birdsongs of the mesozoic

On a whim (Roger Dean cover!) I got The Iridium Controversy (2003), and though it's taken a while to grow on me, I'm now all into it. To my ears, early Soft Machine, Mahavishnu Orchestra, and Magma factor heavy in this music. I assume they have earlier albums even better than this one? Can anyone corroborate and provide more information?
{I realize there's sort of a thread about this already(CoD/S&D: Mission of Burma affiliated groups (Volcano Suns, Birdsongs of the Mesozoic, Space Negros)) but nobody really discusses BotM.}