Ozric Tentacles: C/D, S/D

I haven't heard their latest few albums, but I've been told by some people that they've started doing good stuff again (after quite a few albums of rather Middle-of-the-road material)

Nonetheless, for me, so far the big classic has been Erpland, so try that on for buns.
Later material might be even more dancefriendly though.

Destroy: Swirly Termination. Messy compilation-ish thing.
Other than that, a lot of what I've heard is sort of "search if you really like the band, destroy if you just want a few of the best ones" f.ex. Jurassic Shift, Strangeitude and Become The Other.

The, uh, i dunno.

It's like this. You know how on like early post-S.B. Floyd, there's (excluding the song Saucerful of Secrets) mostly pretty slow songs, and they put in little sonic goodies that make it "trippy", or whatever, and it's pretty good, ok, O.T. plays at double speed and does nothing but the sonic goodies, at which point it turns into self indulgent, untastefull crap.

Despite this poor mental association, that particular tune was pretty good, as I remember.

If you don't like noodles, keep well away. I have enjoyed their Live Underslunky, er, live album many times. "Sploosh" is a fantastic song wherever you hear it.

And more to the point, Eat Static sprung from Ozrics, thus classicifying them forever...

I've got a bunch of this stuff now thanks to emusic. But, I got really bummed using my monthly limit on double-cd ozric albums, so I actually took to the store and bought some of the rereleased double cds on snapper where they give you 2 albums for the price of one, basically. So far, I guess I have maybe 6 albums and plan on getting at least 4 more. They're a cool band because you can work to it and it seems to enhance concentration. Or you can get totally fucked and it seems to deteriorate concentration. Really, quite a multi-functioning aural tool.

If you don't like noodles, keep well away.

Why is this noodles? It's instrumental, not freeform jamming. Most of the stuff I have so far is synthy, bassy reggae and dub with textural guitar washes and odd sound effects with the occasional speedy guitar-driven kids' toy commercial rocker.

The strange thing about it is that it's very melodic for music with no melody and which goes nowhere.

I think it actually defies genre categorization. You could simply call it "rock," but many would disagree with you since it sounds like background music you might hear at an aquarium or something.

I went to a local noise show recently where the sound guy was playing Ozrics. I felt that didn't bode well, and I was right - it didn't - he shut the sound off as the first act started hacking at a pig's head with a machete. In disgust I went home and gave away all my Ozrics cassettes... part of me wishes I'd kept Underslunky, though.

Classic-ish, but they all sound a bit the same for me... oh, but destroy Curious Corn, tis pretty horrible.

Paper Monkeys sounding really great as the last of the summer sunshine is streaming through the windows. The artwork is LOL prog rock but I'm really digging the nu age feel..

I always liked them live in the late 80s then found the material in the early 90s really glossy. So maybe I just need Afterswish if I actually need anything.

Used to see them quite a bit when I was tripping at things like Mutoid Waste Co parties.
Some of the pre-90 stuff live has turned up torrented over the last few years.

this is totally cool. i would totally listen to this. avoided them forever for some reason.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3Cu3sc52vE

steve hillage probably wanted to sue them but i don't care. steve hillage can do whatever he wants.

dope jam...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-h0lKKfhxk

i mean their first album was a private press tape release. where's numero group for the deluxe box?

Orange Milk should reissue this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNTGSaZhvg8

You reminded me I've never knowingly heard anything by this band.

The first time I ever got stoned was in 1992, I was 16 and a friend who would've been about 14 maybe 15 at the time took me round to this bloke's house he knew cos they would have dope. It would've been a typical student house only there wasn't a university in that city at the time, in a slightly dodgy part of town, although not the worst, it was where I'd go to buy underage booze if I wasn't going to the pub. Anyway much waffling and I'm in this living room with all these cool older people and they're passing around this hash pipe and I'm toking and nothing's really happening to me yet but this bloke shouts down the stairs "oi! do you want the Mission on or Ozric Tentacles?". they put on the Mission, and to this day I have never heard the Ozric Tentacles. this ends now

great POO anecdote!

The early live sets that appear from time to time are currently up at Dime as of the last couple of weeks. I think there are about 10 or so pre-1990.
I only really like the 80s stuff. Takes me back to hearing them live at various parties at the time.

I've just listened to Strangeitude, which I picked cos it came out in 1991 so was closest to the time of the above anecdote. I dunno if this is really the same kind of scene as your US jam bands like Phish but I definitely know this kind of music from sitting around at festivals at the 90s passing around crappy soapbar spliffs. It's kind of prog-dub I suppose. I'll try the earlier stuff but I'm not sure I missed anything 25 years ago. Apart from the Mission being shit. which I don't think I missed at the time tbh.

I just remembered the most hilarious thing about the dope-house above. The guy whose house it was was nicknamed "Jester" and he was a legend because he'd done cocaine once. Jesus.

If I weren't from the midlands I'd've sworn blind he was in the Levellers

I ending up checking out Technicians of the Sacred on a lark and digging it quite a bit as a bit of an alien curiosity--on one hand sounding nighmarishly cheesy, like an amalgam of Kerry Livgren & Deep Forest; yet on the other, almost approaching Janet Jackson "Empty" territory....

I think the sound got too glossy or something after they started putting out official/commercial albums and they moved on from the sound I was familiar with from tripping to them live. Did they add a synth player or something? or just increase the amount o fit being used.

That probably ties in with when Ed Wynne's brother Roly left the band in 1992.

Yesh it's extremely glossy

I think I finally smoked enough weed to unlock the Ozric Tentacles level…I’ve half-assedly tried with them occasionally throughout the years but always felt like it sounded like video game music after a short while…however, I recently saw a live video of theirs from the mid-80s where the Hawkwind-meets-dub-meets-new-age aspects were really front and center, and since then I’ve gotten hooked on Pungent Effulgent in a major way…really killer album that’s basically a combination of those sounds with a decent amount of Steve Hillage thrown in the mix.

I feel like I’m standing atop the mountain where on one side the path down leads to a respectable life and the other side leads to deep Ozric Tentacles worship and eventually Shpongle or something…just feels like a place to tread carefully.

there’s some early stuff I’ve heard that’s super spacey and cool, sort of like spacy early UFO mixed with Ashra or something?

I've found over the last few years that I have developed a weird appetite for UK festy bands and enjoy digging into those early releases especially, despite the sound quality. but I guess if anything it seems to suit the music in a way.

I'm also Ozric Curious.

been eyeing the live gigs with Gong, ....one day... I tell myself.

for others digging the 80s fest band scene, maybe this compilation fits here?

https://mentalgroove.bandcamp.com/album/dj-athome-presents-spaced-out

Count me in as Ozric Curious as well, half the descriptions make it sound like something I'd kind of like, the other half make it sound like something I'd run away from (Shpongle!). I did find a CD copy of Strangeitude in a dollar box at one point recently, though I haven't gotten around to playing it yet.

Shpongle rules, jon

Nope sorry, Shpongle is bad. Not Disco Biscuits bad, but bad.