Sun Dial - Mind Control. 2012 England

Two seconds into this album, I love it, and ready to crown it a masterpiece. Why you may ask? Because it reminds me of the greatest "psych prog" band of them all: Group 1850. As you have seen me write before, "psych prog" is one of those terms thrown out for just about any band from the late 60s and early 70s that were maybe one, or the other - and often neither - in order to obtain top dollar for their LP wares they are selling. Group 1850 is the pure embodiment of the term, and Paradise Now (1969) is simply one of the greatest albums of all time. If Amsterdam Coffee House means something to you, then Group 1850 provides its soundtrack. With the opening notes of 'Mountain of Fire & Miracles', Sun Dial has tapped right into that psyche. It is absolutely a phenomenal piece of music, and even if the rest of the album was gangsta rap, I'd still recommend it. Fortunately no heavy gold chains, diamond earrings, sideways caps, swinging arms, and hand signals for Gary Ramon and company, as the album continues in its neo psych glory. 'Radiation' heads east toward Germany and enters the mysterious land of early 70s Kosmische, with wonderful flute laden mellotron and trance inducing drums. And they go east from there... way east. And then back for some motorik action with sitar on the title track. Oh, you get the idea. Just buy it for crying out loud. Special mention goes to the CD bonus track 'World Within You', yet another "psych prog" monster.

Ownership: CD: 2015 Sulatron (Austria)

Originally released on LP only from Sun Dial's own Tangerine label, Mind Control is the perfect fit for the cosmic oriented Sulatron label.

8/4/17 (new entry)