Their two best cassette era releases
BENJAMIN MILER | Veneta, Oregon | 08/19/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"It's nice to see that both Sliding Gliding Worlds and Bits Between the Bits are availble again. I missed out when those two were available (separately) on Dovetail. For me, this is by far the two best albums the Ozrics had released during the cassette era. The ethnic influences are seriously beginning to show, they were starting explore more excellent synth sounds (where like on Ersongs and Tantric Obstacles, they seemed to use mostly Minimoog-like synth leads and VCS-3 type bubble sounds), apparently the band had obtained some (then) new digital synthesizers to add to their analog sounds, and the addition of new keyboards helped the band expand on their sounds. Of course the addition of John Egan, who is still with them to this day, obviously helped in a more ethnic bent to the band. The Bits Between the Bits, on the other hand, is a collection of leftover material, but they aren't reject cuts that should never have been released, but top quality Ozric material that sounded like it was recorded specifically for this release. Some of the songs featured on Sliding Gliding Worlds are "Fetch Me the Pongmaster", "The Dusty Pouch", "Atmospheric Underslunky", "Mae Hong Song", "Kick Muck", and "White Rhino Tea". "Kick Muck" is exactly the same as the one on Pungent Effulgent, but it includes a cool ambient outro not found on Pungent. "White Rhino Tea" here is the original which I actually prefer over the one on Strangeitude. The Bits Between the Bits features what I feel is some of the Ozrics best cassette era material like "Eye of Adia", "Sparkling Oasis", "Symetricum" and "Floating Seeds". If it weren't for the last couple of cuts, "Puff Puff on a Chuff Chuff" and "Health Music", I would put The Bits Between the Bits as their ultimate cassette-era release, but it's not too far behind from Sliding Gliding Worlds or even There is Nothing. It's hard to believe that the Ozrics put out such great music when they were still releasing privately issued cassettes without the benefit of a record label, and releases like Sliding Gliding Worlds and The Bits Between the Bits prove that!"
Don't miss this opportunity!
Listener | BayArea, CA | 01/04/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Here it is...a long awaited chance to snatch up a copy of the album Sliding Gliding Worlds. I've got mine and my Ozric collection is finally complete. But this is more than just a collector's item! Both discs offer some solid classics by the Tentacles that weren't selected for the compilation Afterswish.SGW has six tracks not featured on 'Swish, including the original versions of Kick Muck (found later on Pungent Effulgent minus the ambient outro) and White Rhino Tea (completely revamped on Strangeitude). SGW, the fifth tape the Ozrics released to their underworld in the 80s, has some of their strongest originals, and has been impossible to find before this reissue! All of the usual Ozric genres are represented: 'Floats' -- Chickendon, Hup Ho World; 'Reggae' -- Dusty Pouch; 'Rips' -- Guzzard, Kick Muck; 'Nature' -- Green Island; and, of course, 'Whats' -- Loafjaw...Bits has its gems as well. Koh Phangan is, in my opinion, the CD highlight (and not available on Afterswish!). The track takes you to the far east and perfectly melds the worlds of acoustic and distorted sound. Roly's bass-playing is such a presence on a number of the tracks, Koh and Floating Seeds to name a couple. He could solo for an entire song and still leave you feeling like there was a firm bassline throughout.Grab this compilation while you can....and if you miss out, happy hunting!"
Strong content, but for completists only
Worgelm | United States | 03/08/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Although these are two of the best tape-only releases Ozric ever put out (_There Is Nothing_ also representing), this collection is largely contained in the two-CD compilation _Afterswish_. You may reconsider the value of owning this after realizing 9 of the 15 songs on SGW and almost half of TIN are contained on Afterswish - and three more songs, "White Rhino Tea", "Kick Muck" and "Wreltch," are largely indistinguishable from their counterparts on _Pungent Effulgent_. Add to that no liner notes, and you get a thoroughly unsatisfying package.Those complaints aside, _SGW_ is an unforgettable aural journey, and one of the most unique pieces of music Ozric ever put out. One of the things you do get to hear are the nature sounds as intros the songs, which makes it cohesive to listen to. "Yaboop Yaboop", "Code For Chickendon," "Its a Hup Ho World" and especially "Omnidirectional Bhadra" with its wicked "chipboard sitar" jazzy solo - showcase the poppier, more mystical side of Ozric's music and provide the perfect capstone to the first phase of their music, unlike the transitional _Pungent_ which balances both their increasingly guitar-driven phase with the more balanced, dub-meets-ambient-new-age-jazz approach favored in their older albums. _TIN_ is more fragmentary and forgettable, but also has some nice moments, such as the ethereal flanged-out duo "Tidal Otherness" and "Floating Seeds," along with the drifting closer "Health Music".If you've been dying to get a hold of some of this stuff, and you don't own _Afterswish_, this is probably the double-album to own. Its excellent, mellow, often compelling stuff."
Track Listings (29) - Disc #1