JURASSIC SHIFT

This album re-invents the word "Psychedelic" in so many ways. The OZRICS here are in fine form and deliver some their best work yet. "Jurassic Shift" is loaded with tons of swirling acid laced guitar , mixed with hyptnotic/pulsating electronica and wicked drumming. This all instrumental album is supported by the "freaked Out" flute playing of Joie which adds great depth to the music in actuality. Songs are very well written and recording quality here is fabulous giving the listener solid speaker seperation and dynamics. "Jurassic Shift" will definitely hook you on the OZRICS and you will be back looking for more.

"Jurassic Shift" was recorded in 1992-93 and re-released by Snapper Music as a remastered edition in 1998. The label knew what they were doing when they chose this album as one of their remastered series from the OZRIC TENTACLES catalog. This has to rate as a career apex for the group. Every album I have heard thus far has been extraordinary, but this is one step above that. This is the kind of release that makes a group a well known commodity in a particular style of music. There are not too many groups that can claim they are doing something completely original or something no one else is doing, except for groups like this. They are, and remain the exception to the rule. I have always found it impossible to single out any one song on any of their recordings, every one is fantastic. An album is an event, one large endless jam session that is in a continual evolutionary state that's right on the edge of exploding into something entirely new, like a supernova. As each song begins and ends, and then the entire process starts again, you don't ever feel there was a break in between songs. They keep you entranced, excited, mystified, and always wondering what is going to happen next. And that after all is their strong appeal and a pioneering niche they created all for themselves.

The mind melting keyboards, the Middle Eastern influences, the hyper drive guitar riffs...its all here for you to throw yourself into. Be careful though, this stuff will carry you away; just remember to check back in.

This is one of the best Ozric Tentacles' albums. The music style is very hard to categorize: it is a brilliant mix of progressive space rock, hard rock, fusion, techno, New Age with TONS of state-of-the-art keyboards. ALL the instruments steal the show. The VERY varied, atmospheric, weird and colorful keyboards, combined with the incisive hard rock guitar a la Steve Hillage create absolutely "out of this world" dynamic spacescapes. Easily comparable to the Gong space-era stuff, "Jurassic Shift" however has more crystal clear textures with ultra modern keyboards. The drums and bass are NEVER bland nor repetitive; they are VERY elaborated and clearly contribute to enhance this extremely complex music. There are many Middle Eastern music influences, so that the ultra modern textures constantly flirt with the more traditional music, mostly produced with the help of advanced keyboards technology and exotic percussions. The album contains peaceful and relaxing bits including delicate flutes. One clearly finds a little Frank Zappa's influence of the 80's, especially on the guitar and drums styles, like in many bits of the tracks "Jurassic shift", "Pteranodon" and "Vita Voom". If you like the Gong of the space-era (before 1975), Frank Zappa's guitar & drums of the 80's and the Steve Hillage's Green album, then this record is definitely for you!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

This was the very first OZRIC CD I ever picked up (along with "Arborescence" which I bought at the very same store the very same day). I was hearing of their reputation as the "new Gong". Both the CDs I bought were the out-of-print American versions on the now-defunct IRS label (the one that had the Go-Gos on its roster, not to mention reissuing FOCUS albums, that meant the label had both new wave and prog rock on its roster). I was immediately drawn to the Blim artwork to both. I'm glad once I got to hear both CDs, I was sold on the OZRICS.

Perhaps the most surprising thing about "Jurassic Shift" is just how well this CD did on the British album charts, reaching number 6. The band never altered their sound, never went commercial, it was just a stroke of luck this album did so well on the charts which are usually unfriendly to this kind of music. Given my skepticism of how music was like in the 1990s, I wasn't sure what to expect with the OZRICS, but the minute I heard "Jurassic Shift", I was complely amazed. Lots of great wild guitar from Ed, and great spacy synthesizers (both analog and digital) from Joie. I really enjoyed the band's inclusion of Asian and Middle Eastern styles in their music, for example, the Chinese influence of "Feng Shui".

