Craig W. Ellison Hog Heaven

Capricorn Records, having switched distribution from Warner Brothers to Phondisc, was on its way out by the time it released this, its sixth Elvin Bishop album, which may help explain why, only two years after he was in the Top 10 with "Fooled Around And Fell In Love," he didn't even reach the charts with this album…

This deluxe 9 CD set contains three studio albums (Bigger Than America, Before After, Naked As Advertised), a previously unreleased album (Space Age Space Music), the remix albums Retox/Detox, the concert album How Live Is, plus 48 bonus tracks (remixes, tribute tracks, non-album singles) and an illustrated 28 page 12x12 book with credits and annotation based on brand new interviews with the band…

Released at the beginning of 1978 (recorded August to November 1977), there was one minor change in the Eela Craig lineup. And that was the return of vocalist Wil Orthofer, apparently because the band he was in between his absence with Eela Craig, called Ice Planet (a blues outfit that never recorded, that also featured two other ex-Eela Craig members, Heinz Gerstmair and Horst Waber) broke up due to the deaths from two non-Eela Craig members from two separate automobile accidents. The funk has more or less disappeared, going for a more conventional late '70s symphonic prog rock sound.

This CD invokes the presence of the divine mother. I listend to this CD while at a week long silent meditation retreat. It filled me with a gentle joy, peace and immense loving kindness. It is very calming, gentle and nurturing. It features the following songs: Ganesh Invocation, Devi Prayer and Lalitha Ashtotram, which is a Sanskrit mantra of the 108 sacred names of the mother divine. ~ Brad VanAuken