Customer Reviews

Jurassic Shift

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Ah, yet another trippy excursion into the Ozrics' twisted world of swirling synthesizers, quirky guitar intonations, ethnic influences, and one of the tightest rhythm sections around. This album captures all of the best Ozric qualities, making it one of their best. The title track totally rules, being an imaginative piece that sets a busy climb of slow, ambient soundscapes sprinkles with jagged guitar quotes, giant bass lines, and strokes of wacky synths that culminates in an explosive climax. "Feng Shui" is much the same, but concurrently very different. It spends a good eight minutes building to its exhilarating finale, which is perhaps the closest this band gets to a heavy metal riff. "Vita Voom's" middle section is one of the band's most beautiful moments, despite the heavy, thumping bass and drums at the beginning. Colorful washes of synthesizers and acoustic guitar create a sublime musical canvas. What more can be said? Ozrics rock, and this is one of their best. Apparently this music is wild on acid or whatever, though I've never tried that. I can say it's pretty killer with your senses intact, though.

My history with ozric tentacles is a sort of strange one. I first heard about them maybe six years ago when I was in a hard core prog rock phase with King Crimson as my favorite band at the time. The music is mostly imporv based and instrumental with the occasional trippy vocals added in.
The sound reminds me in a way of early 90s late 80s music that hasnt totally shed the 80s electronic touches which in a weird way the best comparison I can think of are the Stone Roses. Not that they share any musical similarites but theres an experienced 80s element thats really different from a lot of 80s revival thats going on now.
Their improv tribal beat based music has a real dance element that isn't in a lot of prog rock. Id reccoment this for anyone into more psychedelic dance, prog rock or more intresting jam music fans. After all these years I still can come back to this because of the diversity in guitar playing, electronic touches and just the good beats.

*** 1/2

Allmusic.com recommends 'Jurassic Shift' as *THE* Ozric Tentacles CD to get. Personally, I'd go with 'Erpland'. JS has a similar sound to that CD, but its tracks are a little more drawn-out, a little less focused. Which is not to say that it's without some excellent tunes -- the title track builds a climactic sonic landscape around some great guitar jamming, the caffeinated 'Vita Voom' is ideal mood music for zooming down the freeway, 'Sunhair' and 'Stretchy' weave pleasurable, floaty washes of texture -- however, the other tracks just sort of burble along without going anywhere interesting. 'Feng Shui' exemplifies this problem with like ten minutes of vaguely oriental mild noodling, and a noisy "heavy metal" sequence grafted onto the end for good measure.

Overall, the good tunes are very enjoyable and worthy of eventually being added to an Ozrics collection, but, IMO, the mediocre ones hold JS back from 'essential' status.

For those who indulge in,shall we say,nocturnal activities of 'trippin' the light fantastic',this album is indeed a trip 100% recommended to send you on a picnic without sandwiches...

Just like my review of Waterfall Cities this is wonderful instrumental music that takes you on a journey to galaxies unknown. This edition I purchsed also has a dvd disc with live material as well as interviews. Found out about these guys from Pandora Internet Radio. Sound quality is very good too.
When ever I tell people about them they give me a strange look and say "Who?"

this is the title to own from OT. I'm consistently surprised how little recognition they get in the United States. They weave in a giant dose of electronic music, yet stay grounded, for the most part, with an organic, "live" feel. After getting this check Strangeitude and Erpland, their best of the rest

The Ozric Tenbtacles is one of the best bands ever! I can never get sick of listening too em. There was never one album that was a bit disappointed.

Anyway the band isn't for everybody...but if your into any music thats progressive or psychedelic then you probably will like this band or any nature music as well too.

Some of the ozric's band members also do Eat static, ZubZub, etc.

I always liked this band sense late 1990's.

An too me I think the band sounds like a little like nature music an also progressive an psychedelic, like ambient, dub, some of it sounds like techno music too.


Like remember this band isn't for everybody...because its instrumental music an they do mixture of different genre's too like rock, ambient, psychedelic, techno, etc.

Most people perfer regular music not music like this.

An if you like this band then you'll also probably like Porcupine Tree, Hawkwind, Steve Hillage, etc.

This band may not be well known, but they are a real treat. Lovers of psychedelic music and creative Rock should own at least some Ozric Tentacles. I own what I believe to be their best music. I have Erpland, Jurassic Shift, Strangeitude, Pungent Effulgent, Curious Corn, and the Floating Seeds Remixed album. I like Jurassic Shift a lot, but the others are great too. They utilize so many things to make their music. It is really interesting, and never offensive. Pick up some or all of the titles I just mentioned if you like their vibe. It's all good!

Somebody had once remarked that the Ozric Tentacles had released a number of recordings based on a repeated theme. If that's the truth, then they must be doing something right, because this is music that never gets boring. They slam into us with their ethnic-influenced, trippy-hippy psychedilic dance music. Great stuff.

Its a strange world that this CD puts you in, its kind of similar to what happens when you listen to the very best moments of Hawkwind, very spacey. I like this CD alot because it takes some big risks and pulls them off. I would call Ozric ambient neo progressive with a tad of fusion mixed in and as I say, any body who likes the more keyboard aspects of Hawkwind must give this a go. Its very consistant and for a 1992 recording the sound is cutting edge. There is no need to indulge in nocturnal activities the great music makes you feel bent even if youre not, oh yeh the cover of the CD is cool also. Get this CD its great.