Certainly I think some of the songs tend to meander a bit, but the music, for the most part is inspired and full of excitement. This album was recorded at a time when bassist Roly (Ed's brother) was in the middle of departing from the band, so many of the cuts were done by new bassist Zia (who first appeared on the Live Underslunky CD). The reason for Roly's departure was to pursue other musical interests, by forming a band called Damidge with drummer Conrad Prince and keyboardist Christopher Lennox-Smith. The latter two end up joining the OZRICS after Joie and Merv decided to concentrate full time with Eat Static. These two guys we know as Rad and Seaweed (who are no longer OZRIC members).

Anyway, "Jurassic Shift" is still a wonderful place for those not familiar with the OZRICS to start.

My rating: 4 1/2 stars

If Strangeitude was the pinnacle of the early Ozrics, there must have been something cooking at the Mill to produce an even better album. I think this was about the time that the band laid their hands on new recording equipment. Whether or not this was a factor relevant to the final product is debatable, but the listener is presented with a fusion of dance, ambient and rock. It's hard to characterise this music. It's quintessentially Ozric.

Sunhair. Jurassic Shift and Vit Voom stand out for me. The only problems I have with this album are Train Oasis and Pteradon. Two tracks that I just don't get at all.

If you were looking for a place to start an appreciation of Ozrics then Pungent Effulgent, Strangeitude, Arborescence or Spice Doubt might be better places to start.

Ozric Tentacles is a unique band that until now I cannot find any band in similar vein as this band. My venture with the band started long time ago when I purchased "Vulgar Unicorn" album that did not blow me away at all at first listen. But when I got the CD of "Hidden Step" by accident when I was visiting local CD store some years ago, I started to enjoy the music. I had not tracked the band for couple of years, about 5 to 7 years, I think until I found "Hidden Step". I was impressed with the album. Yes, there is obvious disco or house music style in this album but it's more than that, especially when I observe the drumming and guitar work. On top of the musical part, the album was produced excellently. Sonic quality of the CD is top- notch, especially when I play it loud. The detailed soundscape can be heard clearly.

I find the band is a band of sets its own category. Yes, there are influences of other bands, probably, by PINK FLOYD or GONG or HAWKWIND or even YANNI (the new age guy) or ROBERT MILES, probably. But it is not a real or direct influence, I believe, as their music is original. There are lots of sampling or programming techniques used in their music. If you fail to enjoy at first spin, give another chance of at least 2 spins, it will grow dramatically!

"Sun Hair" (5:43) opens the album in a dynamic style with keyboards and guitar as solos during musical interlude. The music flows beautifully with constant style but in every journey through many segments, the textures are different - using sound effects or flute sounds. It continues wonderfully with next track "Stretchy" (6:51). Ed Wynne gives his stunning guitar solos throughout the song augmented with Joie Hinton's keyboard solo. All are performed in the corridors of beat keepers provided by Roly Wynne's bass, Marcus Ethnic's percussion and Merv Pepler's drums.

"Feng Shui" (10:24) starts ambient with flute work and keyboard effects in spacey mood. This is good music for a soundtrack film, I believe. The music then moves in crescendo , marked with drum work - it flows naturally in constant beat augmented with sound effects from keyboard. The sound effects that really make up this song enjoyable - especially when it's augmented with flute as soloist. The song contains rocking style at the end part, exploring guitar solo and keyboard work. It's really an excellent track.

"Half Light in Thillai" (5:35) is a mellow track with excellent flute work, performed in the vein of space music like Jean Michelle Jarre's. The album title track "Jurassic Shift" (11:05) is a dynamic composition delivered with tight bass lines. The sound effects provide the melody augmented with flute solo and guitar fills. The song contains rich of textures from start to beginning. The tempo also changes into faster one at the end of the track. It rocks!

