DreamTheater.com Fanclub

I expected a toothless new age album here. It is my impression that Clearlight deviated in that direction after the four first albums. But in the case of Messenger Of The Sun, this is not the case. Yes, there are a lot of new age meanderings here. In fact, more than half of this album is new age stuff. The other half, on the other hand............

The other half of this album, and pretty good integrated with the new age melodies, are pure jazz. Jazz like Return To Forever and the likes of them. That means pretty intense jazz which weaves itself around themes and improvises melody lines. Music that makes my heart sings with joy. Talking about vocals........... there is none here. This purely an instrumental album. It is pretty well structured too.

My only gripe, and it is a major one, is that the new age stuff could had been shortened down a lot. Cut off twenty minutes of this album and you have an excellent jazz album with some good references to the new age genre. But then again, Cyrille Verdeaux is the king of the new age genre. I am not fond of this stuff so twenty minutes of this album is pretty much a waste of my time. But this album is still a great mix of new age, jazz and symphonic prog. It is also a suitable movie soundtrack. In short, if this type of music is your music, you should own this album. I have my reservations, though. But this is still a very good album in my view.

3.5 stars

by toroddfuglesteg


CLEARLIGHT Music Online:
recommended progarchives.com worldwide prog rock stores

• GEMM, Vinyl Records & CDs Rare Albums (Out of Print and Imports)
• AMAZON, find cheap, used and new stuff with the marketplace
• eBay, used or new | bid or buy now

• GEMM, Vinyl Records & CDs Rare Albums (Out of Print and Imports)
• AMAZON, find cheap, used and new stuff with the marketplace
• eBay, used or new | bid or buy now

Back in the second half of the 70's, even Zappa didn't escape to the giganticism and wanted to put out a 4 vinyl set of new studio and live material, yet unreleased. Despite one or two examples that would take place a few years later, like the Godley & Crème boxset, the industry doubted of the commercial success (not without reasons) of such an ambitious project and refused Zappa the release as such. So Frank released four different album containing this material (sometimes in a different version), but in a willingly disorderly fashion, so that the concept was impossible to reassemble over the Sleep Dirt, Studio Tan, Orchestral Favorites and a live album. Note that his next big projects would be the double Sheik Yerbouti and the triple (but released in two parts) Joe's Garage. This project was finally released after Frank's death by wife Gail and some associates. The least we can say is that this set is extremely well-done and really reflects Frank's (all-too often scatological) spirits of the times and reflecting his general defiance and gratuitous provocation of the well-thinking establishment about many still taboo subjects.

The first disc starts on the splendid jazz-rock Re-Gyptian Strut (on SD), but soon digresses in Modern Classical with Aviation (on OF), the Whole Lotta Love-riffed & Lumpy Gravy influenced Duck Goose and later on the scatological Assholes and Enema pieces - the latter sounding like a killer Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush blues, once past the idiotic intro. The album finishes on a Studio Tan feast, with three tracks from its flipside, including the excellent Take You To The Beach and RDNZL. A worthy first disc, but marred by the juvenile-crappy humour.

The second disc starts on the goofy bluesy Man Like Me, then segues with a few Live In New York tracks (or their studuio version), including the then-censored challenging Funky Whips (with that famous male promise ;o)))), but it is the terrific Flambay (or Flambé from SD) that grabs all of our attention. A while later, Läther (from LiNY) is one of the Zappa proggiest fusion tune almost Canterburian as the awesome Spider Of Destiny (again from SD) is. Closing on an Orchestral Favorite piece, this second disc is much more enjoyable, because the humour segues to the music.

The third disc opens on another SD stand-out piece, the dark and brooding almost- Crimsonian Filthy Habits, but the legendary (but not in my book) misogynistic Titties piece is up next and makes a second reference to Jeff Beck. A little deceiving is the much shorter Ocean Solution (from SD), reduced from 13+ to to 8-mins, even though it remains excellent. The pièce de resistance is the sidelong suite of Greggery Peccary that's closing the set and boxset, with moments of pure bliss, but a lot of that usual dumb humour. The four bonus tracks are not essential (there is a lengthy jam) but don't hinder the album either.

Well Läther is a good set that might happily replace the 4 late-70's albums, but unfortunately the Sleep dirt album tracks are not in the original album form, so you'd have to get that one and the live one as well, if you are a completist. And reversely, if you're a Sleep Dirt aficionado (like me), you'll be tempted to get Läther, at least for the re-arranged SD pieces. I'll pass, though, as I can rent this from the library.

by Sean Trane


FRANK ZAPPA Music Online:
recommended progarchives.com worldwide prog rock stores

• GEMM, Vinyl Records & CDs Rare Albums (Out of Print and Imports)
• AMAZON, find cheap, used and new stuff with the marketplace
• eBay, used or new | bid or buy now

• GEMM, Vinyl Records & CDs Rare Albums (Out of Print and Imports)
• AMAZON, find cheap, used and new stuff with the marketplace
• eBay, used or new | bid or buy now

I can listen it again and again - fresh, very inspired improvs and possibly the best Elton Dean recordings ever! To be honest, I like all Soft Heap/Soft Head albums, they all are based on Elton Dean sax soloing with great support of Canterbury stars. But this live album is peak of all them for me!

If you like Elton Dean, jazzy side of Soft Machine music or just great sax-led progressive jazz, you must have this album for sure.

My rating is 4,5, rounded to 5!

by snobb


SOFT HEAP Music Online:
recommended progarchives.com worldwide prog rock stores

• GEMM, Vinyl Records & CDs Rare Albums (Out of Print and Imports)
• AMAZON, find cheap, used and new stuff with the marketplace
• eBay, used or new | bid or buy now