BURNT NOODLE

I saw this band live a few years ago at the Swamp Room Happening in Hannover (Mostly a Stoner Festival but featuring one or two nice psychedelic (semi-)Prog bands sometimes). That Gig, although being rather short really impressed me: Dynamic powerful psychedelic playing with solid synth work (Ozric-like) and a few interesting melodies. So I bought this CD with the hope to find this music on it. In the booklet it said that with the exception of don't look down and Fall Song (nice but a little plain to my taste) everything was composed and played spontanously. Another plus for that, but this doesn't work out well everytime. On this CD it doesn't. The It seems to sound very randomly to me (In a bad way... I am a huge fan of improvised music) with a little talking now and then. I can't enjoy the songs with talking on it We need to talk for instance has a kind of rapping on it while being kind of funky and monotone throughout. Later there is a voice which is very reminiscend of Frank Zappa. But having a voice like Zappa just don't make it Zappa.

I am very sorry guys of Burnt Noodle I like your approach to music but not this CD. I maybe will lend your second CD an ear in hope to find the music I heard live from you!

The BURNT NOODLE is back again in 2006. After some years Paul Lamb's project, now consisting of four musicians, is convincing with a new matured album - provided with a sense of humour. Basically it's a relaxed one - a fusion of spacey improvisations and westcoast psych folk with synth, organ and mellotron additions. The result of several day and night jams, spontaneously composed and created free of any commercial goals. With the help of some friends the recordings were edited and refined afterwards.

The album has a crazy start with Bipolar which is a suitable title. A short funny intro and bottleneck dobro are opening this fascinating piece which goes grooving after a while with weird guitar and voîce contributions. The song also has several breaks integrated - well done! The following ballad Day By Day with nice vocals and decent hammond you normally wouldn't expect from a jamming band but nevertheless it has nearly the makings of a hit for me. The long track On and on comes very relaxed with a jazzy touch pushed by the Rhodes piano just as it contains some dramatic and weird moments. Paul Lamb occupies the lead vocals and we have nice refrains for singing along. Road flick on the other hand is more cosmic ambient gliding with meandering electric guitars and mystic female voices.

The trippy Uncap your brain activates the obscure Noodle Choir and shows a mysterious performance by Reverend Ron who contributes spoken words before Jim meets the space aliens tells the epic story about ... Jim, of course, who is faced with some aliens which come to earth and try to contact our leaders. But they give up (!?), take Jim on board and nobody has seen him since ... This song is provided with a long languorous intro including cello and mellotron (cool!), gets tempo by and by culminating into the excellent last jamming minutes - accompanying the departure of Jim, I suppose.

As for a conclusion 'Next Exit' stimulates my appetite for more. It's a recommended psych album with some really good ideas which has its greatest magic potency in the first half.

They are using the sacred Mellotron on some of the tracks and their music sometimes got strong harmonies and melodies. They can be described as a mix between DJAM KARET, The DOORS, GONG, NEW SUN, OZRIC TENTACLES, PHISH, PINK FLOYD and FRANK ZAPPA; but that is perhaps making it to easy as their music is quiet unpredictable. Their music bears traces from the '60's to the '90's. Some of the best songs are "Fall Song" with nice Mellotron, the groovy "We need to talk", and the FRANK ZAPPA inspired "Deep End/Attention Residents" and the epic final track "Noodle in a Nutshell" that clocks in at 22:33.

A very exciting album that I think that some of you would love, especially if your into the aforementioned bands.