Well, I don't need to explore on track by track basis. What I can say is that even though most of the tracks contained here in this album are instrumental in the same vein but I do not find the compositions are boring at all. The band provides sufficient textures that prevent you to get bored with it. Keep on proggin' ..!

"Do not affraid of growing slöwly - be affraid of only standing still."

As I write this review this is their highest rated record on this site.

"Sunhair" is spacey with a hypnotic beat.The guitar is good 2 1/2 minutes in and later. "Stretchy" gets better as it plays out. Steady drums as various sounds come and go. Some aggressive guitar before 3 minutes. "Feng Shui" opens with a spacey atmosphere, there really isn't much going on until we get a melody and waves of synths. Some strange noises and flute later. It really rocks out near the end. "Half Light In Thillai" has some good percussion and Eastern sounds later. I like the atmosphere.

"Jurassic Shift" has some steller guitar and an uptempo beat. The beat stops as a very atmospheric and spacey soundscape arrives.The beat comes back 8 minutes in with some great guitar. Killer song. "Pteranodon" is the first song with some heaviness. Guitar melodies 2 minutes in are good. This one has a heavy beat with spacey synths and tribal drumming later. "Train Oasis" is a short laid back tune. "Vita Voom" has a funky beginning. Synths and guitar come in. Flute and Eastern sounds with more great guitar later.

One of their best.

I've listened to by no means all of OZRIC TENTACLES' 30-odd albums, but I reckon 'Jurassic Shift' is the best I've heard. By 1993 the OZRIC were absorbing many of the better aspects of techno music, and there is no doubt their music depends upon a relentless beat, albeit sometimes in odd time signatures. By coincidence, 1993 was the seminal year in IDM - 'intelligent dance music' - and on this album the TENTACLES show how cleverly they've absorbed the lessons of their contemporaries while still retaining the psychedelic (read 'druggy') space-rock feel.

I find myself constantly hearing influences while listening to this album. The band members have listened to SYSTEM 7, THE ORB, ORBITAL and PLAID, to name but a few, and have on this album above all their others combined a progressive vibe (the synth loops and guitars of space-rock) with a techno rhythm section. This is done to great effect particularly on the opening track, 'Sunhair', and the title track. There are eastern influences in their work, an idea flogged from GONG, STEVE HILLAGE and a number of other sources. Yet these influences seldom extend to the rhythm section, which in the end means the group remains competent and unadventurous, though still great fun. There are some searing guitar solos here, and a variety of lovely burbling synth loops to caress your ears. The tracks are luscious and rich, a thick Persian carpet of sounds to wriggle your toes in, and all satisfy n the very first listen.

If you're going to acquire only one OZRIC TENTACLES album (and most of you will stop at one, given how similar they are), this is the one to get. But if you like it, please consider having a crack at the above-mentioned techno groups, each at least as progressive as OZRIC and by and large much more demanding.

Jurrasic Shift is an excellent neo-psychedelic piece of work, which I would like to call space-fusion. It reminds me a bit of the P. Moerlen' s led GONG or the late 1970s CAMEL, with addition of odd instruments and Eastern feel. It is mostly instrumental album, but the arrangements are done in so wonderful way that it is never boring, even for a minute! This album can be played and played over and over and never to get bored. A masterpiece of 1990s prog!

PERSONAL RATING: 4,5/5

P.A. RATING: 5/5

This Ozric album is much more hard-space-rock oriented than any of their work so far. And this is fine with me, even if "Hawkwind" did the same some time ago.

"Jurassic Shift" starts really well with "Sunhair" and "Stretchy". But the old habits are also brought back with "Feng Shui" which is their usual reggae-oriented song. At least one per album: that's the price you'll have to pay. It is repetitive, monotonous and dull. Press next.

The same and passionless music can also be experienced during "Halflight in Thillai". This is a spacey track which is by no means pleasant or interesting. Same old stuff.

The title track is of another calibre: at least it brings some variety and dynamics in this work. It starts on the soft side but is building crescendo. The guitar work is fine and even if those "space" sounds in the background are so cliché, it is one of the best songs from the album. Some fine Oriental parts complete the picture just before a gorgeous finale dominated by a superb beat.

