GHOST

It's quite amazing I am making first review of this very interesting bands first album (there are only 10 ratings about this)! Well, it just shows, how much there are interesting bands in the world that have threat to disappear in the minds of the people. It seems in 2007 some PA members 'found' the band and after that every now and then somebody has made one or two reviews a year. This Ghost (it wasn't the first and really not the last) started already in 1984, but released this album not until 1990. Have to say I am a big fan of sixties psych, but never been so much into new psych (well I guess I haven't really heard many clearly new psych bands, I think there is always that space element that I haven't found very interesting in most cases). Anyway this band has very little 'space' in it's music and comes more into sixties psych (they even had spent collective life as their predecessors did). On the other hand I would not call this band just retro, they have really a fresh style although it differs a lot of the common style of nineties.

This album starts really great way! First the listener is scared with loud noises, but soon 'Sun Is Tagging' changes into very acoustic and creates very warm and mysterious atmosphere. You just go direct into soft psychedelia of sixties! 'Guru In the Echo' goes into little electric direction with really great, psychedelic electric guitar. This very catchy piece reminds a little Can's 'Soundtracks'-album. In 'Moungod Te Deum' direction goes really experimental. It has birds voices and some very strong mantra into it. Really love that piece also! But after these three great pieces direction starts to go a little bit mediocre. All the rest of the pieces are mostly quite calm. 'I've Been Flying' is fully acoustic and very beautiful. 'Ballad Of Summer Rounder' continues same way, but in the middle there comes drums. In the end there are little bit chaotic piece, which of course make this over ten minutes piece more interesting, but it lasts too long when nothing really happening there. The second part of 'Moungod' serie is really meditative with wind sounds and totally acoustic instruments. Last part of 'Moungod' is quite experimental and has again mantra-style vocals. Last 'Rakshu' is very sedative piece, maybe little bit too long.

This debut album is really promising, but not showing the full potential of this interesting band. Really I am not wondering at all that Drag City decided to take this band into their label in 1996 and released their greatest album 'Lama Rabi Rabi'. Although band has released their latest studio album in 2007, it was 2014 when band told to be disbanded. So sad, there are not really too much this kind of bands today. I would have given the album four stars if the greatness of first three songs had continued (maybe even five), but now this is three stars album.

GHOST are a six piece band out of Japan playing a psychedelic/folk brand of music. That krautrock spirit is here as well with those drugged out vocals on the second half of the album. The music is not in a hurry. Plenty of flute and percussion with vocals in english. They had a pretty good run releasing eight studio albums from 1990 to 2007. I am fortunate to own four of those. My first was way back in 2007 with "Lama Rabi Rabi" but it would be nine years before I would visit them again with their "Hypnotic Underworld" record. Both strong albums, so the search was on for more resulting in the acquisitions of this the debut and the followup "Second Time Around".

While there is electric guitar, sax, piano and electronics I feel they are buried or sparse. This album really is dominated by percussion, flute, acoustic guitar and vocals. The standout track for me is "Ballad Of Summer Rounder" an almost 11 minute trip my friends. I should mention as well that there are some inventive moments on this record. This isn't all trippy all the time. The vocal arrangements on "Moungod Te Deum" are interesting. Almost an "aummm" style to them but different.

And how about the opening of this record on "Sun Is Tangging" where we hear this soft distant flute. Do not be fooled into either turning up the volume, or putting your ear next to the speaker. They want you to do that! There is an explosion of sound that goes on for a while and it's the loudest section on the record. Like a blast of yells, beats and more blended together and then turned up a notch hoping to scare the naive listener. Yeah it worked! Thanks a lot.

This is a special record that even triggers emotion like early on my favourite track "Ballad Of Summer Rounder". I'm looking forward to spending time with the followup next week. As for this one, it's easily a four star record in my world, and it was great to hear their beginnings, where it all started.