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The Electric Family

Terra Circus

Review by Gary Hill

The mix of sounds here might not land under progressive rock to your senses. However, it's got a healthy helping of space rock in the mix along with psychedelia. There are parts that sound a lot like Hawkwind. Those facts make this fit to me. However you slice it, though, this is a solid disc that varies quite a bit from song to song. It's not mainstream, but it has some catchy elements.

 

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2017  Volume 4 at lulu.com/strangesound.

Track by Track Review
Movin'

Drums open this. Other instruments are added to the mix as the song grows outward from there. There are hints of 80s music in the mix here. The jam mid-track gets some cool world music added to the mix. It definitely brings the piece fully into a prog rock realm with an emphasis on space rock. This jamming gets incredibly intense and fiery.

Lucrecia, My Reflection
Space rock is all over this cut. The vocals are in a very low register and a little odd. They are none-the-less effective. This feels a lot like Hawkwind beyond those vocals, though. The vocals make me think of Babylon Mystery Orchestra. There is a sitar solo on this cut, bring a serious dosage of psychedelia to it.
When Dizzyness Comes Around
There is still a bit of a Hawkwind element here. This is more of a raw, hard-edged rock sound, though. The lyrics are literally space rock. The cut has some glam rock and psychedelia built into it. A lot of this is based on old school rock and roll, though.
Mary, Mary, So Contrary

More of a folk rock sound is at the heart of this cut. It has a definite prog meets space edge to it, though. It's slow moving and slowly evolving.  The psychedelic elements later in the track and pretty cool. There is definitely some great jamming built into the later parts of this cut.

Landmark Visions II

This comes in trippy and psychedelic. The vocals are the Babylon Mystery Orchestra styled ones. This gets a bit noisy, but in a cool way. It makes me think of the Velvet Underground to some degree, but with a more modern sound. It's pretty intense as it grows.

Santuario

Trippy psychedelic rock is at the core of this number. At just under three minutes in length, this instrumental is the shortest piece here.

The Dreamboat

More psychedelically tinged music is at the heart of this thing. As it grows outward from there it shifts to a cool driving grind. There is more Hawkwind-like space jamming that emerges further down the road. In fact, the whole extended instrumental section sounds a lot like Hawkwind.

 
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