The last two tracks are a good summary of what's available on "Jurassic Shift": some atmospheric passages ("Train Oasis") and some more hard-rocking ones ("Vita Voom").

In all, I would say that this album is worth five out of ten. I'll upgrade it to three stars.

Easily one of the band's best albums-- if not THE best, doing everything so right that it's hard to find anything reasonable to complain about (unless of course one simply dislikes their sound). "Jurassic Shift" grabs hold of the listener and takes them on one of the coolest and genuinely exciting musical trips out there.

Throughout "Jurassic Shift" we're given an elaborate blend of sounds, typically performed with the following elements-- deep soundscapes, set against groovy bass work, with a variety of bizarre sounds or ethnic-sounding instruments... and Ed Wyne's energizing guitar, which rips with a kinetic flair that sounds positively out of place when what one expects from a "space rock" band.

The end result is instrumental fun and excitement. I am sure any electronica snob can name a dozen bands more creative and influential than the Ozrics... but good luck finding any more genuinely entertaining to listen to.

Songwriting: 4 Instrumental Performances: 5 Lyrics/Vocals: NA Style/Emotion/Replay: 5

As plenty of others have pointed out already, Jurassic Shift is one of the strongest of all Ozric albums. I have a slight preference for Erpland but this one sure comes in second.

The distinction is simply one of inspiration. I've never really kept track of which musicians performed on each particular Ozric album but on this one we sure here a very tight and focussed band. No matter how trippy and out-there this music sounds, this isn't the drunk 'n' doped jamming of Gong and Hawkwind. The Ozrics might be a bit less fun because of it but they sure were more accomplished and professional.

The Ozrics work their way through all different incarnations of their sound: ambient progressive electronic on Sunhair, space-rocking fusion on Stretchy, esoteric dub and reggae that turns into hard rocking frenzy at the end on Feng Shui, Indian flavours on Halflight In Thillai, pure Hawkwind-Gong space-fusion on Jurassic Shift, and the Middle-Eastern rock-dance of Vita Voom, a mandatory item on each Ozric album apparently.

The Ozrics are often criticised for always doing and sounding the same. While I agree to the fact that all their albums are very similar indeed, it's certainly not true that they keep repeating the same trick on each songs. As I've summed up, the plethora of styles is endless and most of their albums have plenty of variation and sophistication inside. That sure goes for this one.

There was a period, of about three month - nearly two years ago, where I encountered the name Ozric Tentacles no matter where I went and so it was only a matter of time before they would get on my play-list. Since then they have been one of those bands that I do listen to from time to time, but without experience any real attachment to their music.

Jurassic Shift is generally considered to be Ozric Tentacles' early masterpiece and it felt therefore as a natural introduction to the band for me. Back then, I remember listening a lot to Eloy's Planets and after noticing that the two bands shared the sub-genre of Psychedelic/Space Rock I boldly assume that there would also be quite a few similarities in their sound. Naturally I was very wrong and the first moments of the opening track Sunhair put me in my place right from the get-go. Ozric Tentacles are more of an experimental sounding band with only a hint of Space groove added to their music just to smooth out the edges and make longer compositions feel very bearable to get through. What I mean by my statement is that their music can go from sounds of trance music to heavy metal on one and the same composition without making any of these elements sound out of place thanks to the smooth elements of their Space groove filling out all the rough edges. Just listen to the 10+ minute track Feng Shui and I'm sure you'll understand exactly what I mean.

