ROBBIE BASHO - VISIONS OF THE COUNTRY

Windham Hill Records 1978

01. Green River Suite
02. Rodeo
03. Rocky Mountain Raga
04. Variations On Easter
05. Blue Crystal Fire
06. Orphan's Lament
07. Leaf In The Wind
08. Night Way
09. Elk Dreamer's Lament
10. Call On The Wind


One of my absolute favourite Basho L.P.'s. The style is generally American primitive with multi ethnic influences. A couple of piano tracks and the occasional emotive yodel.

Here's Basho himself from the liner notes :

“Visions of the Country is simply an L.P. of Guitar Paintings of the Americas and other joys. It uses the folk ballad style of some and the flowing Raga style of Hindu music to express the feeling and texture of the American Wilderness…Panoramique.”

Inexplicably still not reissued, Robbie Basho's first of two Windham Hill releases is a fine example of the need to reappraise his later period.

ÄLGARNAS TRÄDGÅRD - FRAMTIDEN ÄR ETT SVÄVANDE SKEPP, FÖRANKRAT I FORNTIDEN

Silence 1972

1. Two Hours Over Two Blue Mountains With A Cuckoo On Each Side Of The     Hours...That Is
2. There Is A Time For Everything, There Is A Time When Even Time Will Meet
3. Children Of Possibilities
4. La Rotta
5. Viriditas
6. Rings Of Saturn
7. The Future Is A Hovering Ship, Anchored In The Past
8. 5-4
9. The Mirrors Of Gabriel

Aside from having some of the most awesome song titles ever, this is one of the best Swedish psychedelic albums from the seventies. Like a lot of Swedish bands of similar ilk, it's a take on krautrock, but with a better incorporation of folk than their German brethren.

The album drifts through medieval folk, sitar tinged eastern and synth ambient before arriving at full on space rock. There are some proggy concepts going on here, but in a good way.

Originally released in 1972, this is the 1995 C.D. reissue, with English titles and track index markers.

Parts of this album are crazy, it's ace.

VARIOUS ARTISTS - LAMMAS NIGHT LAMENTS VOLUME 02

01. Paul Giovanni & Magnet - Willow's Song
02. Bread, Love And Dreams - Brother John
03. Synanthesia - Peck Strangely & Worried Evening
04. Comus - Song To Comus
05. Mellow Candle - The Poet & The Witch
06. Donovan - Voyage Into The Golden Screen
07. Duncan Browne - Chloe In The Garden
08. Loudest Whisper - Pied Piper
09. Flibbertigibbet - My Lagan Love
10. Principal Edward's Magic Theatre -Sacrifice
11. The Moths - The Heron's Daughter
12. The Sweeny Men - Dreams For Me
13. Famous Jug Band - A Leaf Must Fall
14. Tudor Lodge - Willow Tree
15. Shirley Collins - The Cruel Mother
16. Robin Williamson - Songs In The Earth And Air


The second in Mark Coyle's 'Lammas Night Laments' series. Every volume begins with a piece of music from The Wicker Man, but it should be noted that these albums were compiled before the film's soundtrack was remastered. The versions presented here are the movie edits complete with sound effects, dialouge, etc.

Expect more wyrd / acid / pagan / whacked out folk. Favourites on this : Mellow Candle, Comus, Bread, Love And Dreams and, of course, the wonderful Donovan.

Enjoy.