MERCATOR PROJECTED

EAST OF EDEN are a band that has gotten past me all these years. Sure i've seen their name pop up in the liner notes on certain albums where it's mentioned that they've played at the same festivals as KING CRIMSON, CAMEL, CARAVAN etc. but i'd never checked them out until this year. Better late than never I suppose.This album really blew me away. It's inventive, challenging and daring to say the least.The band I thought of the most was THE PLASTIC PEOPLE OF THE UNIVERSE because the violin sounds very similar.These guys had so many great ideas though and a unique sound, especially for 1969.This album was very successful in France where they had several top ten singles.Violin, flute and sax are prominant along with the usual guitar, bass and drums.

"Northern Hemispheres" has this low end groove with abrasive violin early on.Vocals before 1 1/2 minutes remind me somewhat of Richard Sinclair. Some brief processed vocals after 2 1/2 minutes are followed by flute that takes over.That low end groove with vocals is back. Dissonance ends it. "Isadora" opens with flute as the vocals and drums join in.This is great ! Violin after 1 1/2 minutes when the vocals stop. Flute then replaces the violin. Check out the bass, sax, flute, guitar and drum section that follows ! So good. Vocals are back at 3 1/2 minutes. "Waterways" reminds me of one of the mellow tracks off of KING CRIMSON's debut from the same year. He even sounds like Greg Lake somewhat here. A change 2 minutes in though as the tempo picks up and we get a strong Eastern flavour. Amazing ! Love the drum work too. Sax before 3 1/2 minutes then the early mellow sound with vocals returns to end it. Well almost because a toilet flush is the last sound we pretty much here. "Centaur Woman" has some funny lyrics to it. It becomes uptempo quickly and it is rather Bluesy.The tempo does shift a lot on this one as well. Flute plays over top then sax. Some low end sounds when it calms down before 2 1/2 minutes. It kicks back in at 5 1/2 minutes with vocals.Some crazy sax 6 minutes in.

"Bathers" is mellow with violin and what sounds like mellotron strings. Reserved vocals too. A fuller sound after 1 1/2 minutes.This is excellent ! "Communion" is spacey to start then the violin, flute and drums kick in. Vocals follow.This reminds me so much of THE PLASTIC PEOPLE OF THE UNIVERSE. "Moth" opens with drums and sax. A calm with vocals before a minute as contrasts continue.Great tune. "In The Stable Of The Sphinx" opens with the phone ringing and someone talking before the music kicks in to an uptempo groove. Check out the violin after 2 minutes. Love this track. Nice guitar before 3 minutes that reminds me of SANTANA. It settles 5 1/2 minutes in. Dissonant sax 7 minutes in then it picks back up before 8 minutes.There's a cool bonus track of a cover of THE BYRDS "Eight Miles High" along with two demo tracks.

Thankyou Esoteric Records for this re-issue ! This is a classic !