restricted minds and cut it loose!. They also played it smart by letting their subculture be influenced by their contemporary environment of the 70's- therefore giving their concept motive, realism, and validity. Those elements also made easier for listeners to relate to their music. Greg Tate's extensive notes ices the cake by providing deep insight into George's and Parliament's creative process.
   
   Despite a few clunkers that pop up here and there ("Party People" and unecessary live versions of "Let's take it to the Stage" and "Children of Production") Tear the roof off is more than essential listening. Also the same problem with this anthology is the same one with Funkadelic's "Motor City Madness". Since their albums came with a specific concept, those vibes are missing with a best of type of anthology. Still, once Parliament tears the roof off, it's gonna rain on your head!



2. A two-CD set to get he party started right. This is a wonderful compilation of Parliament music. I was very pleased to obtain this collection as it was a very good choice of music by the group to have in a real collection. I say a real collection because this box set although only twenty songs is a Real Collection of greats. You must have this in your collection. I don't get paid for saying these things, I am a Funkhead! The early stuff with the "greats" before the Mothership crashlanded in a junkyard somewhere in the "landoflackoffunk". This set gives you a true grasp of the Parliament side of "Parliafunkadelicmentation". I only wish it had some of "Osmuim" on here--I really love "My Automobile" and "I Call My Baby Pussycat". However, this is the best collection in a box set that you'll get of the PFunk. Check out the Funkadelic 2-cd box set of their 45's "Music For My Mother":--For ya'll who are too young, a 45 is a small record bigger than a CD, smaller than a breadbox and if it is Parliament/Funkadelic, whiter than a powdered donut from being played so much.....My many thanks to the Funk Mob:Billy Bass,Eddie Hazel,Tawl Ross,Tiki Fulwood,Mickey Rivers,Bernie Worrell, Harold Beane,Tyron Lampkin, Ron Brykowsky, Gary Shider,MIke Hampton, Cordell Mosson-You can Boogie on that Bass!,Glenn Goins, The Horny Horns: Maceo Parker, Richard Griffith, Fred wesley and the other trumpeteer-Sorry, I forgot your name!, George Clinton,Fuzzy Haskins, Ray Davis, Grady Thomas,Calvin Simon,All the ladies of the PFunk: Jeanette Washington, Dawn Silva and the rest, Jerome Brailey,Dennis Chambers-You got Flavor!,Junie Morrison,Bootsy Collins,Blackbird Mcknight, Rodney "Skeet" Curtis--You and Billy Bass by far are the Best Bass Players in the PFUNK Era!!!



3. This compilation is pretty good for the novice
   johnny-come-lately-to-da' p-funker's out there
   who just want to know what the whole Parliament
   thing was about!
   Of course you can't really do that without
   having a definitive Funkadelic comp(which hasn't
   been made to my satisfaction yet!)
   as well as the Bootsy's Rubberband Anthology
   "Glory B, Da' Funk's On Me!"
   Then...your funkin' beyond compare!!
   
   But for the Parliament effect, this comp is
   pretty cool and the booklet is great with real nice
   color pics and info.
   My only point of contention with this comp is
   that "Night Of The Thumpasaurus Peoples" was heinously
   not included on here, as well as some other incredible
   album tracks from the original P-Funk albums like "Unfunky UFO" from "Mothership Connection",
   "Big Footin'" from "Chocolate City",
   "The Goose" from "Up For The Down Stroke",
   "Gettin' Ta' Know You", a scorching funk mid-tempo
   and "I've Been Watchin' You Move Your Sexy Body",
   a hot slow jam that true p-funkers of that time
   would all know and love!--from "The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein"
   as well as "One Of Those Funky Thangs", "Liquid Sunshine"
   and "Motor Booty Affair" from the album of the same
   title (M.B.A.). The live version of "Gamin' On Ya!" blows
   the original from "Clones Of Dr. Funkenstein" out of the
   water and should have been included as also should've
   "Sir Nose D' Void Offunk" from
   "Funkentelechy V.S. The Placebo Syndrome".
   
   But maybe this compilation will inspire younger generations
   to go out and purchase all the great P-Funk gems and
   get hip to one of the truly revolutionary, creative,
   innovative and grossly underated original forces
   in urban music of the last 30 yrs!
   THE PARLIAFUNKADELICMENT THANG!!
   It was True Genius!!



4. This is a pretty definitive collection of P-Funk...For those in the know y'all know Much of the P-Funk has been sampled especially Dre



5. To the Parliament superfan, this would be a great collection.
   
   To the casual fan though, this double-disc collection ends up being waaaaay too much Parliament. You'd be much better off with an edited shortened one-disc CD.
   
