Tuesday, February 08, 2005

Chips From The Chocolate Fireball



Is the name of the album I'm listening to right now. First heard it 20 years ago in college. It still kicks. Here's a customer review from Amazon:
The best psychedelic record not made in the 60's,
November 16, 2004
Reviewer: Wickerlove "Wickerlove" (Canada) - See all my reviews

XTC, under the guise of Dukes Of Stratosphear, must have a case of musical schizophrenia. God knows how an 80's art-indie/new wave group can do a complete 180 degree turn and make an exceptionally brilliant psychedelic record. 'Chips from the Chocolate Fireball', which is a compilation the Dukes Of Stratosphear's first two albums, sounds like it's transwarped from the late 60's, a wonderfully rich acid-drenched experimental sound. Just think a combination of 'The Piper At The Gates of Dawn' by Pink Floyd, the self-titled album by The United States Of America, and 'Dusk At Cubist Castle' by Olivia Tremor Control. Thrown into the mix are shades of the more experimental moments of The Beach Boys and The Beatles. What started as a parody release for XTC under their alter-egos Dukes Of Stratosphear, actually turned into a spellbinding homage to Syd Barrett and the spirit of late 60's psychedelia, all guided by young producer extraordinaire John Leckie. It's really hard to believe that this is actually XTC in disguise, but the proof is in the strength and mesmerizing power of the music.

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