The Space Pirates - "Avast Beyond"
(self-released 2007)
The Space Pirates - "Avast Beyond"
(self-released 2007)
From Aural Innovations #37 (September 2007)
I had been communicating with Space Pirate Will Greenwood in the months leading up to the completion of this CD and got to hear a couple teaser tracks. But I was pretty well bowled over when I heard the finished product. Along with Will, who you may know from Invisible Opera, the band includes Joie Hinton (Ozric Tentacles/Eat Static) and Dani Speakman, who you might remember from the excellent Psychic Atters album from some years back (see reissue review this issue).
"The Orchard" opens the set and is a very nice Gong/Ozrics styled jam tune with outer space synths, atmospheric gliss guitar, ripping guitar leads, a cool rolling rhythmic groove and chanting vocals from Liz Gilbert. "Kaptain Kaputnik's Holiday" is next and gets deeper into Gong territory. The song is a riot, about the captain with his mushroom head and tentacles of steel and his spaced out pirate ship. And they pass the planet Gong just as the captain smokes his seventh bong. Love it!! "The Wanderer" is a similar song with equally cool lyrics. And dig that screaming spaaaaaaace saxophone!
"Attack of the Space Pirates" is a totally manic rocking instrumental that really highlights what a smoking band the Space Pirates are. They really rip it up on this one and the music is embellished with Duck Dodgers, Lost in Space and a variety of other voice samples. "If It Feels Good, Do It!" is a similar wild jam, though the voice samples are more up front. It's hysterical hearing George W. Bush saying "If It Feels Good, Do It", and I think I hear him confessing to having been trained by Al Qaeda… Ha!! Got some kick ass guitar licks too and all around monstrous playing by the whole band. The other major highlight is the closing track, the 10 minute "Scrapping The Hubble Bubble Telescope", a cosmic rocking instrumental that is the ultimate combination of Hillage era Gong, Ozrics and British festie psychedelia. In short, Gong fans and anyone into truly spaced out rocking psychedelia will find MUCH to love here. Check it out.
For more information you can visit the Space Pirates web site at: http://www.myspace.com/spacepiratesdecapo.
Avast Beyond is distributed by MyChoonz. You can visit their web site at: http://www.mychoonz.co.uk.
Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz