JURASSIC SHIFT

This album re-invents the word "Psychedelic" in so many ways. The OZRICS here are in fine form and deliver some their best work yet. "Jurassic Shift" is loaded with tons of swirling acid laced guitar , mixed with hyptnotic/pulsating electronica and wicked drumming. This all instrumental album is supported by the "freaked Out" flute playing of Joie which adds great depth to the music in actuality. Songs are very well written and recording quality here is fabulous giving the listener solid speaker seperation and dynamics. "Jurassic Shift" will definitely hook you on the OZRICS and you will be back looking for more.

I couldn't believe that a record like this would exist, really... but it's true, actually, a perfect truth that involve musicianship, creativity and imagination. First, after hearing the whole album i consider this a "fusion" effort more than a "psycodelic" one, however, the complex atmospheres and the multiple sounds of a very wide variety of instruments recalls an "indie" open festival band. So... is a crazy mixture of prog, jazz, world even ambient and a early expression of chill out. Ths opening piece SUNHAIR starts with a very mellow but distant sequence of notes, followed by an strange intursion of bass and drums and then of the full orchestra, continuing with a jazzy STRETCHY leading you to the famed FENG SHUI which is a very fine expression of fusion and world music until the last minutes when it transforms into hevy metal!!! after this, the fourth cut HALF LIGHT IN THILLAI gives you a rest to dream about a distant land and prepares you to the funky JURASSIC SHIFT, an excellent mid-tempo piece. Then, the album turns a little bit acid when PTERANODON appears driving you into a forgotten place of your mind, that leads into a new age/psycodelic TRAIN OASIS, and without being proud they finish the album with a great funky-progged VITA VOOM that leaves you exhausted a begging for more... which in some sense, the re-issue offers you a live version of FENG SHUI. So, it doesn't matter from which angle you hear this record, it pleases everyone and annoyes everyone, to me is one of the most valuable, perfect and honest record i ever heard in my life, that's why this record has turned into an underground and mainstream classic. a must

This was the 1st cd I bought of Ozric's. Considering the other stuff I listen to, Gong, Planet Gong, Here and Now, Steve Hillage, Weather Report,etc, I was upset with myself for not getting into them sooner.On it's 1st play I said to my brother "I've got to get some more of this", and I did .It's a top cd. a good intro to Ozric, nice indie undertones, plesantly pysco/trance, nice guitar licks.Check out Swirly Termination. The guys had a free/open approuch to this one and it shows. Another masterpeice. I can sing the praises of Ozric Tentacles forever.Do yourself a favour and check em out.It,s the best thing I ever did. (apart from marrying my lovley wife, and having kids, you can play your music to and say check this out son !!).Enjoy music, love, and life. TheVortex.x

"Jurassic Shift" was recorded in 1992-93 and re-released by Snapper Music as a remastered edition in 1998. The label knew what they were doing when they chose this album as one of their remastered series from the OZRIC TENTACLES catalog. This has to rate as a career apex for the group. Every album I have heard thus far has been extraordinary, but this is one step above that. This is the kind of release that makes a group a well known commodity in a particular style of music. There are not too many groups that can claim they are doing something completely original or something no one else is doing, except for groups like this. They are, and remain the exception to the rule. I have always found it impossible to single out any one song on any of their recordings, every one is fantastic. An album is an event, one large endless jam session that is in a continual evolutionary state that's right on the edge of exploding into something entirely new, like a supernova. As each song begins and ends, and then the entire process starts again, you don't ever feel there was a break in between songs. They keep you entranced, excited, mystified, and always wondering what is going to happen next. And that after all is their strong appeal and a pioneering niche they created all for themselves.

The mind melting keyboards, the Middle Eastern influences, the hyper drive guitar riffs...its all here for you to throw yourself into. Be careful though, this stuff will carry you away; just remember to check back in.

This is one of the best Ozric Tentacles' albums. The music style is very hard to categorize: it is a brilliant mix of progressive space rock, hard rock, fusion, techno, New Age with TONS of state-of-the-art keyboards. ALL the instruments steal the show. The VERY varied, atmospheric, weird and colorful keyboards, combined with the incisive hard rock guitar a la Steve Hillage create absolutely "out of this world" dynamic spacescapes. Easily comparable to the Gong space-era stuff, "Jurassic Shift" however has more crystal clear textures with ultra modern keyboards. The drums and bass are NEVER bland nor repetitive; they are VERY elaborated and clearly contribute to enhance this extremely complex music. There are many Middle Eastern music influences, so that the ultra modern textures constantly flirt with the more traditional music, mostly produced with the help of advanced keyboards technology and exotic percussions. The album contains peaceful and relaxing bits including delicate flutes. One clearly finds a little Frank Zappa's influence of the 80's, especially on the guitar and drums styles, like in many bits of the tracks "Jurassic shift", "Pteranodon" and "Vita Voom". If you like the Gong of the space-era (before 1975), Frank Zappa's guitar & drums of the 80's and the Steve Hillage's Green album, then this record is definitely for you!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Really Ozric tentacles with this album demonstrated its musical quality in Jurassic Shift album. The new remastered version has an excelent sound and the songs are completely amazing but not essential as Strangeitude and Erpland by my opinion. The album has force in some songs as Jurassic shift, more relaxed in Train oasis....and then I can say any collector or ozrics fan must have this album. From the beggining to the end is a very good musical work.

This was the very first OZRIC CD I ever picked up (along with "Arborescence" which I bought at the very same store the very same day). I was hearing of their reputation as the "new Gong". Both the CDs I bought were the out-of-print American versions on the now-defunct IRS label (the one that had the Go-Gos on its roster, not to mention reissuing FOCUS albums, that meant the label had both new wave and prog rock on its roster). I was immediately drawn to the Blim artwork to both. I'm glad once I got to hear both CDs, I was sold on the OZRICS.

Perhaps the most surprising thing about "Jurassic Shift" is just how well this CD did on the British album charts, reaching number 6. The band never altered their sound, never went commercial, it was just a stroke of luck this album did so well on the charts which are usually unfriendly to this kind of music. Given my skepticism of how music was like in the 1990s, I wasn't sure what to expect with the OZRICS, but the minute I heard "Jurassic Shift", I was complely amazed. Lots of great wild guitar from Ed, and great spacy synthesizers (both analog and digital) from Joie. I really enjoyed the band's inclusion of Asian and Middle Eastern styles in their music, for example, the Chinese influence of "Feng Shui".

Certainly I think some of the songs tend to meander a bit, but the music, for the most part is inspired and full of excitement. This album was recorded at a time when bassist Roly (Ed's brother) was in the middle of departing from the band, so many of the cuts were done by new bassist Zia (who first appeared on the Live Underslunky CD). The reason for Roly's departure was to pursue other musical interests, by forming a band called Damidge with drummer Conrad Prince and keyboardist Christopher Lennox-Smith. The latter two end up joining the OZRICS after Joie and Merv decided to concentrate full time with Eat Static. These two guys we know as Rad and Seaweed (who are no longer OZRIC members).

Anyway, "Jurassic Shift" is still a wonderful place for those not familiar with the OZRICS to start.

My rating: 4 1/2 stars

This is my first exposure to Ozric Tentacles and I must say it has been a most excellent start to what I'm sure will be a long and fruitful relationship. I have always been a sucker for groovy and up-front bass lines and Ozric deploy them to great effect, especially when paired with a techno beat. Throughout they demonstrate the ability to retain the listener's interest with subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) changes in pace, melody and rhythm. A true melting pot of ideas. Long may they continue.

One of their best albums!! Also the layout/aesthetics is better than in any of the other O.T. albums. Quite nice and mysterious. The horrible hippie covers of many O.T's albums are just too "geeky" though. Bonus track "Feng Shui" doesn't add anything to the album that isn't already there. It's too similar to the studio track.

After hearing Erpland I started listening to what some people would say is Ozric Tentacles best album Jurassic Shift. and i will say i'm a believer cause this album rocks. i'm so glad that i decided to get the doulbe pack of Erpland and Jurassic Shift cause don't get me wrong i love Erpland but Jurassic Shift is just another step above Erpland. well first off the diversity is still there with Jurassic Shift as OT explore the musical boundaries and you definitely can tell that they are i mean just listen to Feng Shui and tell me that it doesn't make you think your walking in China. But the thing that makes this ablum different than Erpland is that its more in your face than Erpland. As Erpland had alot of great laid back songs with some cool ambiet slow along with some rocking songs Jurassic Shift has alot more rockier songs and little less in the slow ambiet stuff which i really like. Alot of great songs in here like Feng Shui, Sunhair, Stretchy, Vita Voom, and the title track which is probably there best song on here. and man how can i forget how well the band does here with a tight bass and drums, some crazy synths and of course who could forget the amazing soloing of Ed Wynne. i thought his stuff in Erpland was nuts but GAh seems like he shreds even more in Jurassic Shift. So anyway a great album for a progger that likes to listen to his music in a different state of form i guess you could say lol. So i'm gonna give this album 4 and a half as its essential but there are some moments that kinda miffed me a big and i'm still getting use to but still amazing album by these guys.

If Strangeitude was the pinnacle of the early Ozrics, there must have been something cooking at the Mill to produce an even better album. I think this was about the time that the band laid their hands on new recording equipment. Whether or not this was a factor relevant to the final product is debatable, but the listener is presented with a fusion of dance, ambient and rock. It's hard to characterise this music. It's quintessentially Ozric.

Sunhair. Jurassic Shift and Vit Voom stand out for me. The only problems I have with this album are Train Oasis and Pteradon. Two tracks that I just don't get at all.

If you were looking for a place to start an appreciation of Ozrics then Pungent Effulgent, Strangeitude, Arborescence or Spice Doubt might be better places to start.

Ozric Tentacles is a unique band that until now I cannot find any band in similar vein as this band. My venture with the band started long time ago when I purchased "Vulgar Unicorn" album that did not blow me away at all at first listen. But when I got the CD of "Hidden Step" by accident when I was visiting local CD store some years ago, I started to enjoy the music. I had not tracked the band for couple of years, about 5 to 7 years, I think until I found "Hidden Step". I was impressed with the album. Yes, there is obvious disco or house music style in this album but it's more than that, especially when I observe the drumming and guitar work. On top of the musical part, the album was produced excellently. Sonic quality of the CD is top- notch, especially when I play it loud. The detailed soundscape can be heard clearly.

I find the band is a band of sets its own category. Yes, there are influences of other bands, probably, by PINK FLOYD or GONG or HAWKWIND or even YANNI (the new age guy) or ROBERT MILES, probably. But it is not a real or direct influence, I believe, as their music is original. There are lots of sampling or programming techniques used in their music. If you fail to enjoy at first spin, give another chance of at least 2 spins, it will grow dramatically!

"Sun Hair" (5:43) opens the album in a dynamic style with keyboards and guitar as solos during musical interlude. The music flows beautifully with constant style but in every journey through many segments, the textures are different - using sound effects or flute sounds. It continues wonderfully with next track "Stretchy" (6:51). Ed Wynne gives his stunning guitar solos throughout the song augmented with Joie Hinton's keyboard solo. All are performed in the corridors of beat keepers provided by Roly Wynne's bass, Marcus Ethnic's percussion and Merv Pepler's drums.

"Feng Shui" (10:24) starts ambient with flute work and keyboard effects in spacey mood. This is good music for a soundtrack film, I believe. The music then moves in crescendo , marked with drum work - it flows naturally in constant beat augmented with sound effects from keyboard. The sound effects that really make up this song enjoyable - especially when it's augmented with flute as soloist. The song contains rocking style at the end part, exploring guitar solo and keyboard work. It's really an excellent track.

"Half Light in Thillai" (5:35) is a mellow track with excellent flute work, performed in the vein of space music like Jean Michelle Jarre's. The album title track "Jurassic Shift" (11:05) is a dynamic composition delivered with tight bass lines. The sound effects provide the melody augmented with flute solo and guitar fills. The song contains rich of textures from start to beginning. The tempo also changes into faster one at the end of the track. It rocks!

Well, I don't need to explore on track by track basis. What I can say is that even though most of the tracks contained here in this album are instrumental in the same vein but I do not find the compositions are boring at all. The band provides sufficient textures that prevent you to get bored with it. Keep on proggin' ..!

"Do not affraid of growing slöwly - be affraid of only standing still."

UNDER REVISION (posted 05/08/07)

It was rather a long time ago when I got Strangeitude by the Ozric Tentacles, which served a nice introduction, though I didn't feel that it was truly special. I wasn't sure I wanted to delve any further, and indeed, they nearly disappeared from my prog horizons until very recently, when I randomly thought of this album and decided I'd like to try it and see if I was missing anything. I got it, and found myself in for quite a pleasant surprise. This album is only the second Ozric Tentacles experience I've had, but this time, I'm sure it won't be the last.

This album is very similar to Strangeitude, only better in all facets. It still feels like Middle Eastern Hard New Age Acid Space Fusion Techno Rock at its core (and what a strange and yet oddly satisfying core this is), but, on Jurassic Shift, the Ozrics take the ideas of Strangeitude to a whole new level. The flute work is absolutely insane, somewhere between Jethro Tull and early Kraftwerk. The guitar, with its amazing acid laced riffs that appear every so often, never fails to captivate. And there is simply not enough to say about the drums, which truly carry this entire album. They are constantly engaging, never letting up for even the tiniest moment. At times on this album you have to wonder if some Post-Rock bands took a lesson from the Ozric Tentacles, as the amazing way they build up to climaxes is a marvel to behold, especially on songs like Feng Shui and Jurassic Shift, which are, not altogether surprisingly, my two favorites on the album.

The Ozric Tentacles are legends of the UK underground, and with an album like this, it's not hard to see why. It's certainly progressive, inventive, and innovative. It is also prog, meaning that it has plenty of tendencies found in other bands on this site and that group together this vast style of music we all love. Their immense blend of different styles constantly keeps the listener on his (or her) toes, never allowing for a moment of boredom. The soundscapes on all the tracks are delightful, whether they be long or short. The music is fairly accessible. This doesn't mean that it's anything at all "sell out-ish," only that it's not hard to dive into and love at first listen. The songs themselves are all fairly similar, enough to create a sense of continuity across the album (and indeed, across the entire Ozric Tentacles discography, based on my two album experience and on other reviews of their albums), and yet different enough to prevent any sense of monotony from invading this album.

The songs range from soft (but still fast paced) to absolutely blazing. Sun Hair, the opener, for instance, is a relatively mellow ride (though the acid guitar is simply phenomenal) that introduces us to the album. This track could have come straight off of Strangeitude, in fact. From the opening moments of the next song, Stretchy, however, we are subjected to an energetic, fast paced assault. Other songs, like Feng Shui and Jurassic Shift, manage to combine both, with some softer sections that eventually build into stunning climaxes. And, one final note about this album, it truly holds dearly to its ideal of never letting the listener go, as the closer, Vita Voom, is perhaps the fastest, most in your face track on the entire album.

All in all, this is one of my favorite psychedelic/space rock albums, and a masterpiece of the genre by all counts. This is an album I will always cherish dearly, and one you ought to rush to buy, that it may grace your ears as it has graced mine. I said earlier that the Ozric Tentacles were UK underground legends, and I can only repeat that that must surely be largely a result of this album. Jurassic Shift is an album that will, in ten to twenty years, be regarded as a classic psychedelic album. It's much more than that, however. It's an all around classic, no matter what genre.

As I write this review this is their highest rated record on this site.

"Sunhair" is spacey with a hypnotic beat.The guitar is good 2 1/2 minutes in and later. "Stretchy" gets better as it plays out. Steady drums as various sounds come and go. Some aggressive guitar before 3 minutes. "Feng Shui" opens with a spacey atmosphere, there really isn't much going on until we get a melody and waves of synths. Some strange noises and flute later. It really rocks out near the end. "Half Light In Thillai" has some good percussion and Eastern sounds later. I like the atmosphere.

"Jurassic Shift" has some steller guitar and an uptempo beat. The beat stops as a very atmospheric and spacey soundscape arrives.The beat comes back 8 minutes in with some great guitar. Killer song. "Pteranodon" is the first song with some heaviness. Guitar melodies 2 minutes in are good. This one has a heavy beat with spacey synths and tribal drumming later. "Train Oasis" is a short laid back tune. "Vita Voom" has a funky beginning. Synths and guitar come in. Flute and Eastern sounds with more great guitar later.

One of their best.

I've listened to by no means all of OZRIC TENTACLES' 30-odd albums, but I reckon 'Jurassic Shift' is the best I've heard. By 1993 the OZRIC were absorbing many of the better aspects of techno music, and there is no doubt their music depends upon a relentless beat, albeit sometimes in odd time signatures. By coincidence, 1993 was the seminal year in IDM - 'intelligent dance music' - and on this album the TENTACLES show how cleverly they've absorbed the lessons of their contemporaries while still retaining the psychedelic (read 'druggy') space-rock feel.

I find myself constantly hearing influences while listening to this album. The band members have listened to SYSTEM 7, THE ORB, ORBITAL and PLAID, to name but a few, and have on this album above all their others combined a progressive vibe (the synth loops and guitars of space-rock) with a techno rhythm section. This is done to great effect particularly on the opening track, 'Sunhair', and the title track. There are eastern influences in their work, an idea flogged from GONG, STEVE HILLAGE and a number of other sources. Yet these influences seldom extend to the rhythm section, which in the end means the group remains competent and unadventurous, though still great fun. There are some searing guitar solos here, and a variety of lovely burbling synth loops to caress your ears. The tracks are luscious and rich, a thick Persian carpet of sounds to wriggle your toes in, and all satisfy n the very first listen.

If you're going to acquire only one OZRIC TENTACLES album (and most of you will stop at one, given how similar they are), this is the one to get. But if you like it, please consider having a crack at the above-mentioned techno groups, each at least as progressive as OZRIC and by and large much more demanding.

Jurrasic Shift is an excellent neo-psychedelic piece of work, which I would like to call space-fusion. It reminds me a bit of the P. Moerlen' s led GONG or the late 1970s CAMEL, with addition of odd instruments and Eastern feel. It is mostly instrumental album, but the arrangements are done in so wonderful way that it is never boring, even for a minute! This album can be played and played over and over and never to get bored. A masterpiece of 1990s prog!

PERSONAL RATING: 4,5/5

P.A. RATING: 5/5

This Ozric album is much more hard-space-rock oriented than any of their work so far. And this is fine with me, even if "Hawkwind" did the same some time ago.

"Jurassic Shift" starts really well with "Sunhair" and "Stretchy". But the old habits are also brought back with "Feng Shui" which is their usual reggae-oriented song. At least one per album: that's the price you'll have to pay. It is repetitive, monotonous and dull. Press next.

The same and passionless music can also be experienced during "Halflight in Thillai". This is a spacey track which is by no means pleasant or interesting. Same old stuff.

The title track is of another calibre: at least it brings some variety and dynamics in this work. It starts on the soft side but is building crescendo. The guitar work is fine and even if those "space" sounds in the background are so cliché, it is one of the best songs from the album. Some fine Oriental parts complete the picture just before a gorgeous finale dominated by a superb beat.

The last two tracks are a good summary of what's available on "Jurassic Shift": some atmospheric passages ("Train Oasis") and some more hard-rocking ones ("Vita Voom").

In all, I would say that this album is worth five out of ten. I'll upgrade it to three stars.

Ozric Tentacles make hyperpsychedelic music with lots of influences of Gong. The band creates a contradiction of very floaty spacesounds and straightforward drums and bass grooves, which they do excellent. It's 'hyperpsychedelic', because the grooves are often fast and the sounds are sometimes very strange. The addition of ethnic instruments is really awesome.

But let's put our sins to the record: The album starts right of with 'Sun Hair' and 'Stretchy', which are both excellent 'hyperpsychedelic' pieces. I especially liked Stretchy very much, because of the eastern weirdness that is put in this track. 'Feng Shui' brings you in a calmer psychedelic reggae mood which builds up to a psychedelic weirdness outro. 'Half Light in Thillai' is some nice atmospheric stuff, but seems to lack the excitement of the other tracks. The title track brings us back to exciting psychedelic jams. 'Petranodon' is a mad piece whit very minimalistic bass and a sauce of weird synths and weird guitars on top, which works great. Train Oasis is a nice short piece, but not that special. 'Vita Voom' is a great outro of the original recording.

On the remastered version, there is a live version of 'Feng Shui' with experimentations with delay and other effects. It's a great version of this piece, but the bass guitar wasn't present enough in the mix to my taste. I couldn't hear all the notes.

This album isn't a masterpiece, but listening to this record is a wonderful and unique experience.

What a hell of a gem this one is. I was listening to Pandora one day minding my own business when Jurassic Shift came on and knocked me clean off of my rocker. I immediately acquired this cd and I am having problems putting it down. This is the first OZRIC TENTACLES album I have listened to and I am throughly impressed with the beauty, atmosphere, and straight up rock this album churns out. One of the first steps that this album does right, where most experimental music fails, is maintaining a great sense of structure. The drumming and bass work is amazing on this album and provide a solid base, leaving plenty of room for the keyboards and guitar to free roam and create a very expansive sound. And roam they do. Throughout this album the genres pulled from are extensive, for example the beautiful Asian tones at the beginning of Feng Shui to the middle eastern keyboard lines in the middle of Jurassic Shift. The beautiful flute work on this album should also be credited as it brings life to some wonderful passages, and the fact that it appears sparingly throughout the album makes those moments even better.

The only real downside of this album is that some parts are just cool. For example, when I listen to the rest of the album after Jurassic Shift I enjoy the songs, but afterwards I say to myself that was pretty cool, whereas with Jurassic Shift I say God yes.

This is a wicked album that I think anyone can find something in to jam out to.

Jurassic shift is an album by the ozrics i dont listen to as much like erpland,erpland is the master piece what alot of ozric fans would say,but tjis is just as good more lively and in places mellow to,sunhair is a great start which has all what ozrics are about in my book a good track which i review quickly lol,stretchy is next and is a nice lively ozric number the keys going like mad in bits and eds guitar going all along nicely to this is a number which would be a welcome back live[thats if they havent brought it back yet]next is feng shui which starts very nice and mellow and a bit dubby to [if i,m right] i love this track its got what the ozrics should be mellow,spacey,just ozric feeling this is just brilliant as i love it when it gets going later on,it just gets so ozric mad like[in a good way not bad its brilliant] you,ll know what i mean,the bits before it gets faster just it feels you can feel it getting there at the 8 minute mark it gets going like i,m saying so enjoyful everything here is a total ozric madness the guitar ,bass and everything is so brilliant here you must here this if you are an ozric fan and dont have jurassic shift this is a must have,next is half light in thillai which starts very mellow and with like a bongo sound and with other sounds which is just blissful to me one of the mellowist ozric tracks at the start and with acoustic guitar [very nice] and flute sounds so eastern like this is a very good track by the ozrics and ends mellow as is with the whole track,next is jurassic shift and starts with a nice bass and guitar comes in with the bas going all along nicely and when the flute comes in the guitar gets going and the whole track sounds better and this is so nice on a late day[sunny like]this is a good festival track i think its got that sound to it and feel,at the 5.12 mark it sounds great with the guitar with ozric noises in background sounding like eastern sounding and just sounds great i love the sound to this at the 7,45 markl the drums come in and it really gets going great so ozrics like and the guitar here is so ozric toand the bass is brilliant sounding to this is the ozrics at there sounding best of a few tracks but this track is brilliant you,ll know what i mean by what ive said,next is pteranodon[sounds like a dinosaur name well does to me] this starts with a nice bass bit and dubby drumming like and is kind of slow[in a good way]with the bass making the track with the ozric sounds in background the bass here is quite addictive as with the whole album,when the guitar comes in it sounds great and the bass still going along nicely i bet this sounds great live as its got what with the ozric background sounds how ozrics should sound[trippy like]the bass just drives this track so brilliantly and everything in this track is brilliant to ends nicely to,nice is train oasis which starts with everything and the synth sounding so nice and driving the track nicely along and ends shortly which is not the best track on album but is ok,next is vita voom which starts with nice bass and this is a good ending track this is a treack i forgot how good was by the ozrics its everything youd want by the ozrics with guitar ,bass,synthes,drumming all been good here i love this track it ends so nicely,next is feng shui [live] on my version which is a better version i think same with all ozric track i think there better live when this gets the mad bit going[a very good thing] and ends the album nicely,this album must be owned by all ozric fans or ones who want to get into the ozrics for that matter and all music fans to,if you havent got this get it like now,i give this 5 stars as its brilliant and one of this best albums by the ozrics,an absolute gem,5 stars.

Easily one of the band's best albums-- if not THE best, doing everything so right that it's hard to find anything reasonable to complain about (unless of course one simply dislikes their sound). "Jurassic Shift" grabs hold of the listener and takes them on one of the coolest and genuinely exciting musical trips out there.

Throughout "Jurassic Shift" we're given an elaborate blend of sounds, typically performed with the following elements-- deep soundscapes, set against groovy bass work, with a variety of bizarre sounds or ethnic-sounding instruments... and Ed Wyne's energizing guitar, which rips with a kinetic flair that sounds positively out of place when what one expects from a "space rock" band.

The end result is instrumental fun and excitement. I am sure any electronica snob can name a dozen bands more creative and influential than the Ozrics... but good luck finding any more genuinely entertaining to listen to.

Songwriting: 4 Instrumental Performances: 5 Lyrics/Vocals: NA Style/Emotion/Replay: 5

The Ozric Tentacles are really interesting band with an excellent take on music. The musicianship is top flight really. When I first heard the sample stuff on the site I was instantly blown away.

And for a while, all was right with the world.

The trouble is I just haven't stayed blown away. All too often I find myself utterly zoned out when I listen them. Maybe I don't do enough (read as any) drugs or something to stick with the repetitious nature of the beast.

That predicament is most certainly the case when it comes to Jurassic Shift. It isn't all that way however. The opener Sunhair is always enticing. That actually a good opener thing happens to be an Ozric speciality. Feng Shui is arguably the album's centrepiece. It is totally capable of drawing me in and keeping me there. It has the right pace and all the right shifts. The ending is a little unfortunate, in that is just makes an inappropriate left turn at about minute 8 and just kills the buzz. The closer Vita Voom is also an eclectic little track with some kick which breaks up the monotony of much of the album.

By my count, there are eight tracks on the album and those where only 3 of them. The others just bleed into one another. I don't mean that in the "Never Hear the End of It" (shameless plug for a great guitar pop album) or the more recognizable reference "Abby Road" sort of way where the gearshifts are smooth and the interest only ramps up with each change of scenery. I mean it in the sense that I have trouble distinguishing one track for the other. The motifs repeat and the themes just aren't able catch on all the time.

On the balance I still remain more positive than negative for Jurassic Shift. As an eminenant reviewer of another medium once said "It's still Branston Pickle." (Yahtzee at www.escapistmagazine.com). By that I mean even when not totally hitting the nail on the head, The Ozric Tentacles are imaginative enough to separate themselves from the pack. 3 Stars for this enjoyable if slightly repetitive entry.

As plenty of others have pointed out already, Jurassic Shift is one of the strongest of all Ozric albums. I have a slight preference for Erpland but this one sure comes in second.

The distinction is simply one of inspiration. I've never really kept track of which musicians performed on each particular Ozric album but on this one we sure here a very tight and focussed band. No matter how trippy and out-there this music sounds, this isn't the drunk 'n' doped jamming of Gong and Hawkwind. The Ozrics might be a bit less fun because of it but they sure were more accomplished and professional.

The Ozrics work their way through all different incarnations of their sound: ambient progressive electronic on Sunhair, space-rocking fusion on Stretchy, esoteric dub and reggae that turns into hard rocking frenzy at the end on Feng Shui, Indian flavours on Halflight In Thillai, pure Hawkwind-Gong space-fusion on Jurassic Shift, and the Middle-Eastern rock-dance of Vita Voom, a mandatory item on each Ozric album apparently.

The Ozrics are often criticised for always doing and sounding the same. While I agree to the fact that all their albums are very similar indeed, it's certainly not true that they keep repeating the same trick on each songs. As I've summed up, the plethora of styles is endless and most of their albums have plenty of variation and sophistication inside. That sure goes for this one.

There was a period, of about three month - nearly two years ago, where I encountered the name Ozric Tentacles no matter where I went and so it was only a matter of time before they would get on my play-list. Since then they have been one of those bands that I do listen to from time to time, but without experience any real attachment to their music.

Jurassic Shift is generally considered to be Ozric Tentacles' early masterpiece and it felt therefore as a natural introduction to the band for me. Back then, I remember listening a lot to Eloy's Planets and after noticing that the two bands shared the sub-genre of Psychedelic/Space Rock I boldly assume that there would also be quite a few similarities in their sound. Naturally I was very wrong and the first moments of the opening track Sunhair put me in my place right from the get-go. Ozric Tentacles are more of an experimental sounding band with only a hint of Space groove added to their music just to smooth out the edges and make longer compositions feel very bearable to get through. What I mean by my statement is that their music can go from sounds of trance music to heavy metal on one and the same composition without making any of these elements sound out of place thanks to the smooth elements of their Space groove filling out all the rough edges. Just listen to the 10+ minute track Feng Shui and I'm sure you'll understand exactly what I mean.

All of this is completely hunky dory with me, but there's just one more element to this band's style that tends to not be a favorite of mine. I'm talking about writing groovy music only for the sake of writing groovy music and unfortunately, for me, there are quite a few of those instances featured on every album that I've experienced from this band so far. It almost as annoying as listening to a Jazz Rock/Fusion artist adding smooth Jazz compositions into the mix, aka the Pat Metheny effect, meaning that it might not be all that annoying for some listeners at all while others get completely frustrated with the artist in question. As for my Pat Metheny-example, I do enjoy the two of his albums in my collection, but to be honest most of that enjoyment comes from my childhood nostalgia for his music and I'm actually hesitant of giving any of his other albums a go because of just that. Since I started listening to Ozric Tentacles in my early '20s, I can't really give them the same luxury and therefore have to resort to slightly more drastic measures when I judge their material.

