...a quintessence thread started by someone other than me. If no one else on the planet responds in the next day or two Rob, I'll give me two pence worth... :-)

:-)

hello ? Surely someone. It's like my ISB thread under my previous incarnation on this site. If not, I'll go all A Gift From A Flower To A Garden on your ass, and why it is brilliant.. and convince you because it is. Be afraid !

- but find myself lacking the requisite knowledge of Q's ouevre.

I assume you've Spotified - but this anthology is there Oceans of Bliss

http://bit.ly/1tFOAg

Will tune in myself to check out!

the sort of question The Word forum was built for :D

sorry I can't help but links to Greenslade are most welcome

There are three Island albums:

In Blissful Company (1969)
Quintessence (1970)
Dive Deep (1971)

all of which are currently available from Repertoire for around a tenner on amazon in terrific remasters and visually nice packaging (though Chris Welch's sleevenotes are, to be frank, of the knocked-off-in-20-minutes variety on the first two and at least bolstered by a few newly acquired quotes from ex members Phil and Dave on the third).

Then there are two RCA albums:

Self (1971)
Indweller (1972)

both of these are available in more bargain bucket reissue form from Esoteric/Cherry Red. Forget Indweller right away - it's rubbish, the product of a rump of the band post-split.

There are two CD comps:

Epitaph For Tomorrow (Demon mid 90s) - basic sound, poor notes, out of print
Oceans Of Bliss (Universal 2005) - great sound, nice packaging but given it samples only the three Island LPs and one single and is currently out of print, I'd stick with the core catalogue as mentioned.

Also, there are the two just-out, on Hux, CDs of previously unreleased Island concert recordings with great sound & 36 page colour booklets and more Quin info than anyone really needs:

Cosmic Energy: Live At St Pancras 1970
Infinite Love: Live At Queen Elizabeth Hall 1971 (a double CD)

If you want to only buy ONE CD, I'd go for 'In Blissful Company'. Terrific studio arrangements from their producer John Barham. But all three Island LPs are on a par, really. Probably the best in terms of production values and performance (especially Phil 'Shiva' Jones' vocals, which have never sounded better than on 'Dance For The One') is 'Dive Deep' but it possibly lacks the newcomer immediacy/accessibility of the previous two.

Also, there are two recent Shiva Jones CDs, in collaboration with Swiss studio wiz Ralph 'Rudra' Beauvert and original Quin guitarist Dave 'Maha Dev' Codling, which feature a large number of Quintessence classics reworked alongside newer, often zanier material: 'Shiva Shakti' and 'Cosmic Surfer'. The new versions of 'Notting Hill Gate' and 'Cosmic Surfer' - the latter, originally on 'Self' beiong the bands great lost if-only hit single - are especially good.

A best-of drawn from these two CDs plus an exclusive new version of the vintage Quin classic 'Only Love' will be released on Hux in 2010, as will an expanded first-time reissue of Shiva's sole 1973 LP with his post Quintessence band Kala.

Ralph Beauvert's Quintessence website is a mine of useful info, pics, links and sound clips - check out, in particular, the terrific remake of the track 'Cosmic Surfer' up there:

http://www.mooncowhq.ch/

Phew...

Hope that was helpful!

You've prompted me to pull out my old LP Quintessence, good nick, beautifully packaged, and play it for the first time in yonks: well, it's patchy, always was. Rather too many little chants with cosmic/celestial/eastern lyrics, sometimes you wish the singer would just shut up.

Because in between there are quite good instrumental bits featuring heavily-processed, echoey flute passages and, even better, 1970-typical guitar wigouts, suggesting they were probably quite a good live proposition. The guitarist has a nice line in wah-wah while the rhythm guitarist is no slouch either. Best track: Sea of Immortality.

On the whole then, good instumental band being rather drowned out by their USP. Dread to think what their later, less good albums must have been like. And thanks to you, Colin, I'll be checking out a few of the things you mention above.

...it sounds to me like you might enjoy the new 'Cosmic: Live At St Pancras' - which includes the complete (19 minute) version of the track from which one of those live wig-ots on the Quintessence album (called thereon, of course,'St Pancras')came from as well as a live 'sea Of Immorality' with a truly exquisite guitar solo. But don't let me influence you... :-)

for the helpful and inspired info. I've managed to find a compilation at the library called Oceans Of Bliss, which is winging it's way as we speak, and I will buy the back catalogue when I've finished paying for my new guitar this month. I know I'm in for a treat here.

p.s. I'm not trying to be deliberately obtuse here, but can someone kindly explain this Spotify business to me ? It's some sort of radio station I know, but when I googled it, it rather rudely informed me that I hadn't been invited and there was a long waiting list, so I just thought ' well if that's your attitude, bollox to you mate. You're not the bleedin' Groucho club, and that's full of pillocks anyway.' As always - Peace and Love.

Is still monitoring this posting as I have a question for him. He mention on the 'she was a rare thing' post about a Anne Briggs song that was sampled by State River Widening. I was intrigued and checked out their site and some of their stuff which was quite impressive. However I couldnt fine the song that was mentioned - can you please let me know on which cd it appears (some of the cd's shown on Amazon unfortunately do not show tracklisting and the band website wasnt any clearer).

...and appears on the album which has an image of wind turbines on the cover. It also features on a wildlife charity CD I compiled in 2005 ('Live In Hope') - if you want, I can post you a free copy (just get m,e yyour address somehow). I have a few left and it's sold as many as its going to at this stage.

that is greatly appreciated and once again demonstrates what is so great about this site. Will send my address to you via Fraser.