One of countless American albums from 1970 that demonstrated an awkward progression from psych to something else. What that something else might be is where either the allure or frustration settles in. Osmosis features none other than jazz luminary Charlie Mariano, who would take this new sound with him to Germany and jam with some of the greats like Embryo. Mariano was already 47 when this album was released, double the age of your average psych performer. His experience plays a major role here, and why Osmosis sounds entirely unique. Where it fits in the collection is a tough answer. Is it jazz rock, prog, or psych? The answer is yes. The vocal segments point to a rock heritage and they definitely have that last stage psychedelic sound down. It's kind of trippy, poppy, and disorienting. But the jazz angle that Mariano brings recalls Wolfgang Dauner, probably his closest peer in terms of age and background. In reading other reviews, one can see the frustration people have with Osmosis. It doesn't fit a narrative. Which is probably why I appreciate it more on each listen.
Ownership: LP: 1970 RCA. Single sleeve. Online acquisition (2019). It was in perfect shape, I couldn't resist. Still shrink and nicer than Discogs' stock copy.
CD: 2017 Esoteric. I bought this upon release. This album was in my extended CDRWL blog, but never featured. The CD has copious liner notes but no bonus tracks. I was going to sell it, but you can still find sealed copies on the cheap, so I'll hold onto it for now. I listened to the LP on this last visit, so I can't comment on the sound.
2015; 1/13/18; 8/4/23 (new entry)
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