This album has a very interesting history. In 1990, Terry Bickers left The House Of Love. Together with their drummer David Francolini and 3 others he formed a new band: LEVITATION. They released a few EP's and a full length on Rough Trade, called Need For Not. Then they signed to Chrysalis and recorded enough material for two whole albums, but during that period there were arguments and at some point Bickers walked off stage during a concert. A new singer, Steve Ludwin, took his place eventually and even their album MEANWHILE GARDENS was released with the new singer's vocals replacing the original recordings of Bickers'. It came out on CD only, in Australia in 1994.
Now, after 22 years, Flashback Records did a great job releasing the album as it was meant to be. They got the original band members to authorize the album with a definitive tracklisting order, and -most importantly- with Bickers' original vocals. It was remastered from the original analogue tapes. Earlier this year they already released the limited Never Odd Or Even 12" for Record Store Day, with 3 songs from these sessions that hadn't made it to the album.
It's a brilliant psychedelic, progressive rock album. Labeling it as such might suggest it's boring and unnecessarily bombastic, but it's everything but that. It's gentle, subtle and can be very strong at the same time. And Terry Bickers' vocals are just really good. Hard to describe how it sounds, but if you like bands like Porcupine Tree, Radiohead and Mogwai, you're in for a treat. And it never sounds outdated, after all those years. My favourite songs are King Of Mice and I Believe, but there are plenty of more gems like that on this album.
Label: Flashback Records
Cat.nr.: FB009
Year of release: 2015
SIDE A:
01. Food For Power
02. Gardens Overflowing
03. Bodiless
SIDE B:
01. Magnifying Glass
02. King Of Mice
03. Imagine The Sharks
SIDE C:
01. Evergreen
02. Even When Your Eyes Are Open
03. I Believe
SIDE D:
01. Burrows
02. Sacred Lover
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