All of this is completely hunky dory with me, but there's just one more element to this band's style that tends to not be a favorite of mine. I'm talking about writing groovy music only for the sake of writing groovy music and unfortunately, for me, there are quite a few of those instances featured on every album that I've experienced from this band so far. It almost as annoying as listening to a Jazz Rock/Fusion artist adding smooth Jazz compositions into the mix, aka the Pat Metheny effect, meaning that it might not be all that annoying for some listeners at all while others get completely frustrated with the artist in question. As for my Pat Metheny-example, I do enjoy the two of his albums in my collection, but to be honest most of that enjoyment comes from my childhood nostalgia for his music and I'm actually hesitant of giving any of his other albums a go because of just that. Since I started listening to Ozric Tentacles in my early '20s, I can't really give them the same luxury and therefore have to resort to slightly more drastic measures when I judge their material.

This is definitely a great album for anyone wanting to hear very accessible experimental groove music with a hint of Space Rock added to it, but I wouldn't really want to recommend something that I'm personally all that attached to. Yes, Ozric Tentacle is a fun little band which is also what they will remain due to their unwillingness to broader their horizons outside of making groovy music for their followers. Hence, good, but non-essential.

**** star songs: Sunhair (5:43) Stretchy (6:51) Feng Shui (10:24) Jurassic Shift (11:05) Train Oasis (2:45) Vita Voom (4:48)

*** star songs: Half Light In Tillai (5:35) Pteranodon (5:40)

OK. I realize that this band always has the same ideas, recycling them constantly, even though some albums are quite original. In "Jurassic Shift", I hear familiar sounds, but very well put together: a brilliant collage of different ideas, all used. It might sound like a negative comment, and in almost all circumstances it is. But not this time. Jurassic Shift is a good album indeed, with some brilliant moments, totally original. Some however, like I said, have been heard already in their previous albums.

The album, the band, always keeps the same style: a great mix between new age, psychedelic rock, progressive, jazz, electronic synth pop. A big melting pot. Certainly this album can't quite be compared, in my opinion, to some of their albums like "Curious Corn", "Pungent Effulgent", or even the sadly underrated "Waterfall Cities".

Great Songs are present in this album, such as the title track, a real Ozric Tentacles classic, with it's 11 minutes of perfectly flowing music, or the mind blowing "Halflight In Thillai", with it's Asian music influences, the nice "Stretchy". Also "Feng Shui", which isn't bad, has some memorable moments from it's ten minutes, like the guitar driven ending. Also, "Sunhair" always relaxes me. The album is good, and I would give it at least 4 stars, which is a compliment for a band that often repeats themselves.

The three Ozric Tentacles albums I own (the three I.R.S. CDs from th early nineties) are all very good albums, but of the three, I'd say this was the best of them. It's the one I listen to the most. It took a few listens to figure out what brings me to this one, but it appears to me that the sounds of the instruments blend a bit better here than on the other two. Perhaps it was a better studio budget (I.R.S. was having financial trouble at the time Arborescence was made), I don't know, but this just sounds more cohesive.

Anyway, like all of the Ozric albums I've heard, the songs are all splendid space rock jams. My favorite on this one is the eerie Pteranodon.

I find the album is perfect for late night driving, or long trips through the New Hamshire mountains. But that's just me.

Producing albums since 1985, Ed Wynne and company (aka OZRIC TENTACLES)'s 1990 and 1993 albums, Erpland and Jurassic Shift, respectively, achieved the blend of quality production, recording, composition, and performance to elevate the band into the pantheon of 'significant' progressive rock musicians. Categorized a "psychedelic/space rock" band because of their jam band instrumental approach and heavy reliance on synths, "world" percussives, rhythms, instruments and sounds, and Ed Wynne's guitar soloing, the Ozrics are so much more. (The reputation of their live concerts does seem to draw similarities to those of PHISH, GROBSCHNITT, or THE GRATEFUL DEAD.) Jurassic Shift is my favorite OT album. Published in April of 1993, this modern world instrument- and synthesizer-infused jazz-rock fusion band from the UK led by guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Ed Wynne had just come off the release of their second live album after eight studio albums in eight years. With JS it seems that the band had made the complete synthesis, balance, and maturation of their spacey sound with pristine sound reproduction and production.

