Customer Reviews

Pentateuch

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

23 years ago, I heard this album on a late night radio show while driving home from work. So captivated by it, I raced home and chunked in a blank 8 Track to record the remaining tracks. The dj said that it was a very limited edition album set that listed for $50. Outrageously expensive! But what I heard sounded worth every cent. By the time I'd scrounged up the ... bucks to buy it, it was sold out. For 15 years I searched for a copy of it(NewYork, SanFrancisco and every used record store I could find). Nothing! All I remembered was that it was by some guy named Dave Greenslade. If you ever want to get a "never heard of him" answer in a record store, ask for something by him. Finally, about 6 years ago, This record store guy said he would ask around for me. About a month later he called unexpectedly and told me that he'd come a cross this really funky looking CD package with the guy's name on it. Sure enough, it was The "Pentateuch"! with a book of art by Patrick Woodruffe to boot! In short, the journey that it took me on to find this treasure was worth the search. The electronic trip that this album will take you on is worth every effort to get it!

The Pentateuch is not about music--it is music & art. It ocmes with a hardback, album sized book with awesome artwork by Patrick Woodruff. the music in this CD is mellow, flightly and synthesized. Like I said, the book of art is well worth the price of this. I picked it up one day in a record store for $50 because I thought the album cover looked so cool ... that was back in 1979 in Great Lakes while in the Navy. It was a great investment. Mine is vinyl! I will get the CD eventually!

Having the record(now unplayable), the tape (likewise) the digitally remastered CD brings back the clarity, atmosphere and the talent of Greenslade/Woodruffe into sharp focus. For a twenty year old project (made in 1979) the music has not aged, the artwork still ground breaking (though now in a 5 inch reduced softback with the CD) and the concept can hold with the best of the PC games now in vogue. PC game music it is not, more of a twinned art form that will lift the spirits.

For those of you who enjoyed the art in the LP format, rather than the minuaturized version in the CD - the art was repackaged in an expanded edition called "The Second Earth: The Pentateuch Revisited." And of course, you can get it heare at Amazon (I hope the link works...)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1850280436/102-6544991-5512126?v=glance&n=283155&n=507846&s=books&v=glance

It makes a great companion to the CD version, and ignore the one review posted, it has nothing to do with the Biblical Pentateuch

Enjoy!

Randy

I was orginally drawn to The Pentateuch by Patrick Woodroffe's artwork and bought the publication for that reason about twenty two years ago. The bonus was that it had two records inside and Dave Greenslade's adventure into cosmogony (the origin of the universe) through electronic music totally won me over.

I still have the book and records and have now added the CD. Yes it is much better to view Woodroffe's art through the book but the music can take you where you've never been - if you want to go - but getting the book would be a real plus. Overall they are some tracks that are fair, some that are good and others you'll never forget, like Greenslade's daugther doing the vocals in Nursery Hymn. For those who already have the book and records the CD is a must to add to your collection for others it's an interesting step into another place, another time.

This is AWSOME. I give it 4 stars - but that's only for the book. Patrick Woodroffe is a well known illustrator of cook covers for Michael Moorcock. The first portfolio of his I ever got was "Mythopoeikon". He also did the cover for the Greenslade album "Time and Tide".

The music howere is a curate's egg. Good in parts. Those parts that are not so good, luckily are smaller than the better pieces.
Greenslade came via Collosseum, forming his own band then vanished. This is certainly worth getting BUT....yes you knew it was comming. There is always a BUT. I would suggest that if you get this then try as hard as you can to get a vinyl version. The book illustrations are fantastic. A CD booklet would not do them justice.

You could accuse Greenslade of being over pretentious on this album and creating noodly, electronic music of a dubious nature.

Definatly worth the money, if for the book alone.

Well, what can I say?
I bought the vinyl edition way back in 1980 something and only thought to search for the CD version a couple of weeks ago. This is the album for anyone who loves great instrumentals and quirky art. The story book is a little difficult to read due to the tiny print but this is a small thing (no pun intended) as the music and art far exceed expectations. I was instantly thrown back to the 80s as soon as the first track started.

The music follows a great story line of creation and destruction of a planet and the mood is powerful.

I strongly recommend this album to be enjoyed and savoured for what it is, A WORK OF ART.............

Dave

A classic of early synth programming. Dave Greenslade helped, with this and his work with his band, pave the way for much of what we hear now in keyboard sound creation. I liked the LP graphics better, though. Bigger and much more colorful. Woodroff deserves better. I wonder if Greenslade has any material he couldn't use on the original LP that a re-remasted expanded CD would benfit from. What about it Dave?

In the beginning there was less than void, and not before there was a void did things begin, for things do require a void just as fish require water in which to swim... Nothing to compare this to. Not quite all of the music is spine-chillingly brilliant, and most of Woodroffe's women look like his wife, but... wow. World-altering stuff, you will look through different eyes afterwards. It's been a staple of my life for 22 years.

Yes, I cant believe, that this piece is still existing. I bought the double vinyl LP set many years ago. I liked more the graphics than the music, so I can suggest everybody who isn't such a big fan of electronic music, that the pictures made by Woodroffe are worth the buy, if they are in the old vinyl disc size. If they are in CD case size, you have to use a magnification glass, or go and search for a used old vinyl release. The music is - nice. Some Tracks are fascinating, worth the buy, which is now cheaper than those many years ago (believe me). I will now try to clean my old record - maybe it works.