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PUZZLE

The Mandrake Memorial

Psychedelic/Space Rock


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The Mandrake Memorial Puzzle album cover
3.54 | 17 ratings | 3 reviews | 18% 5 stars

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Studio Album, released in 1970

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Earthfriend Prelude (2:49)
2. Earthfriend (6:17)
3. Just A Blur (Version 1) (0:53)
4. Hiding (3:15)
5. Just A Blur (Version 2) (0:51)
6. Tadpole (2:25)
7. Kyrie (3:24)
8. Ocean's Daughter (3:35)
9. Volcano Prelude (2:09)
10. Volcano (5:59)
11. Whisper Play (3:00)
12. Bucket Of Air (9:37)
13. Children's Prayer (3:25)
14. Puzzle (3:08)
15. Just A Blur (Version 3) (0:51)
16. Something In The Air (CD Bonus Track) (4:32)
17. Musical Man (CD Bonus Track) (3:51)

Total Time 60:01

Line-up / Musicians

- Craig Anderton / guitars, electronics
- Randy Monaco / bass, voices
- John Kevin Lally / drums

Releases information

LP Poppy Records PYS40006 (1970)
CD Collectables Records COLS0693 (1996)

Buy THE MANDRAKE MEMORIAL Puzzle Music



THE MANDRAKE MEMORIAL Puzzle ratings distribution


3.54
(17 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(18%)
18%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(47%)
47%
Good, but non-essential (18%)
18%
Collectors/fans only (18%)
18%
Poor. Only for completionists (0%)
0%

THE MANDRAKE MEMORIAL Puzzle reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by DamoXt7942
FORUM & SITE ADMIN GROUP Avant/Cross/Neo/Post Teams
3 stars As honestly I say, this album is too difficult for me to digest up.

Such a challenging album "Puzzle" gets started with mellow and lyrical string sounds sent out by Craig's electronics. This beginning of Earthfriend Prelude ~ Earthfriend can always excite listeners with palpitation. Exactly a magnificent view of sound constructed by a graceful guitar, slow but steady drums, beautiful electronics, and enthusiastic Randy's voices, we can meet. On the contrary, very fascinating are Craig's acoustic guitar and plaintive electric piano sound in Just A Blur ~ Hiding suite ... each instrument or voice is very cozy and delightful for us. Yes, their soundscape can directly immerse into our mind space. Randy's passion cannot stop even in the next track Tedpole ... as if his voices can erase other primitive instrumental roles. No, no, Craig cannot lose ... Kyrie and Ocean's Daughter are his tracks, absolutely full of psychedelically echoic sound shower by his ingenious electronic machine gun. We can call the former part of this album "The Comfort Zone", can't we?

Atmosphere should be altered anytime ... Volcano Prelude ~ Volcano with whacked warped sounds is another world. Persistently scattered sound magma pop from Volcano, we imagine? This part can be thought as the most experimental and challenging one. With an angel share named Whisper Play thrown into the middle, a Space Rock-flavoured strict song Bucket Of Air comes here. Keen frozen air-like electronic sounds and sticky drumming are a bit exaggerated at least for me indeed ... but please understand their inner space, or their close-to-the-edge shouts shortly before disbandment? This dangerous situation might appear the next song Children's Prayer - somehow guess not prayer of children but shouts on their mind. Yup therefore Puzzle the poppy song is a bit puzzling, like as scattered pieces of a puzzle in the end. Even the last track Just A Blur (Version 3), such a quiet ending, should let us imagine not safe & sound but vacancy of mind.

Suppose they wanted to notify us their extremely altered state of inner space? Very tough to understand.

Latest members reviews

4 stars I discovered this album completely by accident. I heard their version of "Something in the Air" by Thunderclap Newman and fell in love with it, and THEN I downloaded the entire album. This album sneaks up on you. It may not be immediate gratification. It was while listening one day with the m ... (read more)

Report this review (#1325796) | Posted by Musicislove | Thursday, December 18, 2014 | Review Permanlink

4 stars The Mandrake Memorial was a criminally underrated band capable of doing some pretty good music and, even though not a lot of people know them, giving some better-known bands a good run for their money. The Puzzle is, in my opinion, their best record: a departure and, in the same time, union of th ... (read more)

Report this review (#452379) | Posted by JackFloyd | Thursday, May 26, 2011 | Review Permanlink

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