This is definitely a great album for anyone wanting to hear very accessible experimental groove music with a hint of Space Rock added to it, but I wouldn't really want to recommend something that I'm personally all that attached to. Yes, Ozric Tentacle is a fun little band which is also what they will remain due to their unwillingness to broader their horizons outside of making groovy music for their followers. Hence, good, but non-essential.

**** star songs: Sunhair (5:43) Stretchy (6:51) Feng Shui (10:24) Jurassic Shift (11:05) Train Oasis (2:45) Vita Voom (4:48)

*** star songs: Half Light In Tillai (5:35) Pteranodon (5:40)

OK. I realize that this band always has the same ideas, recycling them constantly, even though some albums are quite original. In "Jurassic Shift", I hear familiar sounds, but very well put together: a brilliant collage of different ideas, all used. It might sound like a negative comment, and in almost all circumstances it is. But not this time. Jurassic Shift is a good album indeed, with some brilliant moments, totally original. Some however, like I said, have been heard already in their previous albums.

The album, the band, always keeps the same style: a great mix between new age, psychedelic rock, progressive, jazz, electronic synth pop. A big melting pot. Certainly this album can't quite be compared, in my opinion, to some of their albums like "Curious Corn", "Pungent Effulgent", or even the sadly underrated "Waterfall Cities".

Great Songs are present in this album, such as the title track, a real Ozric Tentacles classic, with it's 11 minutes of perfectly flowing music, or the mind blowing "Halflight In Thillai", with it's Asian music influences, the nice "Stretchy". Also "Feng Shui", which isn't bad, has some memorable moments from it's ten minutes, like the guitar driven ending. Also, "Sunhair" always relaxes me. The album is good, and I would give it at least 4 stars, which is a compliment for a band that often repeats themselves.

The three Ozric Tentacles albums I own (the three I.R.S. CDs from th early nineties) are all very good albums, but of the three, I'd say this was the best of them. It's the one I listen to the most. It took a few listens to figure out what brings me to this one, but it appears to me that the sounds of the instruments blend a bit better here than on the other two. Perhaps it was a better studio budget (I.R.S. was having financial trouble at the time Arborescence was made), I don't know, but this just sounds more cohesive.

Anyway, like all of the Ozric albums I've heard, the songs are all splendid space rock jams. My favorite on this one is the eerie Pteranodon.

I find the album is perfect for late night driving, or long trips through the New Hamshire mountains. But that's just me.

Jurassic Shift is a good Ozrics album, but certainly not close to their best. Songs like Stretchy, Half Light in Thillai, Vita Voom weaken the album because they are too similar in the mood they impart to the listener, and they are really too "hippy-trippy" for their own good. A lot of my friends, who I introduced Ozrics to, wonder why Ozric Tentacles are so underrated. I know they are too much for most ignorant listeners to understand, from a technical and sonic perspective, but their image is really laughable sometimes, which is neither good nor bad, but it is hard for most audience members to handle. The "world music" (I really don't like using this label, but it is a common one) contained within is condensed heavily through this new-age trippy aesthetic so much that it comes off as being schlock, and tacky sometimes.

As harsh as I may be with my rating and my comments, I still find this album very listenable, but I would not hold it to the same esteem as other Ozric albums or Progressive albums for that matter. Ed Wynne and Ozrics are an incredible live band to see, and perhaps one of the best touring bands in this genre. I have seen them live at the Fox Theater in Boulder and they truly incredible, but their studio albums lose the spontaneity that make their live shows so engaging.

This is certainly a good album from the Tentacles, but its not their best.

Producing albums since 1985, Ed Wynne and company (aka OZRIC TENTACLES)'s 1990 and 1993 albums, Erpland and Jurassic Shift, respectively, achieved the blend of quality production, recording, composition, and performance to elevate the band into the pantheon of 'significant' progressive rock musicians. Categorized a "psychedelic/space rock" band because of their jam band instrumental approach and heavy reliance on synths, "world" percussives, rhythms, instruments and sounds, and Ed Wynne's guitar soloing, the Ozrics are so much more. (The reputation of their live concerts does seem to draw similarities to those of PHISH, GROBSCHNITT, or THE GRATEFUL DEAD.) Jurassic Shift is my favorite OT album. Published in April of 1993, this modern world instrument- and synthesizer-infused jazz-rock fusion band from the UK led by guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Ed Wynne had just come off the release of their second live album after eight studio albums in eight years. With JS it seems that the band had made the complete synthesis, balance, and maturation of their spacey sound with pristine sound reproduction and production.

1. "Sunhair" (5:43) from the opening percussive synthesizer sequence I knew that this was going to be a band I like and that this song album and song were to be amazing. Once full band joins in there are sections of Japanese garden-like sounds, odd crowd/bird sounds, swirling synth solos and wailing rock guitar soli all alternating in perfect time durations. Awesome opener! (9.5/10)

2. "Stretchy" (6:51) here the band puts on display the unique way in which they have incorporated the awesome array of synthesizer sounds and capabilities becoming available at the beginning of the Nineties--many of which were rather unfortunately relegated to the realms of New Age and Buddha Lounge/World Music. The song cruises along at a fast pace from the get go with a vast array of synth sounds being incorporated over the driving drum and bass play. Great tune for moving! (9/10)

3. "Feng Shui" (10:24) opening with flute soloing meditatively over garden-like synth washes and incidental percussives until a synth sequence and drums and bass enter at the 1:30 mark establishing a Lots of Holger-Czukay-like radio samples woven into the tapestry. At the end of the third minute some really gorgeous synth chords enter before leaving to isolate the bass and Jamaica-like drum/percussives in order to throw a veritable flood of idiosyncronous synth-generated spacey-"jungle" sounds at us. Koto takes the lead within the mix for the sixth minute. Then a more familiar organ-like synth bumps some chords at us during the seventh minute before devolving into more synth soloing from some odd & delay/echoed synth sound. The 8:00 mark sees a dramatic shift into high octane power rock with a whole change in tempo (faster) and style. For creativity this is an astonishing song; melodically it may be found lacking a bit. (8.5/10)

