Sebkha-Chott - Nagah Mahdi - Opuscrits en 48 Rouleaux

This could almost be the updated version of the Fille Qui Mousse album I spoke of earlier, although it comes from an entirely different school of music, with a gigantic and looming influence of bands like Mr. Bungle and Estradasphere, the latter particularly with their method of transitioning something insanely death metal to something else entirely loopy. While I enjoy the experimental aspects of this way of thinking or composing, the humor of these segues loses its appeal fairly quickly. Like any group that strings parts together, you end up talking more about the parts themselves by style, in fact I’d hesitate to even call this a suite in terms of its consonance. But there’s a lot to like and it’s nice to hear a French take on this sort of sound, as Sebkha Chott do imbue the album with cultural references, making this something a little more than a clone and reminding me a little of La Societe des Timides a la Parade des Oiseux or members of the Ayaa stable. Perhaps more fascinating than compelling, but it’s hard not to respect something so dangerous.

Van Morrison - …It’s Too Late to Stop Now…

I think this title, Van’s first live album, will end up at a 10 which is about a point or two lower than what I’d give most of the studio albums of the same era. It’s a double disc, although not a whole lot longer than a full single, and you have to wonder why there are no bonus tracks when a bootleg entitled “It’s Too Late, disc 3,” recorded from the same concert, floats around, particularly when this is a 20-bit remaster. Van live seems a tad more populist and a little less subtle live, and while some of his vocal tricks (particularly the glossolalia-like emotional bits where he gets quieter and quieter before the “finale”) can give you a severe attack of the goosebumps at times, during others you’re just waiting for him to finish up with the dramatics and get on with it. No wonder people yell “Moondance” during these moments.

Jimmy McGriff/Groove Homes - Giants of the Organ Come Together

Compared to its companion disc (I’ll be damned if I can remember the name but probably can be found on this blog with a search), this was a disappointment in one way and not a bad idea in another as it seems that this title contains more shorter material, while the disc I was raving about has long jams and burners. It would be a bigger disappointment if they weren’t both so cheap, but I was indeed hoping for more of what I heard on the other disc where two guitarists and two organists stretch out and show some amazing chops. This title just seems sedate. Sometimes with people like later Grant Green, McDuff, Lonnie Smith etc, I wish I could just make a comp of the good tracks, perhaps someone here had the same idea.

Walpurgis - Queen of Saba

I continue to see the Gnosis 7 as an album so bland and mediocre that it’s almost impossible to get a grip on. These are the hardest titles to write about as they just don’t inspire any insight or thought to them and they’re generally not bad enough to add a little snark to the picture. I must have restarted this title about 7 times over the last couple weeks. I used to think it was kind of bad, probably due to the rather weak vocals, but I’m finding in retrospect it’s just mostly uninteresting. Maybe the band did too, because this was their one and only.

Shub Niggurath - C’Etaient de Tres Grands Vents

I find “Yog-Sothoth” (which I believe is both on the self-title cassette and first LP by this band) to be the most successful of the many H. P. Lovecraft-inspired musical compositions out on the market, to me they capture the insanity and creepy vibe more than anyone else (would have loved to hear them do a take on the Music of Erich Zann). I remember being very excited when this album was announced and released, only to find it a severe disappointment. In fact the thing I remember about it most is just how much the damn thing drops in volume so often, enough that I feel like I’m fighting with the controls. And my listen this go around is no different, gone are the dark and consonant early material and present is a lot of improvisation (?) that really does nothing for me to compel a listen. I’ve done my duty on this one.