SONIC GEOLOGY

While not as polished sounding as their subsequent releases, I find the early recordings of Birdsongs of the Mesozoic to be much more interesting. Perhaps that is because of the work of Roger Miller (no not that guy, the one from Mission of Burma), adding a harder edge to the music.

This collection is culled from the band's original vinyl releases, all classics. The sound quality is a bit rough, and the rhythm section is held together by a cheesy drum machine. But that doesn't keep the band from creating some fantastic music. The majority of the tracks are built upon simple, but unconventional licks, repeated and built on until they reach a frenzy. And the highlights to me are two cover tunes, an amazing version of the theme somg from Rocky & Bullwinkle, and excerpts from Stravinsky's Rites of Spring.