The Latest News from Neptune - a Sun Ra thread

Just found this thread. Massive Sun Ra fan here! New Steps, which is collected in that grey box posted above, is often my favorite release from the catalog although it is hard to commit. Been really enjoying the alternate version of Lanquidity that came in the box.
 
from_my_stacks said:
Just found this thread. Massive Sun Ra fan here! New Steps, which is collected in that grey box posted above, is often my favorite release from the catalog although it is hard to commit. Been really enjoying the alternate version of Lanquidity that came in the box.
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Glad you found your way here - I've noticed your avatar around from time to time and wondered if we'd hear from you!

I concur on New Steps it's truly something else. Maybe one day I'll find my way to an original, but am glad the box exists for a fraction of that price. I'm not expecting my Lanquidity box until some time next month - the downside to saving $20-30, I guess. But I'm a (mostly) patient person.
 
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I received my copy of Live in Kalisz 1986 in the mail today and am about halfway through my first spin. It sounds fantastic so far and is proving to be a very enjoyable set. What's really stood out something extra to me so far is the liner notes, which I've just finished reading. The blurb on the back of the record itself is a fine read, but the 4-page insert has some fantastic insight into the show itself and the context of Polish life at the time, but also a fifteen-year journey to see this show find its way onto a physical release. An engaging, entertaining and fascinating read that may well be my favourite set of Sun Ra liner notes I've encountered thus far. (The liner notes that excerpt passages from the Omniverse book are great as well, but always slightly disappointing as I've already read the book!) There are some great synchronicities in the recollections found therein, which for myself was made fascinating as the beginnings Astigmatic Records are mentioned therein, and the other record I received in the same package (EABS's Discipline of Sun Ra) just so happens to be a release from that label. Kinda fun.

I definitely recommend checking this one out if you haven't. The overall package is a delight, and the music is great!
As was typical of the 80s, it's a very swing-heavy set that is on the far more accessible end of the Sun Ra spectrum.
 
Dtknuckles said:
I’ve been eyeing his poetry books since I learned that they inspired the Ra track on the Jamila woods album.
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I have the Collected Works edited by Adam Abraham but I've been very much coveting the Corbett vs. Dempsy stuff that was released earlier this year, but haven't been able to justify the price after exchange and shipping while still being mostly unemployed (and still overspending on Sun Ra records nevertheless!) They look really great though.

The Collected Works makes a great reference book but can be a bit of a slog to read as it is all the poems Sun Ra published (at times 2 or 3 similar but varied versions of the same piece) presented in alphabetical order by title, which doesn't make for the most enjoyable cover-to-cover read.

I have daydreams of trying to pitch a "selected works" manuscript to some publishers but have yet to find the time to put together a pitch, or more importantly the time to actually select the works! Maybe one day...
 
Dtknuckles said:
@avecigrec just a question. What do you think your reason for being so interested Sun Ra?
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Great question!

My wife is convinced it's my ADHD. 🤪

Without delving too deep into the entire 20-25 year journey it took me to get to this point my interest was first driven by his being cited as an influence for some artists I quite enjoyed, and an early affinity for more "out there" performers. Between the early days of the internet and my feeble sheltered suburban mind being as yet unready, it took quite a few years to reach the tipping point but Sun Ra was often at the edges of my world until the torrents radically exploded everything a dozen or so years ago - and even that was overwhelming at first. But the more I dug the deeper I went. Now here we are.

The scope and variance of his musical output alone is a big part of the appeal for me, for sure, but the mythopoetics, spectacle and buy-in of it all (especially the buy-in of the core Arkestra members) make the whole thing profoundly more interesting to me. I've spent a little over a decade now working in mythopoetics myself - nowhere near to the extent or depth Sun Ra did, but I feel it has further deepened my interests in the Omniversal Arkestral history as well. There's an appeal to the kid in me who grew up reading and obsessing over comic books, the teenager/twentysomething who revelled in "weird shit" and spectacle, and the thirty/fortysomething who still revels in "weird shit," perhaps even more than before, but on a more intellectual level. The creativity, expanse and everyday commitment of it are inspiring to me, maybe especially because I've never felt I could fully hit that degree of commitment to the art and the myth in my own life. I have a soft sport for impish trickster types who don't really give a fuck what the world thinks of them - particularly when their primary focus and message is of joy, hope and love.

