East of Eden ~ England

Mercator Projected (1969)

---12/31/10

Mercator Projected is one of the first, if not the first, really great world fusion - psychedelic rock albums. Most albums in this style, especially from this era, tend to be exploitation hokum. But Mercator Projected is the real deal - a true blend of heavy rock, psychedelic, and world music. And the album cover is damn near perfect. As is the music itself. One of the greats.

---11/30/23

To add to the above, for my tastes, this is the only East of Eden album I care for. I even lost interest in Snafu. A one time wonder is what it appears. The mixture of styles puts it squarely in the progressive rock zone, though this is a long way from King Crimson at this point. The album isn't perfect, but given what they're trying to accomplish, East of Eden is to be applauded for the effort. Many peak moments can be found.

Ownership: 

1969 Deram UK (LP). Single sleeve. Acquired in 2011.

2000 Deram Japan (CD). Papersleeve edition. Acquired in 2009.

First copy: 1994 Si-Wan (CD). Acquired in 1996.

1996; 2009; 12/31/10 (review); 11/29/23 (update)

Previously owned: Snafu

11/29/23 (new entry)