   I did find about half of the songs to be extremely grooving and funky. The other half seemed to drag on forever.
   
   I will say that it is cool to hear the originals after hearing Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, and every other West Coast gangsta rapper sample these songs to death (oftentimes without credit to George Clinton).
   
   Overall, a great collection for the diehard P-Funk fans; a little overwhelming for the casual fan.

5 comments about The Soft Machine - Volume Two.

1. This is it; the album I would take to a desert island. I've listened to this thing a million times since the day I bought the vinyl some 40 years ago. It literally changed my life. Dada music for the late 20th century; the band and the album that foreshadowed everything that was to come. They are to music -- what Tzara was to poetry and Duchamp was to art.



2. Despite the LONG song titles, the songs themselves are actually short, and as a whole the album is quite short as well (just over 30 minutes). For me, after hearing the brilliantly lengthy Third (over 75 minutes long) this a VERY disappointing amount of time.
   
   Furthermore, one of the main things I love about Third is all the brilliant saxophone/guitar jams. Supposedly Third was the closest a rock band ever came to sounding like a pure jazz band. Plus there was an INCREDIBLE atmosphere on Third, that makes the music sound like nothing else I've ever heard. You had highly unusual sounds that were, well, really freakin' awesome
   
   That distinct sound and style is missing on this album, and instead we have much shorter songs, with the songwriting focused on pop songs that sound VERY similar to something Quicksilver Messenger Service would do. I didn't go in expecting 15 minute jams, but I DID go in expecting more in the way of interesting instrumental variety. Maybe it was a mistake hearing Third before this album, I don't know.
   
   Anyway, I like the music on Volume Two, I just expected a lot more than what is given to us.



3. The Soft Machine was/remains so underground as to have been unearthed by only those most able to dig. I had never heard of them myself until I accidentally saw them in concert.
   
   My best friend and I, together with his older brother who had a car, bought tickets to see the Jimi Hendrix Experience in 1968 - for $3.50! - and this band that none of us had ever heard of before came on stage first.
   
   My tiny little mind was so blown that I was down at Stan's record shop the very next day looking for anything by the Soft Machine.
   
   What I found was Volume Two.
   
   Unlike anything I have ever heard before or since, this album remains one of my favorites nearly fourty years later. To say that the music is 'otherworldly' seems insufficient; an alternate reality hits closer to the mark.
   
   Unlike the other reviewers whose critiques I have read on this page, I don't know the band's members or history or how to catagorize their style; I just know what I like and I like this album a LOT!



4. Soft Machine's great Volume 2 is one of the best things out of the Soft Machine even though I am more of a fan of the Jenkins period, this is great for anyone who enjoys Soft Machine. This album songs are divide by the record side into Rivimic Melodies and Ester's Nose Job, I wonder where that title came from. The first one covers lot;pataphysic,alphabet,thank you's to the Jimi Hendrix Experience for exposer to the crowd and Brian Hopper and the Engineer. Side Two is full of fast pace organ solos that came get very interesting and intense but turn into another song. Pig is one of the best songs very fast pace jazzy and confusing lines about love and not to love. But the best song on the album is the last 10:30 has got the best rift on the album only three notes and they are very serious put together. Not to mention the drum soloing on this song and Hibou,Anenomine and Bear are simple, but very lust with the use of gong and cymbal roll, Wyatt can be very atmosphereic and comforting. If this album go's into print by it's self get it.



5. Soft Machine's Vol Two was concieved after their touring with Hendrix in 1968. This record influenced many musicians of the time. Without it, we would have never heard bands like Gentle Giant, Henry Cow, Area, as these were all influenced by this record! The band is tight and it is accessable by today's standard. It would have been very odd to a pre Sargent Pepper listener. Great playing and tight writing with unique and chaotic melodies with power punctuation. Awesome spin!

5 comments about Procol Harum Live: In Concert with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.

1. On the 18th November 1971, Procol Harum recorded this Concert with a 52 piece Symphony Orchestra and 24 Singers in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. This is the evidence of this event...
   
   Already well established as a Rock Band of serious music that leaned way into the Classicial/Artsy Rock that was gaining in popularity as the 1970's unfolded infront of us. Procol Harum could produce Hits such as: "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" and please record buyers with such epic pieces as: "A Salty Dog" & "In Held 'Twas In I."
   
   Lead guitarist Robin Trower had left the Group after completling their excellent LP: "Broken Barricades" to explore a more Blues/Rock orientated direction away from the Classicial format of PH. The Band quickly replaced Robin with guitarist, David Ball and headed out to tour the world once more. This Concert from Edmonton would be the high-point of the Tour.
   
