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Whilst this album isn't anywhere near as hard to find as most of the other offerings on this humble blog, I feel that it justifies its place here through sheer greatness.
Sun Dial, though a 'band' in every sense of the word, is in fact a vehicle for Gary Ramon, songwriter, vocalist, and mean acid guitarist. With Ramon at the helm and his band consisting of whoever felt right at the time, Sun Dial released five albums during the early to mid nineties before Ramon disbanded the group to concentrate on producing records for others. A couple more albums appeared when in 2003 Ramon resurrected the Sun Dial name to finish what he'd started. For me, none come anywhere near to matching the psychedelic majesty of 'Other Way Out', their debut album released on UFO records in 1990.
It's one of the best neo-psych albums around, and is perhaps the one to convince die hard 60s/70s vintage psych freaks that there are indeed some amazing psych albums to be had from the more recent crop of psychedelic bands. 'Other Way Out' contains six tracks of trippy 60s influenced psychedelic rock (subsequent CD releases succumb to the obligatory and rather annoying extra tracks syndrome, but we're going on the original vinyl here).
This album reeks of LSD. Whether this was because Ramon was actually drowning in the stuff or whether he's got a 2:1 in psychedelia is anyone's guess, but whatever, it works. The lyrics to every track sound like they were written whilst halfway through a dayglo patchouli-scented trip. There's phased vocals weaving in and out of phased drums and liquid wah guitar solos chasing distant flutes into deep space. This isn't an album of meandering and drifting sonic journeys though; five of the six tracks are 'songs' proper, with verse/chorus structures. Only the last track, 'Lorne Blues', a bluesy acid-heavy guitar workout of slow riffing and phased drums, dispenses with the discipline and totally freaks out.
'Other Way Out' is a psych classic and not to be missed.
Track listing:
Side 1
1. Plains Of Nazca
2. Exploding In Your Mind
3. Magic Flight
Side 2
1. She's Looking All Around
2. World Without Time
3. Lorne Blues
Listen to it here, then buy it here
Released in 1991, 'A Psychedelic Psauna' was one of the first releases from Delerium Records, and was a superb 2 LP compilation featuring 23 tracks of the best psychedelic music around at that time. For me, it became the soundtrack to a few wonderful summers spent drifting through a lysergic haze. Lophophora Williamsii was the host, and here's what he had to say on the back cover...GREETINGS FREAKS!Lophophora Williamsii's the name and mynd-blowing's the aim! To those who've never met me before, a BIG HIGH! and to those who know me from the pages of FREAKBEAT magazine, welcome once more to yet another introduction and to this Psychedelic Psauna which is guaranteed to steam your brain, improve your neuro-circulation and cleanse your nervous system.Putting the psychedelics back into psychedelia, that's what a growing number of musicians are doing today and, even tho' the two dimensional, cardboard, back slapping, brain numbingly pretentious music press and (sic) music industry don't like to admit it, such musicians are popular. I hope that there's something of interest within the swirling interior of this creation, for each and everyone.It's taken a long time to connect all of the plumbing, but finally, those FREAKBEAT people have done it and now the steam powered echo-chamber awaits your fragile, eggshell mind. There are many ways to enjoy this musical experience but all of them lead to nirvana. This is an audio-reality interface which allows you to access other realms of reality without actually going there! Add chopped onion and garlic to taste. If you get stuck, take the blue pill. This is your captain speaking.........we don't need the groovy driver. There is the known and the unknown and in-between is the Psychedelic Psauna. Go ride the music baby (I'm riding)...Track Listing:
Side 1
1. A word from our sponsor
2. Sundial - Mind Train Jam
3. Magic Mushroom Band - Don't Be Afraid
4. Nick Riff - Lost & Wild
5. The Petals - Poisoned Air
6. The Porcupine Tree - Linton Samuel Dawson
Side 2
1. Poisoned Electrick Head - Snobs
2. The Bevis Frond - Cold Rain & Snow
3. Alice's Orb - Don't Know If I Should
4. John Fallon - Summers End In San Francisco
5. The Gothics - The Quest
6. Tyrnaround - Hello Or Goodbye
Side 3
1. The Coloured Plank - Black Ferris Wheel
2. Cosmic Kangaroos - Ritual People
3. Reefus Moons - Mr. & Mrs Creature
4. Marshmallow Overcoat - 13 Ghosts
5. Mandragora - Conspiracy
6. Dr Brown - Freakbeat
Side 4
1. Ozric Tentacles - Erp Riff '83
2. The Jasmine Lovebomb - That River
3. Dimentia 13 - Do The Jerk Off
4. The Trodds - The Stalk
5. Treatment - NightmareFeed your head here. Spend cash here.
