Ozric Tentacles

[Guy Berger]

I used to be a lot more into these guys in college, but still enjoy them quite a bit. Some of my favorite albums by Ed, Merv, Joie, Roly and their friends:

[Mr. Gone]

Yep, I very much like the "Pungent Effulgent", "Erpland" albums and track 1 on "Live Underslunky". Roly's bass playing was pretty cool.

[John B]

I have most of their albums and have seen them live twice. The first show, in 1994, was fantastic. The second show, last year, was abysmal. I don't believe I will go see them again.

I highly recommend their "live" album called Spice Doubt. It has a fantastic version of "Sploosh." The live album Pongmaster's Ball is nice, too.

[Guest Chaney]

At one time I owned Jurrasic Shift but, finding it exceedingly irritating (can't remember why, maybe those rapidly shifting prog rock patterns got to me?), I sold it off on eBay. I did not make a profit on that sale.

Edited March 1, 2006 by Chaney

[Guy Berger]

I have most of their albums and have seen them live twice. The first show, in 1994, was fantastic. The second show, last year, was abysmal. I don't believe I will go see them again.

The last album I picked up was Waterfall Cities and it was OK. OTOH I liked Curious Corn quite a bit. I saw them live two or three times in the late 90s and early 00s. They're OK as a live band -- too much like the studio albums. Aren't they pretty much an Ed solo project at this point? I think the group was best when Merv and Joie were members.

I highly recommend their "live" album called Spice Doubt. It has a fantastic version of "Sploosh." The live album Pongmaster's Ball is nice, too.

Haven't heard Pongmaster's Ball at all, and haven't listened to Spice Doubt for a while. I wonder how that goop in the album sleeve is holding up, I should go check.

Guy

Edited March 1, 2006 by Guy

[John B]

Aren't they pretty much an Ed solo project at this point?

Yes. My understanding is that the drummer plays to a click track, the keyboardist (Ed's wife) has been told when to trigger the samples that Ed programmed and the bass player doesn't do anything too interesting.

The lineup has changed at least twice since I saw them last year. I had no impression that I was seeing an actual band play, unlike the show in 1994.

[Guest akanalog]

when i was in high school i remember seeing them 1994-ish and i enjoyed it. good high school fun with trippy lights and people on LSD.

i also owned jurrassic shift, and did not enjoy it. not sure why. in theory it was sort of probably what i was looking for at the time but it didn't click with me.

it was hard to find anything else by them in suburban new jersey and i remember being in burlington in 1995 and being shocked at the large number of ozric tentacles albums a record store had.

[Guy Berger]

The lineup has changed at least twice since I saw them last year. I had no impression that I was seeing an actual band play, unlike the show in 1994.

This must have happened after the final time I saw them (fall 2000), because that was an actual band.

Guy

[Guy Berger]

I just got through listening to Erpland for the first time in a long time. Fantastic album! Highly recommended to anyone who is interested in fusiony, ethnic-influenced space rock. "Eternal Wheel" baby!

Guy

[Jim Alfredson]

What if I'm only into ethically space-influenced rock fusion?

[Guy Berger]

What if I'm only into ethically space-influenced rock fusion?

Then I think you might like them. At one time, they had a keyboardist named "Seaweed".

Guy

[Jim Alfredson]

I actually have one or two of their albums. I was trying to find some new things after gleaning everything I could out of 70s prog as a teenager. Then I got into jazz and lost interest.

They were good at what they did.

[Sundog]

I have a couple of their albums. Don't remember which ones though. I like them but a little goes a long way for me.

[Guy Berger]

I was googling them online and found the following album review. It seems like the writer has an imperfect grasp of English (or even used google's translate tool) but is amusing nonetheless.

It was the first release which I ever had of the Tentacles of Ozric. I was inspired by descriptions of the noises synthesized by spacey and the low lines of palpitation in the reviews which I had knowledge of this group. Indeed, listening at the time initially, I was not left downwards. The combination of Ed and Roly Wynne is pure genius.

All gives a kick in speed with the white tea of Rhinoceros. I am not sure how you can make a tea starting from a white rhinoceros as I thought that the tea was a factory and not an animal. Although this makes my brain feel strange, I appreciated it though I did not taste the tea. You would think that it could smell very badly, but I cannot feel anything when I listen to this song. It is probably for the best, my brain would think bravely.

Sploosh has a low line wild and palpitating which makes my ears reverse milk shakes with joy. This only song is worth the sorrow the purchase of this album for me. I can balance eggs on my head and still smell myself as I have a time of recreation. There was not something to smell here while I listened attentively. Definite more, but not has without, in my paragraph to be initialized.

I found saucers pleasant as well. These types are really gifted when it comes to qualities instrumental. The song of title is another house of power of the bright brushes of connector of ear. It is terrible and it makes my mouth sprinkle although not around celery. Really, I am excited with my nose in the music more than my toes could imagine.

I also like the odd bazaar. I was with several of the odd places on the ground, even when you look to the top the moon and fall in bottom of the throats and direct pencils in bottom of the right roads. I am certain that you can buy houses of lettuce and dog and factories of wax here. It is a pleasure to hold on your being!

Space between your ears must be inspired by the people as I who have much of this space and has us much more ears than the average person. I would say that I have approximately 32 ears and they go all around my head and some are on my back and my legs. I like to hear and I like to listen and the Tentacles of Ozric are very good to make them water.

The last entry is Throbbe of phase and it has which it low of palpitation which places my thoughtless molecules all with the fluids of washing. I can say myself will require for much stamping if I want to send my washing machine in bottom of the street with take some bags of liquorice and bread. Court the hoo!

To conclude, I must say that it was completely a happy album for my ears because they rebounded all around my main thing having the recreation and drinking sodas. I can find much only moments to eat pizza pie and whirr around the back porch of the house of dog. I can hang my trousers to the top high and never have to worry about my ears falling. It is chief of work in my spirit and because it indicates that a chief of work must be five holds the first role, then I must conclude to give these five holds the first role for him is a chief of work. Strongly recommended for your ears and moose!

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Strongly recommended for your ears and moose!

Jazzmoose, Jazzmoose - this one's for you!

MG

Edited December 22, 2006 by The Magnificent Goldberg

[John B]

I finally found a used copy of the one "old school" Ozrics album I was missing: Sliding Gliding Worlds.

It has been reissued as part of a twofer, but I like the original hand-drawn designs they used on the original six cassettes and am happy to finally have all of them. They are a lot quirkier than the non-self-released albums (which is saying a lot.) The live disc Live Ethereal Cereal is well worth picking up if you find a copy.

There have been some really nice soundboards from the 1994 tour available on Dime recently.