YETI

I was a bit let down by this one when I finally heard it. It definitely feels like a bit of a come-down after the brilliance of PHALLUS DEI. Certainly, after the standard set by the unforgettable title suite of their debut, the rambling "Yeti/Yeti Talks To Yogi" improvisation (all 24 minutes of it) is absolutely bereft of focus, with no handles for the listener to grab hold on. Chalk it up to TALES FROM TOPOGRAPHIC OCEANS syndrome, the temptation to gratuitously overextend everything when presented with the luxury of a double album.

It's almost beside the point, though, as the first disc is brilliant. The lengthy "Soap Shop Rock" cycle is entrancing, and Side 2 of the original album contained some of their most searing guitarwork. "Eye Shaking King" in particular is heart-stopping, the sort of thing that makes Black Sabbath look like a bunch of wimps.