Under-Rated Albums Rescued from The Vault: OZRIC TENTACLES' Jurassic Shift

OZRIC TENTACLES Jurassic Shift

Producing albums since 1985, Ed Wynne and company (aka OZRIC TENTACLES)'s 1990 and 1993 albums, Erpland and Jurassic Shift, respectively, achieved the blend of quality production, recording, composition, and performance to elevate the band into the pantheon of 'significant' progressive rock musicians. Categorized a "psychedelic/space rock" band because of their jam band instrumental approach and heavy reliance on synths, "world" percussives, rhythms, instruments and sounds, and Ed Wynne's guitar soloing, the Ozrics are so much more. (The reputation of their live concerts does seem to draw similarities to those of PHISH, GROBSCHNITT, or THE GRATEFUL DEAD.)
     Jurassic Shift is my favorite OT album, a 4.5 stars, near masterpiece of progressive rock music. Published in April of 1993, this modern world instrument- and synthesizer-infused jazz-rock fusion band from the UK led by guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Ed Wynne had just come off the release of their second live album after eight studio albums in eight years. With JS it seems that the band had made the complete synthesis, balance, and maturation of their spacey sound with pristine sound reproduction and production.

Line-up / Musicians:

- Ed Wynne / guitar, koto (3), bass (8), keyboards, programming, Fx (samples, atmospheres), producing & mixing
- Joie Hinton / keyboards, Fx (samples, atmospheres)
- John Egan / flute
- Roly Wynne / bass (1,3)
- Zia Geelani / bass (3,5,6)
- Merv Pepler / drums, ethnic percussion (2)
- Marcus Carcus (Diess) / ethnic percussion
With:
- "Generator" John (Schuchard) / tambourine (2)

1. "Sunhair" (5:43) from the opening percussive synthesizer sequence I knew that this was going to be a band I like and that this song album and song were to be amazing. Once full band joins in there are sections of Japanese garden-like sounds, odd crowd/bird sounds, swirling synth solos and wailing rock guitar soli all alternating in perfect time durations. Awesome opener! (9.5/10)

2. "Stretchy" (6:51) here the band puts on display the unique way in which they have incorporated the awesome array of synthesizer sounds and capabilities becoming available at the beginning of the Nineties--many of which were rather unfortunately relegated to the realms of New Age and Buddha Lounge/World Music. The song cruises along at a fast pace from the get go with a vast array of synth sounds being incorporated over the driving drum and bass play. Great tune for moving! (9/10)

3. "Feng Shui" (10:24) opening with flute soloing meditatively over garden-like synth washes and incidental percussives until a synth sequence and drums and bass enter at the 1:30 mark establishing a Lots of Holger-Czukay-like radio samples woven into the tapestry. At the end of the third minute some really gorgeous synth chords enter before leaving to isolate the bass and Jamaica-like drum/percussives in order to throw a veritable flood of idiosyncronous synth-generated spacey-"jungle" sounds at us. Koto takes the lead within the mix for the sixth minute. Then a more familiar organ-like synth bumps some chords at us during the seventh minute before devolving into more synth soloing from some odd & delay/echoed synth sound. The 8:00 mark sees a dramatic shift into high octane power rock with a whole change in tempo (faster) and style. For creativity this is an astonishing song; melodically it may be found lacking a bit. (8.5/10)

4. "Half Light in Thillai" (5:36) this one opens with sounds and style that are very familiar to me for my obsession with all things the Brothers Gordon (Steve and David) founders of Sequoia Records and musicians behind many of the great New Age yoga and drum circle/dance albums of the 1980s (the Inner Music and Sacred Earth Drums series') as well as bands like DEEP FOREST. Slow, methodic and aboriginal, the rhythm tracks allow for some nice flute, guitar, and synth incidentals. The final minute and more finds some excellent acoustic guitar work. (8.5/10)

5. "Jurassic Shift" (11:06) simply the best song on the album and the most truly prog of them all with some outstanding electric guitar work--both lead and rhythm--over the amazingly engaging groove coming from the rhythm tracks. This is where we get served notice that Ed Wynne is a guitar god--eleven minutes of such service! The quiet middle section is quite reminiscent of some Al Di Meola's softer stuff--like from Scenario on.  (10/10)

6. "Pteranodon" (5:41) takes us back to a Jurassic-kind of time with heavy, plodding bass and drum lines supporting long sustained decaying synth "screams." The island/jungle/tribal-like percussives only add to the effect as do the "alien"-like synth ejaculations in the second half of the second minute. Searing electric guitar solo opens the third minute before relinquishing its lead to more of the synth (and violin?) ejaculations and "screams." Again, from a creativity aspect, this song is incredible! AND it hits on all cylinders with the engaging groove and story being "told." (9/10)

7. "Train Oasis" (2:46) opens with a quickly established PAT METHENY GROUP-like groove (though using a synthesizer for bass). Creative midi-synth soloing on multiple levels (tracks?) and nice chord progressions and melody constructions. (9/10)

8. "Vita Voom" (4:48) Timbales and bass & guitar open this one presenting an almost punk/techno pop beat before incidental samples are thrown at us from the computer keyboard. At the end of the opening minute the lead electric guitar gives us a little more structure with its ostinati. Flute gets a turn to shine in the third minute--though its treatments sometimes almost obscure it. Spanish-flavored acoustic guitar is added and then Spanish-flavored lead electric guitar wails over the now distinctly Latin-infused song. (9/10)

89.375 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of innovative progressive rock music.