There are two versions of "Me and My Uncle," a song made famous by the Grateful Dead, and - speaking of space - a couple of shimmery tracks inspired by the 1969 moon landing. They're not brilliant pop like "Space Oddity" or "Rocket Man" but they fit in nicely on the CD, which has been put together very smartly - it's a good listen straight through. For most of its length one could imagine it had been released in this form back in '73 to critical acclaim. Even the two songs from the Brewster McCloud soundtrack - the only previously released material on the CD - sound like part of the same continuum. The only songs that really don't are the two unreleased Mamas and the Papas tracks, recorded for the group's final album, the one their record company forced them to make after the band had already split up. They sound like sad codas to the career of a great band.
Phillips continued working productively for decades after the triumphs of The Mamas and the Papas and Monterey. His work certainly deserves the attention Varese is giving it in this series. The sound has been restored and mastered just right - crisp but not icy, it could almost be coming off of vinyl.
Listen to unsatisfying 30-second clips here.
Stratospheerius, Headspace
There's so much going on on this CD that it could merit an "Indie Round-Up" column all on its own. Stratospheerius's music can't be pegged to one genre, but neither is it a simple hybrid of a couple of styles. For that reason, it's exciting stuff.
Jazz fusion, Stingpop, progressive rock, classical strains, and jam-band spaceouts take turns running through the ten songs on this, the band's fourth album. Leader Joe Deninzon's devilish violin weaves the compositions together, and he lends his throaty vocals to some of the tunes, layering attractive melodies over odd time signatures and dynamic, unpredictable arrangements. Think of a much more adventurous version of the Dave Matthews Band, add Steely Dan precision and prog-rock inventiveness, and you'll get an inkling. There's also a Police influence that would be quite evident even without the revved-up cover of "Driven to Tears." The crack musicians deserve mention individually: drummer Luciana Padmore, bassist Bob Bowen, and guitarist Mack Price.
Article comments