STRANGEITUDE

Ozrics had a difficult task in following up two stunning studio albums in a row with Strangeitude, but they pulled it off. Like predecessors Pungent Effulgent and Erpland, the recording contains some of their strongest material to date. Maybe it was the influence of the successfully-achieved Live Underslunky in-concert recording, which also dates from this period, but Ed Wynne and Joie Egan on guitars and keyboards showed a real willingness to stretch out on the original Strangeitude's seven tracks. Opener White Rhino Tea sees an old favourite revisited, from its hypnotic sequencer opening to some devastating instrumental battling from Joie and Ed. Rhythm section Roly and Merv are well on top of their game here, providing a strong, bubbling undercurrent like Chris Squire and Alan White at their best. Heavily techno-influenced Sploosh, used to advertise BMW cars on UK television, follows, and with the magnificently prog title track and two Asian-sounding tunes, Saucers and Bizarre Bazaar, next in line, there simply isn't any easing-off of quality which had blighted the band's previous efforts. The other-worldly Space Between Your Ears and a trancey live version of Erpland's The Throbbe round things off, with an extra live jam on the CD issue. Overall, a magnificent, varied LP which belies the oft-claimed platitude that the Ozrics have made a career out of reopeating the same album about 20 times ... (whaddya mean, career!)