Mystic Chords of Memory

Mystic Chords of Memory | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 22, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sanctuary Records
• ASIN: B000294SG6
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #414,095 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Berry Creek Falls

2. Soul Through the Bullet Hole

3. Golden Dome

4. Sure, Bert

5. Like a Lobster

6. Eyes on Sides of Heads

7. Open End

8. Last One

9. Mongo and Arky

10. Pi and a Bee

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Shhhhhhh.... it's beautiful., June 23, 2004

By 

Mark Williams (Sierra Madre Canyon, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mystic Chords of Memory (Audio CD)

Ultra-blissed out sundrop smiles from Chris Gunst and Jen Cohen. Often times beatless and formless, the songs weave a wispy truly original vision of psychedelic California cosmic stoner folk. You'll get a few verses and usually things will naturally and organically break down to reverbed out electric guitar, washes of synth and electric piano and harp, droning violin and splashes of cymbals. I'd compare this to the prettiest parts of the Beachwood Sparks "Make The Cowboy Robots Cry" EP, especially the end of Hibernation. What Sonic Youth is NYC, and Spacemen 3 were to London, Mystic Chords of Memory are to the foggy canyons around Santa Cruz. A fairytale of giant trees, cozy cabins, and girls and boys who love to love.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars C'mon, Take A Trip - It's Good For You, September 18, 2004

By 

Kim Porter "Forté Magazine" (Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mystic Chords of Memory (Audio CD)

While California's psychedelia-meets-country maestros, the Beachwood Sparks have sadly ceased to be, Chris Gunst has opened up another outlet for his music with Mystic Chords Of Memory.

Although the band name comes from a line in Abraham Lincoln's 1861 inauguration address, the trippy connotation is also appropriate, albeit in a more relaxed, organic way than the Gram Parsons/Byrds musings of the Beachwood Sparks. Based in Santa Cruz, California, Gunst and his girlfriend, Jen Cohen, (who also plays in Aisler's Set), have made the sort of album that's just begging for a mind-altering afternoon under the willow trees on a riverbank - plenty of reverb on the guitars, dreamy, drifting vocal tracks and, refecting an affection for the music of Ravi Shankar and Alice Coltrane, a scattering of delicious instrumentals. And great song titles, too: `Sure, Bert'; `Like A Lobster'; `Eyes On Sides Of Heads'; `Pi And A Bee'.

Gunst and Cohen both provide vocals and guitar work, alongside a myriad of other instrumentation, with extra input from Ben Knight, (Beachwood Sparks and the Tyde), helping out on guitar and vocals, and Scott Coffey, (the Tyde), on violin. Much of what makes this such a good album is Gunst knowing when to leave spaces within the arrangements - `Soul Through The Bullet Hole' owes as much to the listener filling, (or falling), in through the musical holes as what is coming through the speakers.

Mystic Chords Of Memory is a glorious little patch of mid-winter summery sunshine.

Kim Porter, Forté Magazine, Australia

3.0 out of 5 stars Reality Check, March 2, 2007

By 

William Geimer (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mystic Chords of Memory (Audio CD)

Ok, Chris and Jen's close pals or stalker-types have written long-winded sword-swallowing reviews of this album but it's time for the truth. The album is not very good. I gave it 3 stars on artistic merit alone and the fact that Chris Gunst is a terrific person (I know nothing of Jen but I'm sure she's wonderful). Not a single song will slay you in the way B-Sparks songs like "Canyon Ride" or "Let it Run" may. In fact, you don't even get a song as good as Strictly Ballroom's "A Picture". I am sure some will say I am nude and don't "get it" but except for a few tunes here (Sure, Bert being the best) this is a serious disappointment for me. Then again, I doubt they had me in mind during these sessions.