1. "Sunhair" (5:43) from the opening percussive synthesizer sequence I knew that this was going to be a band I like and that this song album and song were to be amazing. Once full band joins in there are sections of Japanese garden-like sounds, odd crowd/bird sounds, swirling synth solos and wailing rock guitar soli all alternating in perfect time durations. Awesome opener! (9.5/10)

2. "Stretchy" (6:51) here the band puts on display the unique way in which they have incorporated the awesome array of synthesizer sounds and capabilities becoming available at the beginning of the Nineties--many of which were rather unfortunately relegated to the realms of New Age and Buddha Lounge/World Music. The song cruises along at a fast pace from the get go with a vast array of synth sounds being incorporated over the driving drum and bass play. Great tune for moving! (9/10)

3. "Feng Shui" (10:24) opening with flute soloing meditatively over garden-like synth washes and incidental percussives until a synth sequence and drums and bass enter at the 1:30 mark establishing a Lots of Holger-Czukay-like radio samples woven into the tapestry. At the end of the third minute some really gorgeous synth chords enter before leaving to isolate the bass and Jamaica-like drum/percussives in order to throw a veritable flood of idiosyncronous synth-generated spacey-"jungle" sounds at us. Koto takes the lead within the mix for the sixth minute. Then a more familiar organ-like synth bumps some chords at us during the seventh minute before devolving into more synth soloing from some odd & delay/echoed synth sound. The 8:00 mark sees a dramatic shift into high octane power rock with a whole change in tempo (faster) and style. For creativity this is an astonishing song; melodically it may be found lacking a bit. (8.5/10)

4. "Half Light in Thillai" (5:36) this one opens with sounds and style that are very familiar to me for my obsession with all things the Brothers Gordon (Steve and David) founders of Sequoia Records and musicians behind many of the great New Age yoga and drum circle/dance albums of the 1980s (the Inner Music and Sacred Earth Drums series') as well as bands like DEEP FOREST. Slow, methodic and aboriginal, the rhythm tracks allow for some nice flute, guitar, and synth incidentals. The final minute and more finds some excellent acoustic guitar work. (8.5/10)

5. "Jurassic Shift" (11:06) simply the best song on the album and the most truly prog of them all with some outstanding electric guitar work--both lead and rhythm--over the amazingly engaging groove coming from the rhythm tracks. This is where we get served notice that Ed Wynne is a guitar god--eleven minutes of such service! The quiet middle section is quite reminiscent of some Al Di Meola's softer stuff--like from Scenario on. (10/10)

6. "Pteranodon" (5:41) takes us back to a Jurassic-kind of time with heavy, plodding bass and drum lines supporting long sustained decaying synth "screams." The island/jungle/tribal-like percussives only add to the effect as do the "alien"-like synth ejaculations in the second half of the second minute. Searing electric guitar solo opens the third minute before relinquishing its lead to more of the synth (and violin?) ejaculations and "screams." Again, from a creativity aspect, this song is incredible! AND it hits on all cylinders with the engaging groove and story being "told." (9/10)

7. "Train Oasis" (2:46) opens with a quickly established PAT METHENY GROUP-like groove (though using a synthesizer for bass). Creative midi-synth soloing on multiple levels (tracks?) and nice chord progressions and melody constructions. (9/10)

8. "Vita Voom" (4:48) Timbales and bass & guitar open this one presenting an almost punk/techno pop beat before incidental samples are thrown at us from the computer keyboard. At the end of the opening minute the lead electric guitar gives us a little more structure with its ostinati. Flute gets a turn to shine in the third minute--though its treatments sometimes almost obscure it. Spanish-flavored acoustic guitar is added and then Spanish-flavored lead electric guitar wails over the now distinctly Latin-infused song. (9/10)

4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of innovative progressive rock music, rated up for its example to other space jam bands.

