MAGIC CARPET

One of the more curious creations baked up in the slipstream of the 1960s obsession with all things 'Indian' - thanks George Harrison - Magic Carpet's softly-spun blend of East and West appeared on the Mushroom label during 1972, featuring a four-strong line-up made-up of both Sufi devotees and Folk musicians. Very much one of those albums aimed squarely at the 'alternative' and 'underground' student movements of the time, this self-titled effort features a roster of pretty-if-somewhat rather unexciting songs,with plenty of sitars, tambouras and tabla's adorning the album's basic acoustic sound. Somewhat tellingly, 'Magic Carpet' wasn't what you would exactly call a smash-hit, though a cult following has developed in the intervening years for an album that is, truth be told, a rather good companion to a low-key evening of herbal meditation if nothing else. Also rather tellingly, however, is the fact that the best track on the 1990's CD edition is the previously unissued closing track 'Raga', a sprawling, mystical Indian opus that crawls rather beautifully through twenty wordless minutes of chiming sitars and soothing tabla beats and was obviously far too long to fit on the original vinyl release. 'Raga' Apart, 'Magic Carpet' is essentially a fusion of both Indian and British folk elements stretched across eleven largely unmemorable tracks featuring the added bonus of Alisha Sufits highly-strung vocals. Opener 'The Magic Carpet' apart - the original album's sole highlight - there is very little that sets the pulse racing. Fans of traditional Indian music and more obscure folk offerings may be in for a treat, yet for most progressive rock fans there is precious that is magic about this particular carpet. STEFAN TURNER, STOKE NEWINGTON, 2012