4. "Half Light in Thillai" (5:36) this one opens with sounds and style that are very familiar to me for my obsession with all things the Brothers Gordon (Steve and David) founders of Sequoia Records and musicians behind many of the great New Age yoga and drum circle/dance albums of the 1980s (the Inner Music and Sacred Earth Drums series') as well as bands like DEEP FOREST. Slow, methodic and aboriginal, the rhythm tracks allow for some nice flute, guitar, and synth incidentals. The final minute and more finds some excellent acoustic guitar work. (8.5/10)

5. "Jurassic Shift" (11:06) simply the best song on the album and the most truly prog of them all with some outstanding electric guitar work--both lead and rhythm--over the amazingly engaging groove coming from the rhythm tracks. This is where we get served notice that Ed Wynne is a guitar god--eleven minutes of such service! The quiet middle section is quite reminiscent of some Al Di Meola's softer stuff--like from Scenario on. (10/10)

6. "Pteranodon" (5:41) takes us back to a Jurassic-kind of time with heavy, plodding bass and drum lines supporting long sustained decaying synth "screams." The island/jungle/tribal-like percussives only add to the effect as do the "alien"-like synth ejaculations in the second half of the second minute. Searing electric guitar solo opens the third minute before relinquishing its lead to more of the synth (and violin?) ejaculations and "screams." Again, from a creativity aspect, this song is incredible! AND it hits on all cylinders with the engaging groove and story being "told." (9/10)

7. "Train Oasis" (2:46) opens with a quickly established PAT METHENY GROUP-like groove (though using a synthesizer for bass). Creative midi-synth soloing on multiple levels (tracks?) and nice chord progressions and melody constructions. (9/10)

8. "Vita Voom" (4:48) Timbales and bass & guitar open this one presenting an almost punk/techno pop beat before incidental samples are thrown at us from the computer keyboard. At the end of the opening minute the lead electric guitar gives us a little more structure with its ostinati. Flute gets a turn to shine in the third minute--though its treatments sometimes almost obscure it. Spanish-flavored acoustic guitar is added and then Spanish-flavored lead electric guitar wails over the now distinctly Latin-infused song. (9/10)

4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of innovative progressive rock music, rated up for its example to other space jam bands.

'Jurassic Shift' - Ozric Tentacles (8/10)

Although I would not yet consider myself to be an expert of all things Ozric- having only heard a handful of their albums at this point- but they are quickly becoming one of my most liked bands in the psychedelic and space rock styles. Having a good thirty or so albums under their belts since coming out of the woodwork in the eighties, Ozric Tentacles has become a very well regarded band, while maintaining their stance as an underground act. 'Jurassic Shift' is one of the more acclaimed records by this band, recommended to me as an ideal place to start my journey with these guys. If the band's 1993 effort is any indicator of their career, than after many listens to this gem, I would reckon I have many great days of superb listening ahead. Fusing numerous different sounds together into one signature blend of 'space fusion', Ozric Tentacles creates a massively fun and exciting listen with this one.

When it comes to the sound of the Ozrics, I must say that they do have a very recognizable sound, despite being part of a style that generally recycles the ideas of the first psychedelic wave. Ozric Tentacles make instrumental music that is deep, ambient, trippy, and- above all- fun to listen to. Each of the compositions on 'Jurassic Shift' is quick to make me smile, there is almost a happy-go-lucky attitude to alot of the music that this band makes that would make a perfect soundtrack to the perfect acid trip. Despite being fun and generally upbeat though, the compositions are fairly dense in their sound. Although the songwriting tends to get somewhat drawn out- keeping in touch with their genre roots- the songs build and ebb with a good feeling of intention to them, and the musicianship of each member is peaked for this sort of music. Ed Wynne's guitar solos could sometimes do with a little more moderation, but never lets go of the atmosphere. The bass grooves here are incredibly catchy and memorable, especially in the upbeat rocker 'Stretchy'. Possibly most engaging here though are the keyboards and electronics, which- did I mention- have enough spaced-out energy to them to make Timothy Leary consider settling down for a job as an insurance salesman?

A surprising aspect of the band's sound is the fact they they use alot of ethnic instrumentation in their sound; something I was not quite expecting from a band like this. With 'Feng Shui' or 'Half Light In Thillai' both take the listener to ambient soundscapes of other cultures, which does well to both soothe and excite. The fusion of world music into the Ozrics' formula of space rock is really great, and adds a new level of depth of the music that I really was not expecting. The last two songs on the album are not quite as memorable as I would have liked them to be, but the album is fairly consistent, constantly throwing new interesting things at the listener for the very most part.

I can only hope that the rest of this band's discography is so good; with Ozric Tentacles' 'Jurassic Shift', they have found themselves a new fan in me. I am not usually into this sort of music, but with Ozric, there is a real intelligence to back up the trippy vibes and spacial harmonies. This is a really excellent album.

One of the Ozrics' crowning achievement, Jurassic Shift doesn't do a whole lot different from most of their other early 1990s albums - it just does it better. The performances are top-notch, the production is perfectly judged, the compositions are good and the album is varied enough in its sound so that it's constantly surprising the listener and never becomes repetitive or tiring to listen to. With all the usual range of musical styles you expect from the Ozrics - trippy Gong- inspired space rock, mellow Middle Eastern-derived tunes, and all the rest - Jurassic Shift is perhaps the best starting point for any exploration of their discography. If you only own one Ozrics album, make it this one.

If the rumour is true that if you hear one Ozric Tentacles album, you've got the whole story and sound of the band, then it would make sense that the first one you hear would be their finest and all of the others simply follow that formula. That logic didn't work with me; I heard ERPLAND before I heard JURASSIC SHIFT, and somehow the latter album attracted my attention far more than ERPLAND.