'Jurassic Shift' - Ozric Tentacles (8/10)

Although I would not yet consider myself to be an expert of all things Ozric- having only heard a handful of their albums at this point- but they are quickly becoming one of my most liked bands in the psychedelic and space rock styles. Having a good thirty or so albums under their belts since coming out of the woodwork in the eighties, Ozric Tentacles has become a very well regarded band, while maintaining their stance as an underground act. 'Jurassic Shift' is one of the more acclaimed records by this band, recommended to me as an ideal place to start my journey with these guys. If the band's 1993 effort is any indicator of their career, than after many listens to this gem, I would reckon I have many great days of superb listening ahead. Fusing numerous different sounds together into one signature blend of 'space fusion', Ozric Tentacles creates a massively fun and exciting listen with this one.

When it comes to the sound of the Ozrics, I must say that they do have a very recognizable sound, despite being part of a style that generally recycles the ideas of the first psychedelic wave. Ozric Tentacles make instrumental music that is deep, ambient, trippy, and- above all- fun to listen to. Each of the compositions on 'Jurassic Shift' is quick to make me smile, there is almost a happy-go-lucky attitude to alot of the music that this band makes that would make a perfect soundtrack to the perfect acid trip. Despite being fun and generally upbeat though, the compositions are fairly dense in their sound. Although the songwriting tends to get somewhat drawn out- keeping in touch with their genre roots- the songs build and ebb with a good feeling of intention to them, and the musicianship of each member is peaked for this sort of music. Ed Wynne's guitar solos could sometimes do with a little more moderation, but never lets go of the atmosphere. The bass grooves here are incredibly catchy and memorable, especially in the upbeat rocker 'Stretchy'. Possibly most engaging here though are the keyboards and electronics, which- did I mention- have enough spaced-out energy to them to make Timothy Leary consider settling down for a job as an insurance salesman?

A surprising aspect of the band's sound is the fact they they use alot of ethnic instrumentation in their sound; something I was not quite expecting from a band like this. With 'Feng Shui' or 'Half Light In Thillai' both take the listener to ambient soundscapes of other cultures, which does well to both soothe and excite. The fusion of world music into the Ozrics' formula of space rock is really great, and adds a new level of depth of the music that I really was not expecting. The last two songs on the album are not quite as memorable as I would have liked them to be, but the album is fairly consistent, constantly throwing new interesting things at the listener for the very most part.

I can only hope that the rest of this band's discography is so good; with Ozric Tentacles' 'Jurassic Shift', they have found themselves a new fan in me. I am not usually into this sort of music, but with Ozric, there is a real intelligence to back up the trippy vibes and spacial harmonies. This is a really excellent album.

One of the Ozrics' crowning achievement, Jurassic Shift doesn't do a whole lot different from most of their other early 1990s albums - it just does it better. The performances are top-notch, the production is perfectly judged, the compositions are good and the album is varied enough in its sound so that it's constantly surprising the listener and never becomes repetitive or tiring to listen to. With all the usual range of musical styles you expect from the Ozrics - trippy Gong- inspired space rock, mellow Middle Eastern-derived tunes, and all the rest - Jurassic Shift is perhaps the best starting point for any exploration of their discography. If you only own one Ozrics album, make it this one.

If the rumour is true that if you hear one Ozric Tentacles album, you've got the whole story and sound of the band, then it would make sense that the first one you hear would be their finest and all of the others simply follow that formula. That logic didn't work with me; I heard ERPLAND before I heard JURASSIC SHIFT, and somehow the latter album attracted my attention far more than ERPLAND.

My understanding of the main idea of psychedelic space dance music is to keep a steady yet mesmerizing beat going adding flourishes over the top so that the track doesn't become repetitive. The Ozrics managed to make that work quite well here, most notably in the title track. That title track has some pure Tim Blake essence for about eight minutes until Wynne just goes thrash punk on the listener and yet that moment sounds warranted.

And this album is condensed compared to ERPLAND. The music is quite easy to get into and enjoy, yet the occasional time signature shift and long song should keep progsters interested. It's only real problem is that it can be relegated to background music out of habit.