News: Cosmic Circus to be reissued by Garden of Delights soon!

Here's some exciting news! This has been on GoD's coming soon list for awhile, and now it's coming to fruition. We featured Cosmic Circus last year thanks to the generosity of the Roots and Traces blog (and be sure to read the Lolly Pope's comment - more exciting news!). So the big question remains: How is the sound quality? We won't know until we get it of course, or at least start hearing from advance reviews. Musically, of course, it is brilliant. Label says: "Cosmic Circus Music from Göttingen in Lower Saxony played some extremely long spacey improvisations in the manner of the early Ash Ra Tempel without, however, trying to copy them. They do completely without lyrics but even so never become boring. As they didn't release any records back then - one MC on Andromeda Press had been planned for 1973 which then, however, didn't appear - they have hardly been known to the public as yet. There has only been one longer report on them, namely in "Sounds" issue 55 from September 1973. The CD at hand is full to the brim and includes a gig taking place in a Wiesbaden hall called Wartburg on July 14th, 1973. The stereo sound is not perfect but acceptable. During the second part of their gig, the band was joined by guest musician Tim Belbe from Xhol (Caravan), playing the transverse flute."

GoD also announced the CD reissue of Virus' "Revelation" will be coming shortly with two additional bonus tracks and the usual informative booklet we expect from them. Most assuredly this will be an improvement on the very basic Second Battle release from 1991 that I still own. Though I'm sure sound purists will protest that comment. I plan on upgrading myself. It should be noted that Second Battle later reissued this in 1997 with two bonus tracks in a digi-pak format, but I haven't seen that version so I can't comment much further. 

And for vinyl only buyers, look for Siddhartha and Vita Nova - both successfully reissued on CD by GoD many years ago - which are both available as we speak.

News: Group 1850's Paradise Now to be reissued by Pseudonym

This one came across the wire today, and thought I'd share the news. It's not as exciting as it could have been, but it's still very welcome. I know many of you, including me, have been waiting for a high quality CD reissue of Paradise Now. I've featured this album on the UMR site, and it is without a doubt one of my all time favorite albums. I have the dodgy Free CD, as well as an original LP that I paid top dollar for, as it's a beautiful copy. I've been calling for a better CD for years, though I never put it in the CDRWL since I heard personally from the label owner that their CD was indeed legit. More info on the UMR site regarding this.

Pseudonym, after years of being dormant, has come back with a vengeance of late, reissuing dozens of albums on CD and LP. However, up until today, nothing had been new - or at least nothing that hadn't been reissued by them or someone else (evidenced by the fact this is the label's first entry into the CDRWL). It was just yesterday I noticed that Pseudonym was reissuing "Paradise Now" on LP. And even though I have the original, I am very tempted to buy this LP as a second copy. One reason is they are reissuing it as a gatefold (the original is a single sleeve), and secondly they are adding an historical essay and photos. What's obviously missing, of course, is any bonus tracks - something that Group 1850 had in spades with the "Agemo's Trip to Mother Earth" CD (both Pseudonym and Rotation versions). And now one day later after the LP notice comes the announcement that Pseudonym will reissue "Paradise Now" combined with all of "Agemo's" on one CD. What this obviously tells us is there is absolutely no bonus tracks to offer. No live material, no studio recordings, or no hidden singles that haven't already been issued. I'm OK with that - but there are still three Group 1850's that haven't been reissued ever (legit that is)! Namely "Polyandri" (1974), "Live" (1969) and "Live on Tour" (1976). So either those are tied up elsewhere, or Pseudonym has other plans for those albums. I'm hoping for the latter of course. They are planning to add an essay to the CD, presumably the same one as for the LP. I'll probably buy this CD anyway, even though I have Agemo's already on CD and LP - just because it is certain to be an improvement on the barebones Free label CD.

Yasuo Inada & Bemi Family, Japan ***REISSUED***

Yasuo Inada & Bemi Family – Kankaku Shikou. 1976 Tam

***Reissued by Bridge Mar 2013

Moved to UMR

Priority: 3

5/11/10; 3/25/13 (complete)

News: Patrick Vian's Egg album to be reissued on CD!

Thanks to a tip from reader Achim, we learned that a label called Staubgold will be reissuing Patrick Vian's "Bruits et Temps Analogues" on CD as well as on LP. I had this title in the main list, and just never got around to featuring it. Vian's solo album is a fine 70s electronic styled album that's always been relatively easy to find on vinyl here in the States. I'll probably pick this one up, as I'm sure the CD will add much to the sound. This is our first encounter with the Staubgold label, though they've been around since the late 90's, having been based in both Koln and Berlin, Germany. Currently they've set up shop in the southern French town of Perpignan. Hopefully they'll dig around and release more French obscurities for us!

The label writes: "Staubgold is proud to reissue the one and only solo album of Patrick Vian (Red Noise), originally released in 1976 on the Egg label. The album is available on vinyl in a strictly limited edition of 500 copies and for the first time ever on CD and as a download.

A wonderful and obscure gem of electronic music certain to please the fans of Krautrock, French 70s electronic music and Kosmische Musik. Patrick Vian plays Moog 2C, ARP 2600, Moog Sequencer and piano and gets help from jazz musician Mino Cinelu (who had played with the likes of Gong, Weather Report and Miles Davis) on drums and percussion. Georges Granier adds Fender Rhodes, marimba, noise and scissors. Bernard Lavialle (Ame Son) plays guitar. Together they create a unique hybrid of experimental electronic, jazz and world music. This highly original sound made Steven Stapleton include Patrick Vian to the famous Nurse With Wound list of adventurous music."

News: Morgen coming out on CD from Sunbeam!

Thanks to a tip from reader Gal, we learned that Morgen will be coming out in the next few days from Sunbeam. We featured Morgen a couple of years ago (where I predicted Sundazed would be the ideal choice - I got the Sun part right anyway), and for my money, are in the very top tier of US psych albums. Sunbeam has released some excellent legit reissues in the last few years. Human Beast and Czar are but two great examples.

Here is the label blurb: "One of the greatest heavy psych albums ever made, this mindblower has it all - trippy songs, spacey production, ace musicianship and jaw-dropping guitar. It's presented here in its fullest ever version, with the full involvement of the band's enigmatic leader Steve Morgen. Featuring eight rare bonus tracks (including home recordings made by Morgen and guitarist Murray Shiffrin shortly after the album's December 1969 release), a packed booklet and rare photos, it's truly essential for fans of psychedelia."

Morgen, USA ***REISSUED***

Morgen. 1969 Probe

***Reissued by Sunbeam Mar 2013

Moved to UMR

Priority: 2

3/4/11 (new entry); 3/14/13 (complete)

News: Luis Perez's "En El Ombligo De La Luna" reissued on CD

While reading Wayside's updates, I noticed that this very rare album from Mexico by Luis Perez (aka Mexico Magico Cosmico) has been reissued. I'm not a fan personally - but I did have it as part of the main CDRWL list, and so you can read my thoughts there. But I know plenty of folks who like this album, and this news will be most certainly welcome. It looks like they also used the wonderful gatefold cover version (there are two LP releases, with different covers).

Here's what Steve says: "In the early 1980s, there was a small explosion of interesting and very unique progressive music coming out of Mexico. One of the paths being explored at that time was music that fused progressive music and ambient music with the instruments of pre-Hispanic Mexico; the sounds BEFORE the conquerors came and changed the continent hugely. The bigger names in the field were Suso Saiz and Jorge Reyes, but one of the first people to release a record that gained attention outside of Mexico was Luis Perez, who released this album in 1981.

Never before reissued on CD, this ALREADY SOLD OUT, privately released, limited edition release is taken from the original stereo lp master tapes and comes in a really nice, embossed, mini-lp sleeve that perfectly replicates the original lp cover.

The only problem with all those fine Mexican releases was the generally poor pressing; doubly a problem with rather quiet music. This CD release is an incalculable improvement on the original, very rare album. Recommended!"