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Legendary Pink Dots, "Basilisk"
Beta-Lactam Rings Records
The original cassette-only release of this (recorded in 1981/82,released 1983) is possibly my favorite of the Dots' cassette releases.Unlike the Chemical Playschool compilations, Basiliskwas threadded and sequenced like a conventional album with a clearlydistinguishable first and second side. After witnessing the rather sadtreatment a lot of the old cassettes got for CD reissue, I wasskeptical about this. Thankfully I have been wrong this time. For acassette which even comes with a note from Edward Ka-Spel himselfapologizing for not being able to locate the original master, the soundquality is incredible, far superior to Stained Glass Soma Fountains, Under Triple Moons,and even some of the Ka-Spel solo material mastered off vinyl. Mybiggest gripe is actually in the easier tasks of coordinating a releaselike this. I absolutely hate the way the original cassette is indexedby only three track marks for the CD, despite the first containingnumerous songs, (even with clear silences), but that can be dealt with.Much of the music contained was revisited and resurfaced on otherreleases long ago. The looped chorus of angel-like voices singing "singwhile you may" which opens the album popped up first on the LegendaryPink Box along with "Clean Up," while the instrumental piece, "LoveIs..." later became "Love Puppets" for the Curse LP. The melody from "Basilisk One" and "Basilisk Two" was revived as "Flesh Parade," "Wall Purges Night" was re-recorded for Curse,while "Methods" became an Edward Ka-Spel solo tune. What's left is alot of really cool, but eerie noise noodling which takes up most ofside two as "Basilisk Two" and a couple really short songs buried deepin track one as "Basilisk Part One" on this CD. In addition to theoriginal 60-ish minutes are some strange songs from the vaults: "IdealHome," recorded in 1981 featuring Keith Thompson as lead vocalist andan early unreleased version of "The Glory, The Glory," also allegedlyfrom 1981. But they didn't stop there. It's hardly a CDreissue/remaster job without some song tossed in completely out ofcontext. With this release, it's a version of "The Ocean Cried BlueMurder," but this one, as the title (and sounds) suggests was probablyrecorded "on a ferry in a storm on a walkman." All cynicism aside, it'sa great audio document to finally own, despite the appalling fontchoices, but then again, good LPD cover artwork is a rarity (especiallywith reissues). With any luck, Bernard and Raymond Steeg will be ableto "enhance" Atomic Roses and Premonition for thatupcoming release along with other cassette-only things. I leavechanting "Traumstadt 4," "Traumstadt 4," "Traumstadt 4," "Traumstadt4!"
The original cassette-only release of this (recorded in 1981/82,released 1983) is possibly my favorite of the Dots' cassette releases.Unlike the Chemical Playschool compilations, Basiliskwas threadded and sequenced like a conventional album with a clearlydistinguishable first and second side. After witnessing the rather sadtreatment a lot of the old cassettes got for CD reissue, I wasskeptical about this. Thankfully I have been wrong this time. For acassette which even comes with a note from Edward Ka-Spel himselfapologizing for not being able to locate the original master, the soundquality is incredible, far superior to Stained Glass Soma Fountains, Under Triple Moons,and even some of the Ka-Spel solo material mastered off vinyl. Mybiggest gripe is actually in the easier tasks of coordinating a releaselike this. I absolutely hate the way the original cassette is indexedby only three track marks for the CD, despite the first containingnumerous songs, (even with clear silences), but that can be dealt with.Much of the music contained was revisited and resurfaced on otherreleases long ago. The looped chorus of angel-like voices singing "singwhile you may" which opens the album popped up first on the LegendaryPink Box along with "Clean Up," while the instrumental piece, "LoveIs..." later became "Love Puppets" for the Curse LP. The melody from "Basilisk One" and "Basilisk Two" was revived as "Flesh Parade," "Wall Purges Night" was re-recorded for Curse,while "Methods" became an Edward Ka-Spel solo tune. What's left is alot of really cool, but eerie noise noodling which takes up most ofside two as "Basilisk Two" and a couple really short songs buried deepin track one as "Basilisk Part One" on this CD. In addition to theoriginal 60-ish minutes are some strange songs from the vaults: "IdealHome," recorded in 1981 featuring Keith Thompson as lead vocalist andan early unreleased version of "The Glory, The Glory," also allegedlyfrom 1981. But they didn't stop there. It's hardly a CDreissue/remaster job without some song tossed in completely out ofcontext. With this release, it's a version of "The Ocean Cried BlueMurder," but this one, as the title (and sounds) suggests was probablyrecorded "on a ferry in a storm on a walkman." All cynicism aside, it'sa great audio document to finally own, despite the appalling fontchoices, but then again, good LPD cover artwork is a rarity (especiallywith reissues). With any luck, Bernard and Raymond Steeg will be ableto "enhance" Atomic Roses and Premonition for thatupcoming release along with other cassette-only things. I leavechanting "Traumstadt 4," "Traumstadt 4," "Traumstadt 4," "Traumstadt4!"
