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An amazing new Secret Saucer album for all you space-rockers...
SECRET SAUCER: SECOND SIGHTING (USA Space-rockers 2nd Album - Stock # 455593) Normally CD £12.99 - Ltd Pre-Release Offer CD £ 9.99
When this band of well-known musicians on the American space-rock, psych and "Euro" music scenes entered the studios for a couple of weekends of improvising and jamming together, they had no idea it would materialise and turn into the highly successful debut album: 'Element 115'!
Now, buoyed with the success of that initial release, various assemblages of the collective have returned to the studios and the result is a second album that actually eclipses the standard of the first - no mean feat!!
Again, all instrumental, it starts proceedings by erupting into life with: 'Lift Off', a track that surges forward in a blaze of steaming space-rock riffing and rhythm work, while overhead the strong guitar adds guts and depth. All around the synthesizers spiral away in classic Hawkwind/Ozrics style, while the lead guitar stays one step above the riffs to provide a chugging slice of red-hot playing. As the track progresses, more guitars and keyboards are added so that you end up with this enormously expansive soundscape as the driving instrumental rock machine heads off into hyperspace - One of the very finest opening tracks on any space-rock instrumental album!
In a burst of really sizzling lead guitar work propelled by solid drumming and pounding bass, with soaring space synths swooping all over the horizon, 'All The Way To Outer Space' erupts even higher, this time a searing lead guitar taking charge in another expansive blitz of melody, muscle and magic that glows and glows.
After two highly charged energised tracks: 'D-Walker' gets the dynamics of the album absolutely spot on with a gloriously languid, yet purposeful, slice of slowly rolling, atmospheric space-rock that really takes you "out there". It's the equivalent of a space journey through time as you are enveloped in a sea of guitars and keyboards that spiral and flow as solo and combination leads, and far below, the crisp and solid rhythm section is fuelling the journey with direction as the melodic main course is served to perfection.
'Tranquility Base' begins with a more lurching drum foundation as Gong-like bass runs throb up and down the scale. The background is filled with a shining sea of synthesizer sounds that spread from horizon to horizon. Above this, a Steve Hillage-esque lead guitar works its magic, and the track becomes the finest ever track that the classic mid-seventies Gong line-up never recorded! As Tim Blake-styled space synths swoop and soar in the background, the guitar and bass come upfront, then glissando guitar depths are added and the wonderfully restrained slice of driving psych-rock becomes one of THE all-time classic instrumentals of the last thirty-five years.
Barely without a pause for breath: 'Venture 91-200' shimmers and sails into existence with a sort of throbbing motorised synth foundation, with rivers of lilting bass, tinkling percussion, slowly crashing cymbals, gentle wah-wah guitar and background synths that hang suspended in the ether. As the assorted layers, depths and textures gather force, a single lead guitar figure takes charge and the whole thing begins to climb. Gradually the percussive foundation takes hold as the bass rolls forward and eventually, out of the cauldron, the sound of a classic driving mid-paced space-rock rhythm begins. The guitar leads climb higher and surge ahead in finest psychedelic fashion, while the synths and rhythm guitars keep the cauldron burning with a seemingly endless depth of layers. Once again, the melodic portion of the arrangement mixes to perfection with the power part of the piece, and this magnificent mix of the two makes yet another instrumental of the highest quality and listening longevity. As with all the
'Untitled Dream' starts with Mellotron magic, over which a soaring space synth swoops like a comet as tinkling Moerlin-esque percussion is heard as a beautiful contrast, with an acoustic guitar providing more beauty and a rippling piano ultimately taking charge. The combination of piano and synths and Mellotron becomes as positively inspirational as it is cosmic - and then it fades into space. After that minute or so of magic, from the depths of the blackness ascends a surging spacecraft propelled by driving riffs and rhythms, as 'Disintegrator' charges forward with energy provided by soaring lead guitars, expansive synths backdrops, rolling, driving bass and rhythm guitar strength. Again taking you on another monumental trip, the track is incredibly strong and purposeful, with some outstanding ensemble playing in addition to some red hot restraint from the lead guitar, before descending and bursting into life as the track drives ever onwards, occasionally decelerating to reveal the space synth and bass hea
Without a break, you're immediately transported into 'Integrator', this time on a wave of bass depths as resonant synths and bass provide the foundations for soaring distant synth flying overhead. As shuffling drums begin the rhythmic journey, an ascending and descending piano figure takes the lead, and the whole thing remarkable depth and strength as the expanses are filled with guitars and bass. The piano creates the same sort of atmospheric effect that was used on something like the Doors classic 'Riders On The Storm', only here, among the huge-sounding might of rolling Kraut-rock, the melodic effect is absolutely magnificent. This enormous expanse of progressive-sounding Krautrock drives forward while at the same time rolling backwards to 1972, and it's something that sounds vaguely familiar, even though you've actually never heard it before in your life! Once again, the combination of melody, strength and all the amazing array of layered instruments are simply inspiring, and when the gorgeous restraint
'Reflections' starts with Tim Blake styled synth swoops as the track strides purposefully into a more middle-eastern sounding territory with a shining, shimmering lead guitar taking the helm over spiralling upfront bass and rolling drums. As you'd expect by now, slowly the other instruments come into play, this time coming and going briefly and magically as the track twists, turns and changes shape, almost imperceptibly at times. As a Gong-like space-rock antidote to the more electronic journeys of an artist such as Toby Marks, this achieves all it sets out to do and becomes as addictive as it is amazing.
Even though there's practically no pause between them, 'Death Of Time' immediately makes you sit up and take notice, as you are led out of the spell of the previous track into a driving slice of instrumental rock. Lead guitar and descending synth swoops move upfront, this time joined by solid rhythm guitars, distant rippling piano and highly charged rhythms from the bass and drums, then the track surges forward and the lead guitar magic takes hold, only to have its journey decelerated as it gives way to a mass of textures an layers that form the more energetic portion of the piece. Towards the end, the guitar takes complete lead charge again amid spiralling layers and vari-paced rhythms, and that contrast of restraint and power really works a treat.
'Night Sky' takes things down a notch in terms of pace, but the fact that it's still propelled by a foundation of drums and bass gives it a whole new strength, as the horizon is made up of space synths, soaring lead guitar work, expansive keyboards and guitars. All the time, an assortment of melodies flow gloriously underneath, around and above, making it sound like some giant space-rock orchestra at work on a slowly flowing slice of atmospheric, solid and melodic instrumental Euro-rock bliss. That this constitutes the final track and the end of the album, is arrangement at its finest, as you are left, not only in a state of euphoria at what you've just heard experienced from the album as a whole, but you are left wanting to hear the whole thing again.
As timeless as it is influenced by a time, as strong as it is magical, and a perfect mix of power, melody and direction, this album has more depth and strength than practically any other instrumental album in its field in the last ten years and beyond, there's not one wasted second on the entire set and it's something of which you will never tire of listening to and always enjoy.
Simply, a classic of its time!!
Track List:
01. Lift Off
02. All The Way To Outer Space
03. D-Walker
04. Tranquility Base
05. Venture 91-200
06. Untitled Dream
07. Disintegrator
08. Integrator
09. Reflections
10. Death Of Time
11. Night Sky
Also available is their first album....
SECRET SAUCER: ELEMENT 115 (Pink Floyd influenced instrumental Space-Rock - Stock # 354283) CD £12.99
* Review available on request *
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