   From: "Conquistador" through to The Grand Finale of: "In Held 'Twas In I", this show is a perfect marriage of Rock & Classical Music. This Orchestra & Large Chorus is not here to linger in the background. "Glimpses Of Nirvana" will show you that Orchestra's can hold the power of a Heavy Metal Band {while you watch your windows rattling!}
   
   Groups such as Deep Purple, had already played Concerts with Orchestras, but the results were mixed as the Rock Band seemed to opposed to The Orchestra in a fight for dominance. This time out Gary Brooker and his Band, got it all perfect. This performance is as much Orchestra as it is Rock Band, it all bleeds together and breaths as one BEAST. This is the record, for which all others that want to attempt this should listen to first. If the Music doesn't fit as perfectly as Procol's does to Orchestration...Don't do it, this one already did it better!
   
   Again, this is not Rock Music, it is something else all together. The mission of this Group was to produce something 'Bigger' than Pop/Rock Music, something for the Ages. Right here on this CD they have done so.
   FIVE STARS !!!



2. This cd is def a must have for fans of Procol Harum and their foray into Orchestral recordings. Includes their single release of "Conquistador" which is just as relevant today as it was when recorded in 1971. This showcases the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra at its finest and the whole cd well withstands the test of time. Proves that wine isn't the only thing that improves with age. Loved it!



3. This magnificent album, whose daring and experimentalism has been eclipsed by its instant popularity (it peaked in the Top Ten on the USA album charts in 1972), has lost none of its power or mystery in over 35 years -- so why is it only available as an expensive import? Gary Brooker's orchestral charts are elegant and dramatic -- always reinforcing the song and not overpowering it (that cannot be said about the horrid muzak-reeking CD, "The Long Goodbye", which is, gracefully, now out-of-print). The artful meetings of "classical" and "rock" have been few and far between (The Beatles seem to have gotten it right every time, thanks to Sir George Martin), and the Edmonton concert is surely one of the most bewitching meetings ever (just listen to the unadorned versions of these same PH songs on their original albums and wonder at the tightrope Brooker successfully danced with his orchestral arrangements).
   When you combine the magesterial orchestrations with Brooker's soulful singing, the imaginative drumming of BJ Wilson, the underrated guitarist, Dave Ball, and the atmospheric production of Chris Thomas, who organist Copping credits with saving the project, you have hit sonic Heaven.
   My question is: when is someone going to put together a full-concert version of this album? The West Side CD series of the first four studio albums contained often fascinating extra tracks. According to the PH website, Beyond the Pale, there were three songs that were recorded, but not issued: Shine On Brightly, Simple Sister, and Repent Walpurgis. (In addition, Luskus Delph, was recorded and released as a B-side.) Even after all of these years, I'm sure I'm not alone in wishing for a full definitive edition of this concert, warts and all.



4. I've worn out at least three vinyl copies of this album since I first came across it. Being a vintage audio nut, (I'm listening to this played on a 1975 Craig Belt-drive TT through a Pioneer SA-8800 and on a pair of Pioneer HPM 100s) I didn't expect a CD copy of this Procul Harum's Live With the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra to come close to the purity of vinyl. I was wrong. The highs are high, the lows are low, there's depth and dynamics and...Look this is one of the best marriages of balls-out Rock and Roll to Classical Symphony Music EVER!!! Normally, screaming electrical guitars don't blend well with violins, and drum traps don't mate well with Tympanis. Here, they do, and damn well seamlessly. If that weren't enough reason for buying this jewel, most live recordings...well...suck. This doesn't. It's great, it's beautiful, buy it!



5. Although primarily remembered for A WHITER SHADE OF PALE, Procol Harem earned their place in the history of rock by the magnificence of their work. This album, recorded live, demonstrates the point admirably.
   
   Their lyrics were always intricately worded pieces of poetry that were never quite understood by the public but accepted as something quite deep. Their voices blended into a magical force and the accompanying orchestration was always mythical. It seemed a natural that they should try something along the lines of sophisticated rock married to classical music. The Who had already broken the barrier when TOMMY played at the Metropolitan Opera House in 1969. Now Procol Harem took it to the next level.
   
   CONQUISTIDOR had originally been released as a studio single. Here it is given the full treatment and when played side-by-side, this album has the winner. All the music here is lush, and quite enchanting. The result is an album that has always been highly respected. It never became the quintessential Procol Harem album as it did not contain the songs that they were primarily known for at the time of its release (A Whiter Shade of Pale/ Homburg). But today it still plays quite well and tells the world the serious contributions that Procol Harem made to the world of music.