Psychedelic Lollipop/Electric Comic Book - Blues Magoos

Advantages: Really nice blend of 70's progressive rock melodies with contemporary psychedelic riffs
Disadvantages: It gets too heavy in certain points if you are used to the older stuff

...After the release of their classic album "lightbulb sun", porcupine tree with a renewed line-up return with "in absentia" to give us an excellent example of modern progressive/psychedelic rock. Following the succesfull path of "lightbulb sun" , with the heavy guitar riffs interchanging with floyd reminiscent melodies, porcupine tree move a little bit further and add a minor but important flavor of drum and bass oriented elements to their music(the creator has a mastertape). The new drummer, Gavin Harrisson, well known to the drumming community from his extreme independence books, is responsible for some of the most awkwardly beautiful beats ever played by the band, while the guitar work is once again just excellent. Just listen to "the sound of muzak" to realize how a song can simultaneously be progressive and pop at the same time... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Beautiful and original arrangements
Disadvantages: Can seem pretentious

...instrumentation for its time. Whilst most albums from the psychedelic era feature jangly electric guitars, organs and strange sound effects, most of the guitars on Days Of Future Passed are acoustic, and the unique sound of the mellotron is used instead of a hammond organ. Yet the album retains a definite summer of love feel. Maybe it's the lively nature of the album, also making it the most fun sounding album the band ever did. Days Of Future Passed paved the way for a lot of symphonic rock in its following years, and opened up a blossoming career for the band, but even with that aside, it is one of the most impressive sounding albums ever recorded, and certainly one of the highlights of the late 60s psychedelic era.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Great music from the flower power era
Disadvantages: One (or maybe two) songs don't really belong on it

...lyrics, that really should have been vocalised by Vincent Price! Track 17 Lollipop Shoppe You Must be a Witch. Sounding more like a garage band, rather than a true denizen of the psychedelic underground.A sort of whiney song about a girl who "must be a witch." Could have been sing by any band, any where, any time. Track 18 The Glass Family Electric Band, Agorn (Elements of Complex Variables.) When there's a might long guitar solo, someone hitting a percussion instrument of some kind, and someone 's beating on the drums whilst someone randomly shouts: "Hey!" you know you are in trouble! Eventually someone else starts playing a few desultory electric organ keys. ("Ooh! I liked THOSE two notes! I'll repeat them a few times, then I'll hold THIS one down for a long time, before I twiddle it a bit!") Good fun but eminently pretentious! I can... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful