Tag: ozric tentacles

This is a reissue of the 2002 live performance at Shepherds Bush Empire in London on Marillion’s Madfish label. This does seem odd, as you would expect to see them perform in some tent or outside at some hippy fest. It’s one thing to hear the Ozrics in the tranquility of your own home, but live is a whole different thing.

I guess they are the UK’s original Jam band, as they do go off in these psychedelic moments and come back seemingly on cue. I’m a huge fan of Ed Wynne’s guitar playing and there is lots of it to enjoy here. He does use a lot of effects to create these wonderful soundscapes and a beautiful wall of sound.

There are lots of cool things to delight your ears, one of which is how much they remind me of The Police. Yeah, I know that sounds a bit nuts but listen to Erpland with the groove and guitar sound and tell me that’s not the Police on exotic substances. The Ozrics’ whole vibe is all about the trippy keyboards and the groove as much as Ed’s guitar, which is featured to the extreme on The Throbbe, the close out piece which is my favourite.

It’s cool to see they are still making great music and I hope to catch them live again.

8/10 from The Grooveman.

This is classed as the debut album by the band, even though they had released five previous efforts on cassette only. This version is the 2020 Ed Wynne remaster.

As usual with most of the early Ozric, the songs feel like extended jams and opener Dissolution is no exception. Lots of cool guitar from Mr. Wynne played over the top of some seriously spacey grooves and movie scape keyboards. They really make Hawkwind look dated. O-I follows and feels as though there is an actual structure to the piece, with lots of world music influences interspersed and some beautiful guitar from Ed. It’s a bit like early Santana on speed. Phalarn Dawn is way more chill, and you get visions of Nepal with the drums. The Domes Of G’Bal ends Side 1 and the spacey keys open up to a reggae infused trippy groove.

The centrepiece of the whole record the is the nearly 11 minutes of Ayurvedic. If you think of seventies Prog then this could be the soundtrack to the whole movement. My favourite tune is up next with Kick Muck. Awesome phased riff from Ed, with a trippy rave groove underneath. As with most early Ozric releases, you get a little taste of the weird. And last track Agog In The Ether is just that.

A cool look back into the early years of a very influential band.

7.5/10 from The Grooveman.

It’s great to see Ed Wynne going back and remastering all of the early Ozric albums as lot of them were only cassette releases at the time. This has always been one of my favourite albums of theirs, and it sounds even better with this 2020 remaster. If you like groovy and trippy instrumental music with a killer guitar player, then go and empty your wallet at your local record establishment immediately.

I love every micro second of this album, and I’m sure a lot of the tunes are extended jams and improvs. I would have loved to have been in the room when they recorded this. Ed Wynne just rips on the guitar on this album, and he is up there with the best for me. Mix that with ambient and atmospheric keyboards and this is a Prog fans wet dream.

As I have mentioned, I love it all, but Sun Hair, and the title track Jurassic Shift, just melt my face! So good! They have that knack of adding a killer groove that you just can’t ignore. Another one in the every home should have one department.

10/10 from The Grooveman.

These guys are one of the most prolific bands around – having released over 30 albums since their inception back in ’83. The first six albums were released on cassette only, so this album is the 3rd proper release in ’91. Musically, they are a very diverse band, ranging from the early fusion/psych, to prog/space rock, and then to more electronic/ambient/trance of their more modern releases. The only constant member throughout their career is founder/guitarist, Ed Wynne. A great player and one of the great unsung guitar heroes.

Opening track, White Rhino Tea, is a lesson in great British fusion. Great playing from all musicians with some serious grooves being put down. The Ed Wynne penned, Sploosh, is next and it has a very hypnotic trance like groove. Saucers starts with a classical guitar and then the keys kick in and we are in ambient groove heaven. If you want music to totally relax and groove to, then you should invest immediately.

Side 2 starts with the title track, Strangeitude, and it begins with a very middle eastern vibe until the stop start keyboards give way to more hypnotic grooves. A very trippy track that just makes you want to move. The middle eastern feel continues with Bizarre Bazaar, but this time the groove is heavier and faster with some fantastic guitar. I assume Soft Machine, and Weather Report were influences of the band as I can hear the similarities. Last track, Space Between Your Ears, starts off dub/reggae style before we enter into the more chill out grooves. There is no other band like the Ozrics, and they consistently put out great instrumental records. Definitely one of the world’s best kept secrets, and I love them.

9/10 from The Grooveman.