An extensive 6CD box set devoted to one of the key innovators of the '60s psychedelic sound featuring their entire output, rarities and demos. Featuring the first CD issue of the mono mix of the 'Mass In F Minor', the collection also compiles the original dedicated mono 45 mixes, plus rare cuts, early demos, and extended takes, as well as the legendary live recording of the band captured in Stockholm during their European tour in late 1967, all lovingly remastered by Alec Palao. To complement these unique psychedelic sounds the box set includes a comprehensive history of the group by Gray Newell, featuring in-depth recollections from original vocalist James Lowe, and from key member of the later incarnation of the band, Richard Whetstone, making this the definitive Electric Prunes' collection.
Although they certainly had an experimental and exploratory side, at least for a garage band, the Electric Prunes were always considered first and foremost a singles band by Reprise Records, and the group's singles were carefully mixed to sound perfect coming through a mono car radio, while the LP versions of the same songs would be mixed for a home-based stereo system, which means the radio mixes were much punchier. This 24-track set collects all of the Prunes' singles for Reprise during the heady psychedelic period of 1966 through 1969, including the classic hit "I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)," the Bo Diddley-rhythmed "Get Me to the World on Time," and other oddities that didn't get much or any radio time like "Wind-Up Toys," which rides an intriguing, staggered beat and shows that this band could have done just fine if left alone to develop.
On their second album since their 2005 reunion, synth pop pioneers Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark rekindle the spirit of two new wave classics, the first being their own "slept on" masterpiece from 1983, Dazzle Ships, an album that pushed the boundaries sonically. From the blippy, robotic, and almost musique concrète opener "Please Remain Seated" to the geometric sleeve that credits DZ designer Peter Saville with Executive Art Design, English Electric carries on the pop-meets-avant-garde spirit of that fan favorite album. It gives up a love song like "Night Café" that's so glossed and polished that it could be used in a John Hughes film, and then it offers an edgy swerve like "Decimal," where answering machine messages, countdowns, and other disembodied voices provided some kind of silicon chorus that's equally majestic and precise…
On their second album since their 2005 reunion, synth pop pioneers Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark rekindle the spirit of two new wave classics, the first being their own "slept on" masterpiece from 1983, Dazzle Ships, an album that pushed the boundaries sonically. From the blippy, robotic, and almost musique concrète opener "Please Remain Seated" to the geometric sleeve that credits DZ designer Peter Saville with Executive Art Design, English Electric carries on the pop-meets-avant-garde spirit of that fan favorite album. It gives up a love song like "Night Café" that's so glossed and polished that it could be used in a John Hughes film, and then it offers an edgy swerve like "Decimal," where answering machine messages, countdowns, and other disembodied voices provided some kind of silicon chorus that's equally majestic and precise…