Framtiden
ar ett Svavande Skepp, Forankrat I Forntiden (1971)
“The
miracle that gave them such a death
Transfigured to pure substance what had once
Been bone and sinew; when such bodies join
There is no touching here, nor touching there,
Nor straining joy, but whole is joined to whole;
For the intercourse of angels is light
Where its moment both seem lost, consumed”
-William Butler
Yeats- (Supernatural Songs)
For those versed
in Swedish musical history Algarnas Tradgard (Garden of the
Elks), is the Holy Grail of psychedelic enchantment, the mother
load of all mother loads, holding court to the same company
as Ash Ra Tempel's first self titled effort. This is an album
that transcends time as we know it, transporting the listener
to an unknown far distant past; a bridge to the infinite edge
of the universe. If one can imagine a conglomeration of
Ash Ra Tempel’s guitar based induced trance out, Tangerine Dreams
electronic hypnotic supremacy, and Gong’s organically gathered
mayhem, throwing in a touch of chant, cellos and sound affects
and you have a perfectly good excuse to lock the doors, turn
up the sound and travel upstream to fields of mind expanding
effervescence, evoking ancient excavations into angelic worlds
of ancestors long since departed for pastures of plenty.
Yes indeedy,
friends this is the REAL DEAL when it comes to classic and timeless
recordings. All seven recorded moments are meant to be experienced
as a whole concept, fragments tied together ever so delicately.
For the most part, fully instrumental segments give way to chant,
violin, sitar, guitar, and various instruments that the hippie
world was intent on seeking out and experimenting with in 1971.
This is the stuff legends are made from, world perceptions altered,
leaving grown men weeping in its wake. Top it off with two bonus
tracks recorded at various live locations that you'll swear
are otherworldly.
The Swedish
are an amazing group of people giving us classics that endure
recorded history, left for future generations of musical observers
to find and to treasure. I dare you to play this all the way
through and tell me it's only 58 minutes long. Every time I
listen I swear it's at least double that length. In 2001 their
long lost second recording, Delayed was finally released
by Silence. We'll save that review for next time but for now,
don't let this one pass you up in your lifetime!
- Mark Gaines
[July 2002]
Click
Here for Tracklist and Lineup Info
