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Review from Mojo. As usual, they appreciate what they hear:
Motorpsycho: The Tower (4/5)
Norwegian proggers' 19th LP feels like the first time.
These Norwegian sonic voyagers' almost-three-decade journey to the outer reaches continues, their focus barely shaken by the exit of long-serving drummer Kenneth Kapstad, replaced by Tomas Järmyr, who stalwarts Brent [!] Sæther and Hans Ryan credit with The Tower's heavier crunch. Certainly, Bartok Of The Universe's steel-armoured riffage and half-inched CSN harmonies conjures a beast that could slay latter-day Mastodon, but this double-set is no one-note riff-blitz: The Maypole eschews the trad-folk suggestion of the title for trippy, sun-soaked delirium; In Every Dream Home is a polymorphous treat liberally drizzled with Yes-juice; while the excursive Intrepid Explorer is exhilarating, a reminder of just how much fun prog can be, in the right hands. The Tower's refreshing absence of cynicism, boundless joy, never self-indulgent instrumental excursions and ample cosmic thrills make listeners feel like wide-eyed 11-year olds dropping the needle on their very first proggy expedition.
Review by Stevie Chick
Seeing that you're not too fond of DVDs, it's no wonder you haven't found RW3 – it's on the Haircuts DVD from 2008.
Welcome, by the way.
Oh dear – I seem to have blogged a little bit about the two Bergen shows. (Norwegian only.)
Setlist, from Instagram:
Year zero
Dream home
In our tree
Starmelt
Bartok
Tower
PPP
Intrepid explorer
Lacuna
Heartattack Mac
Pacific sonata
cuckoo
Ship of fools
Chien
—
Surfer
Agreed – a very, very good show. It was obvious from the opening song, Year Zero – a marvellous version. The sound ruined some songs, but the two final songs, K9 and the Surfer, were excellent. Grown men were weeping next to me.
The audience was impressive too, by the way. Every song was followed by ruptourous applause, before everyone turned silent, waiting for the next song.
@thoregil: Just to point out the obvious – the two other new songs must be The Cuckoo and The Tower. Which, of course, is what you intended to write.
Mojo has written nicely about Motorpsycho earlier as well. Their albums regularly get good/great reviews, and in their review of the Øya festival in 2006, Mojo labeled Motorpsycho "Europe's best kept secret" (or something similar).
But yes, a very cool introduction.
From MOJO's introduction to the CD:
Taking their name from a 1965 movie by Russ Meyer, the godfather of US sexploitation, Trondheim outfit Motorpsycho have made some of the most inspired, progressive records on the planet in the past 25 years. Their latest, Here Be Monsters, is no exception, and features this Mellotron-soaked tune. Inspired by near-namesake Sabbath song Laguna Sunrise, interwoven guitar leads you to the ehart of track with its sense of Californian warmth. Bask in it.
There's also an Elephant 9 track on the CD, "Dodovoodoo"
The convergence between jazz and prog rock scenes was arguably more evident when Sabbath emerged than it is today. Yet that spirit lives on in Norway, home to the remarkable Rune Grammfon label to whom Elephant 9 are signed (as are fellow adventurers Motorpsycho). Formed a decade ago in Oslo, here the three-piece delivers a pernicious organ-blaster redolent of Purple's free-form moments. We challenge tou not to get down!
The Gramster: Splendid that Hogwash is included. I misread ThorEgil's post above, about track listing on two CDs.
I attended the show at Rockefeller in March 1997, and remember it as an excellent evening. I wrote a report for the un-off afterwards, and back then I felt that half an hour with Deathprod was more than enough. If I remember correctly, he was joined by Ole Henrik Moe and one or two others.
The only song from the show not included on the upcoming AADAP-box is Hogwash.
@thoregil: We are all museum exhibits, and some of us even work at a museum. Well, one of us, anyway.
