Okay, I'm a little ahead of the curve here but here goes.
NumberNine sent me:
John Cale & Terry Riley - Church of Anthrax (1971)
First impressions of this album were interesting. I wasn't sure what to think really. All I knew after I finished it was that it was certainly eclectic and definitely not cohesive as an album. But god, when that first bass riff hit to open the record with the title track, I was amazed. And then, when the saxophone came in on top of a looped drum track and that murky bass, a bone tingling chill went down my spine as I recalled the foreboding sound of Bitches Brew and the Mahavishnu Orchestra's The Inner Mounting Flame. After hearing that first song, I was sure that this was going to be yet another great dark Jazz fusion record from the early seventies, on par even with Birds of Fire, one of my ten favorite records ever. But then came the ringing and distant piano chords of the second track, "The Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles" and I literally did a double take. The two tracks are played with very similar instrumentation, but sound completely different. To put it in perspective, this could have very well been the opening to Springsteen's "Meeting Across the River" from Born to Run.
The next track is a female sung folk song. And the next a joyous piano romp to put Elton John to shame!
What! I refuse to accept this rampant eclecticism! Oh but the songwriting is just too good! And the production so real! Oh what to do, what to do... Maybe ten more listens will reveal the true merits of this album.
For now, a solid 7.5/10
Thanks NumberNine!