Kevin Ayers - Baby Come Home

Now then, Kevin Ayers is by far one of the best songwriters I could ever possibly recommend. His output throughout the seventies consists of many finely crafted songs, and a penchant for experimental music. A member of the legendary Soft Machine, Ayers eventually went solo, to much critical acclaim. In 2007, he released a much awaited album, The Unfairground, which is well worth picking up. These two finely crafted songs come from said album.

Baby Come Home serves as our A Side, a lovely duet from Kevin Ayers and Bridget St John (previously also guested on Shooting at the moon). A beautiful rural melody starts off, followed by Ayers' distinctive voice, beautiful and gentle and yearning. The chorus is aided by a neat little trumpet embeleshment. St John sings the second verse, a very gentle folky voice. The song then has a little instrumental break before returning to the chorus, sounding very genuine and sweet. The song ends.

For the B Side, we are treated with Walk On Water, another finely tuned in piece of audio pleasure. Either due to being on Vinyl or whatever, this sounds a different mix than the album version. Is this true? Let me know. A nice traditional Kevin Ayers strumming riff starts us off, his voice, more mature than the seventies, carries a nice weight which suits this song, it's very reflective and looking back at experiences.  The drums kick in a lovely instrumental part, nice melodies take over and it is truely beautiful. it ends with the gentle strumming fading out.

Both these songs are beautiful and show that Ayers still has much more to bring the world. Well written, well performed and well sung music, like you don't see that much. If you can pick this single up, please do. It's well worth it!

Acid Mothers Temple & The Cosmic Inferno - Iao Chant From The Cosmic Inferno

The Acid Mothers family of bands are easily the most exciting thing to happen to music in a very long time. Springing into action around 1999, they continue to weave their own brand of cosmic rock throughout the known universe. Constantly touring, no other band has the same level of devotion to music as these guys, and I would definately recommend everybody go see them at least once, because there is seriously nothing else like them on the face of the earth. Combining Stockhausen's unmelodic approach to music with Hawkwind's heavy jamming, yet taking it over the top to unheard of levels. Guitarist Makoto Kawabata says that he is acting as a radio transciever for his own inner cosmos, relaying to us the music he hears in his head. And boy... is it one hell of a cosmos!

Iao Chant From The Cosmic Inferno features only one track, a sprawling 50-so minute rendition of Gong's epic, Master Builder. The track, titled Om Riff From The Cosmic Inferno takes us fully into overdrive as we start off with some gentle meditative glissando drones, spacey beeps and boops start appearing, and then... The Mighty Om Riff kicks in, and refuses to let you go, coupled with the Iao Chant (provided below) takes you on a right proper spiritual journey. The groove locks properly in place within an instant, and Makoto's guitar launches into an insane sonic freakout of improvised glory. Trying to not sound like gushing admiration, but the man is so outside of the box, it's unbelievable, like he is to guitar what Sun Ra was to piano! Using his instrument to channel proper cosmic vibes. After several minutes, the track takes another turn, into this repeated delayed riff over a totally rockin' beat, you close your eyes, your mind travels through space and you drift away. Time becomes meaningless, all there is is you.

You and the cosmos.

The sweet glissando ambiant drones make a pleasant return here, these aren't just drones though, these are full on music of the spheres. The bass comes back in, a dirty groove takes hold, the guitar comes back, it is sweet. After several minutes in that dark, dirty, sweet place, the familiar groove locks back into place, a delayed riff appears, then we blast off further into the heavens than before, chanting returns, this is not music, it's a spiritual experience. The Mighty Om Riff thunders back, we go further and further into the universe, there is no way back to Earth now! It glisses out, and returns to the ambiant droning/chanting from the start of the track. We have been taken to the furthest reaches of the universe and back, and it was good.


IAO
(ancient pagan chant balancing male & female)
ZA EE ZAO
(invoking forces of darkness/shadow)
MA EE MAO
(invoking powers of mother love)
TA EE TAO
(invoking energies of light)
NOW