My understanding of the main idea of psychedelic space dance music is to keep a steady yet mesmerizing beat going adding flourishes over the top so that the track doesn't become repetitive. The Ozrics managed to make that work quite well here, most notably in the title track. That title track has some pure Tim Blake essence for about eight minutes until Wynne just goes thrash punk on the listener and yet that moment sounds warranted.

And this album is condensed compared to ERPLAND. The music is quite easy to get into and enjoy, yet the occasional time signature shift and long song should keep progsters interested. It's only real problem is that it can be relegated to background music out of habit.

After having been quite impressed by Erpland, I decided to get Jurassic Shift. In most ways this almost an identical copy. The general sound and style is the same; they still rely on a perfect mix of spacey and psychadelic atmosphere and upbeat, technical, and energetic instrumentation.

This is a bit shorter than Erpland, which is good because there really aren't any weak songs here. 'Sunchair,' 'Stretchy,' 'Feng Shui' 'Jurassic Shift' and Vita Voom are all top notch tracks.

Though, if I were to call anything weak it would probably have to be 'Half Light In Thillai,' and to a lesser extent 'Pteranodon,' and 'Train Oasis.' They all have an amazing atmosphere, especially the dark, brooding atmosphere of the first, but not the same energy as some of the others.

Though I really liked Erpland, I must say I enjoy this one more overall. It's shorter, more concise, and simply more fun to listen to.

7/10

Perhaps the Zenith of space rock.

Jurassic Shift IMO is the Ozrics best album amongst a few serious contenders. OT's ideas, execution and sound gracefully come together perfectly on this album. Perhaps most importantly there is a cohesive feel throughout the entire track listing. This is probably their warmest sounding collection. Atmosphere and ambience has always been OT's forte and it is achieved with virtuosic playing without endless noodling and soloing which is the downfall of most modern prog. While lots of prog bands use an ethnic mode in a more western structure, OT uses them evoke a feeling of actually being there or somewhere exotic. Like a rainforest, Chinese mountains, Thai countryside, Jamaican beach or sometimes combined taking the listener somewhere new. Some of the band members actually travel to different parts of the world to get a true influence and the right sounds as well. Ed's spacey guitar, John's ethereal flutes, Joie's bubbling and ethnic synth's, Roly an Zia's grounding and sometimes melodic bass, Merv's tight drums and Marcus's ethnic percussion serve up the greatest Space prog album that's ever hit my ears. Headphone use strongly recommended.

Trippy-ish, but thin

Often considered the best Ozrics studio album, Jurassic Shift is at least enjoyable all the way through, and it is the studio album of theirs that I have listened to the most (hence this review). Like other Ozrics albums from this period, the music is instrumental and feels like it was recorded live in the studio. When they are at their best, they sound like (Daevid Allen's) Gong improvising live in the 1970s, which is why their live albums are generally their most musical, as they get to stretch out and improvise onstage. However, they emerged in the early 1990s during the early rave scene and their music is also clearly targeted to that audience. So, most of the tracks have a repetitive beat/lick set to a programmed bass line that are meant for getting people dancing, and musically these pieces are thin, they generally do not go anywhere. They might start or end with some interesting noises, and contain some interesting beats, but most of the pieces just repeat that beat or pattern for the entire song in one key and then end. I wish there were something additional to maintain interest, whether solos, melodies, vocals, changing time signatures, or key changes. Indeed, there are few real solos to speak of (a couple of the Gong-like tracks have short guitar or synth solo-like breaks, but they last maybe 15 or 20 seconds, and are not developed to their potential), and all but the title track is in a fairly straight 4/4 beat (the title track moves between 4/4 and 6/8). There are no vocals, which is fine, but that means there needs to be something else to add musicality to the repetitive beats. For the most part, this is done with textures made by synths, whether synth washes or sequencers, or the occassional flute-synth lines, but in most cases these can't make these tunes worth listening to more than once or twice for their own sake (although it makes a fine background music for parties). The best tracks on this album are the title track ("Jurassic Shift") and the closer ("Vita Voom") - those are the songs with some real guitar playing and sufficient improvisation, and good drumming, for continued listening. After this, the opener ("Sun Hair") is a nice tune with an interesting synth sequence that actually has chord changes, while second track ("Stretchy") has a memorable synth-based main theme, so both are enjoyable but nonetheless pretty thin. My version of the album has both the studio version and also a live version of "Feng Shui", which starts with nice flute notes, and has a quirky repeated dancehall (4/4) beat, but unfortunately no solos, just 10 minutes of synth noises over the same bass line. There is a cool acoustic guitar theme that reappears occasionally in the fourth track "Half Light in Thilla", but it is more like a tease, with the song fading out before anywhere realizing its potential. "Pteranodon" and "Train Oasis" are, again, enjoyable, but thin musically and too repetitive. On the whole, some nice background music for a house party, but really only two standout tracks. I give this album 6.8 out of 10 on my 10-point scale, which translates to 3 PA stars.

I'm not over the moon about this group but this album is terrific. I've tried many of their other ones, they are just too heavy on the guitar for me to get off on. This one I've discovered is groovy to the core. It feels like the balance is just right for me, like a great jazz record, you just put on and lose forty minutes riding the wave. The Ozrics I've listened to have yet to top this masterpiece and from what I've gathered from their extensive discography this is where their talents solidified. Perfect packaging and album length add to the appeal, as does the fact there really wasn't anyone sounding like this in the early nineteen nineties that I've heard except maybe Djam Karet to some extent

5: the ninth album by Ozric Tentacles, the most acclaimed by the band. I have to say it is an almost excellent album, and a very original sound. The experimentation used here is very consistent and nothing exaggerate at all. Very progressive with elements of rock, Electronic and Ambient music, but pretty good combined and without any moment of boredom. It has no vocals, but for me they always are a complement to the music, so it doesn't matter. Musically, the main instrument used is the keyboard over where all the other members of the band make their thing and complement the keyboard passages, I liked a lot when they suddenly change the music with a very heavy one, for example in Feng Shui, also the drums make a very good job and all the ambient and random sounds add a interesting touch. A masterpiece of space rock, I recommend it to any prog listener.