"The Phoenix Tapes Volume 1 (1974 – 1979)"
Tell you what - the fact that this CD consists of previously unreleased, unearthed tapes of tracks that Mr Jones and assorted musicians played in various bands in the mid-late seventies, is only matched by the fact that it's absolutely fantastic. The recording quality is fine, the production ever so slightly "rustic" but before you decide it's not for you on that reason, just hear me out. The whole thing positively exudes seventies era from every pore. The opening track is a song whereas much of the album is instrumental. On this track - called "Get Out While You Can" - you'll hear elements of Pink Floyd, Gong and Traffic, only five minutes long but five absolutely sublime minutes, for sure. With 11 tracks and one heck of a lot of typically seventies instrumental fludity from electric guitars, synths, keys and rhythm sections, you'll hear all sorts of influences as you go - Wishbone Ash, Man, Steve Hillage, Gong, to name but a few. Far from singling out any particular rack - and I'm not being lazy here, just honest - it really is one of those albums that, once you start playing it, you want to carry on playing until the last note has gone away. Yeh, it sounds "of its time" and also occasionally sounds a tad "muffled", but this shouldn't take anything away from the fact that it's potent and atmospheric. The centrepiece is a 21 minute epic track called "Brass Castle Lane" that starts as a rolling slice of almost psychedelic, instrumental Krautrock, as it slowly gathers steam and builds into a surging and dynamic instrumental that employs Krautrock, psych and hints of prog to impressive proportions, as good an example of a seventies jamming track as many more famous tracks of its kind. Overall, despite, and indeed because of, its rusticity, a gem.
(Reviewed by Andy Garibaldi - February 2008)