THROUGH THE GATES OF DEEPER SLUMBER

It's amazing how the album that I'd like to listen to in 1970 has been released in 1997. I have read of it on PA and I took very long to find a used copy on eBay. I don't know anything of the band's members, apart that they sound like the early Renaissance of Viv McAuliffe with a more psychedelic approach. The epic 25 minutes track has a lot of sitar and oriental flavors and lyrics about fairies and fairy tales. The hypnotic rhythm and the bass line playing on a major chord have a relation with Krautrock. This is clearer in the psychedelic part after the 10th minute, subtitled "The Song Of The Nightsmade Fairy". Here the song changes drastically. No more sitar and oriental flavors. Electronic drums and keyboards make it closer to Ozric Tentacles or some instrumental pieces of Porcupine Tree. When "Bumble B" sings we are in a sort of dark chill-out. It's like 30 years have passed between part 1 and 2 and this. Part 4 is different again. A section of progressive electronic with a lot of keyboards to bring the 70s back. It's "The Song Of The Queen Of The Meadows Fairy". This part is "broken" by an interlude made with sound from a carnival, then there's another space-rock moment. The epilogue fades out and it's done.

"Columbine Confused" seems written in 1969. It's a song that I can easily imagine played at the Isle of Wight. The Renaissance debut comes immediately to my mind but not only. I hear influences of Doors and Syd Barrett, but it's so end-60 that if you concentrate you can hear almost every band of that period. Every and None at the same time.

"A Word In Season" is strange. The passages are unusual. I can't identify what they sound like, but this song makes something ring in my memory. The Who of Tommy is one of the things that they make me think of, but also the psychedelic period of the Beatles. Bumble's vocals sound very similar to Annie Haslam on this song. From the lyrics point of view we are still speaking of fairies. For my tastes this is a 5 stars song.

Last, there's another song in 4 parts. About 15 minutes. It's likely because the part 1 is entitled Atlantis and the vocalist is male, but I think to Eloy. The second part is another acid version of Renaissance with the main theme that's close to something that I've already heard but I can't identify. The 4th part is instrumental and closes an excellent album. Highly suggested.