A RAINBOW IN CURVED AIR

In his book 'The Ambient Century' an Irish writer Mark J. Prendergast claims the album to be closely related to ambient or just being ambient. Well, the first track isn't really ambient from my perspective. The second track possesses this huge emphasis on tone, but it's too dynamic and intense to be regarded as purely ambient. Also, some time ago I've read in Wikipedia that these two compositions feature just intonation. I don't trust Wikipedia, so if you are seeking music that prominently features this kind of intonation, beware. Now, let's closely examine the character of the music on the record.

The title track is more than just a dense interplay of organ and synth parts; it's a vehicle for entertainment. Most of the parts on the track are so fast that they sound funny, like some kind of a joke on Christmas music, so don't even bother memorizing any of the melodies on it. These melodies could be visually associated with liquid jets, if it helps as an appreciation tip. However, it is groovy, so you might as well bob your head to it. Yes, it's lengthy, and the track is for people who can stand numerous repetitions of the same groove.

The second track is my favorite. I was really enthralled with the music when I heard it on the BBC documentary 'Prog Rock Britannia'. Now that I found out who was the guilty one of this music and what album it came from, I can enjoy 'Poppy Nogood and his Phantom Band' in its entirety, and it's really worth it; take my word for it. In a few different and very bizarre ways the music is quite emotional and entertaining at the same time. To my certain knowledge not a lot of musicians managed to pull off something like this. It's amazing what you can do with those echo machines. Very impressive for 1967. First, there is this track; then there is Pink Floyd's "Meddle". Unbelievable.

Ratings/comments (if you have to ask):

1. 'A Rainbow in Curved Air' - *** ; 2. 'Poppy Nogood and his Phantom Band' - *****

Stamp: 'I like it.'

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