OFF: Ship of Fools new album

[Jon Jarrett]

On Wed, 12 Feb 2003, Jerry Guizar wrote:

> Jon Jarrett wrote:
> > On Mon, 7 Oct 2002, Alisa wrote:
> >
> >>there is a new album on Peaceville coming soon. Anyone knows are they
> >>reunited?
> >
> >         Wouldn't mind some information on this myself, if anyone's got
> > any. I read somewhere that this new one (_Get This Mother Outta Here_ if I
> > have that right) is a best of. This strikes me as odd as I believe you can
> > squeeze both their actual albums onto a single CD. But I guess there were
> > singles and compilation tracks which might mean you could get a different
> > tracklisting with less filler in it? I don't know. Anyone do?
>
>     Out There Somewhere comes in at 57:33 and Close Your Eyes
> is 55:39. According to my copies anyway.

        That's very odd. Well, probably not to you, but I'm sure I
remember the Freak Emporium selling the two albums as a twofer single CD.
Perhaps it was only selections from each. Ah well, matters not because I
got this new one instead, of which, on Thu, 13 Feb 2003, Steve Youles
wrote:

> I had only ever heard 1 track by this band. on Aural Innovations, and it
> stood out as being excellent.  This is a great album, the best thing I've
> heard for at least a year.  It starts off with Church-of-Hawkwind era
> synths, Simon House-esque keyboards, voice samples (it's otherwise
> instrumental), and a hypnotic groove; but it is not at all derivative of
> HW, IMHO.... The overall sound is more clean-cut, but retaining tons of
> atmospherics, and they are less guitarcentric than Hawkwind. Although L=SD2
> has a very Brockesque rhythm guitar, and in general is quite reminiscent of
> HW circa Alien4.  The former sentiment also goes for 'From Time' which has
> a monstrous, processed guitar upfront. "Not derivative", eh?  I think it's
> to do with the high quality of the compositions & arrangements - this
> material stands up on its own merits.

        I heard `Guidance is Internal' on a BOC-L trade tape ages ago and
resolved that I must get more. Then later on, having never quite got round
to doing so, I found a compilation that my girlfriend's ex had passed onto
her and which she happily passed on to me, her interests as with his being
more metallic. It has `L=SD^2' and another track called `Psychodelick' on
it, and they left me rather underwhelmed. Now I have this, `L=SD^2' sounds
a bit fresher but still. The high end is very good. Twin keyboards over
everything, good sampling, nice production (now--the one track I can
compare makes me think that whatever "remastered" means here it's good),
and some very Brockish guitar in places, yes. But the bass player is
alseep for most of it. People keep comparing this to the Ozrics but
compared to them it's missing their most crucial element, bounce and
drive. In particular a track called `Diesel Spaceship' should *not* sound
as lightweight as that. But, but. I do like it. There are parts where the
bass wakes up and it becomes more exciting, and `Guidance is Internal' is
the best of them I think. And it's quite pleasant background even so. But
whereas Adrian Parr once said of the Ozrics that they were a great
substitute when you'd run out of coffee, this lot are more a kind of very
well blended spiced hot chocolate. Pretty-tasting but will be best at
bedtime. Just my opinion of course. Yours,
                                           Jon

ObCD: High Tide - _Sea Shanties/High Tide_
--
"I recognise that I have transgressed many of the precepts of the divine
law, and that I am subjected by various vices and iniquities, disobedient
to the words of the divine mystery brought unto me and a worshipper of the
delights of this military age." Marquis Borrell of Barcelona, 955 A.D.

             (Jonathan Jarrett, Birkbeck College London)