And, y'know, maybe my wife isn't wrong about the ADHD. With such a deep winding catalogue full of mystery and surprises and a plethora of as yet unheard and/or undiscovered recordings there really is no sign of ever completing a collection, or even knowing when and where we may reach the end of available sounds - so there's always opportunities for the dopamine hit of jumping back into the rabbit hole...
 
avecigrec said:
Great question!

My wife is convinced it's my ADHD. 🤪

Without delving too deep into the entire 20-25 year journey it took me to get to this point my interest was first driven by his being cited as an influence for some artists I quite enjoyed, and an early affinity for more "out there" performers. Between the early days of the internet and my feeble sheltered suburban mind being as yet unready, it took quite a few years to reach the tipping point but Sun Ra was often at the edges of my world until the torrents radically exploded everything a dozen or so years ago - and even that was overwhelming at first. But the more I dug the deeper I went. Now here we are.

The scope and variance of his musical output alone is a big part of the appeal for me, for sure, but the mythopoetics, spectacle and buy-in of it all (especially the buy-in of the core Arkestra members) make the whole thing profoundly more interesting to me. I've spent a little over a decade now working in mythopoetics myself - nowhere near to the extent or depth Sun Ra did, but I feel it has further deepened my interests in the Omniversal Arkestral history as well. There's an appeal to the kid in me who grew up reading and obsessing over comic books, the teenager/twentysomething who revelled in "weird shit" and spectacle, and the thirty/fortysomething who still revels in "weird shit," perhaps even more than before, but on a more intellectual level. The creativity, expanse and everyday commitment of it are inspiring to me, maybe especially because I've never felt I could fully hit that degree of commitment to the art and the myth in my own life. I have a soft sport for impish trickster types who don't really give a fuck what the world thinks of them - particularly when their primary focus and message is of joy, hope and love.

And, y'know, maybe my wife isn't wrong about the ADHD. With such a deep winding catalogue full of mystery and surprises and a plethora of as yet unheard and/or undiscovered recordings there really is no sign of ever completing a collection, or even knowing when and where we may reach the end of available sounds - so there's always opportunities for the dopamine hit of jumping back into the rabbit hole...
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This is really interesting.

I’ve been listening to Sun Ra off and on for a few years really but really found the booklet and music in Egypt Strut set so interesting that I’ve been delving a bit more into it all. So much incredible music.

Out of interest have you heard any of his early stuff before he went into the more experimental route? I have this album Coleman Hawkins - The Hawk Returns and supposedly Sun Ra is on the piano playing fairly straight forward bop.
 
Selaws said:
This is really interesting.

I’ve been listening to Sun Ra off and on for a few years really but really found the booklet and music in Egypt Strut set so interesting that I’ve been delving a bit more into it all. So much incredible music.

Out of interest have you heard any of his early stuff before he went into the more experimental route? I have this album Coleman Hawkins - The Hawk Returns and supposedly Sun Ra is on the piano playing fairly straight forward bop.
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The Hawk Returns is one I've been keeping an eye out for anytime I go into a store as the shipping knocks all the copies on Discogs into the realm of just a bit more than I want to pay.

I do have Interplanetary Melodies and The Second Stop Is Jupiter, which are a fascinating look at the doo wop and vocal group work he did before the Arkestra truly set sail, collecting both 7" releases and unreleased demo recordings. That series of releases is rounded out by Rocket Ship Rock, but I've yet to grab a copy of that one. Michael D. Anderson (keeper of the archives) helped compile both, and wrote the liner notes which are quite illuminating to that early era.
 
Selaws said:
This is really interesting.

I’ve been listening to Sun Ra off and on for a few years really but really found the booklet and music in Egypt Strut set so interesting that I’ve been delving a bit more into it all. So much incredible music.

Out of interest have you heard any of his early stuff before he went into the more experimental route? I have this album Coleman Hawkins - The Hawk Returns and supposedly Sun Ra is on the piano playing fairly straight forward bop.
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Joe Williams - Sings Everyday (also reissued as Everyday I Have The Blues) is another hidden gem of early Sun Ra, while I don't believe he plays on it himself, he did the arrangements [uncredited] for the 6 songs which feature the Red Saunders Orchestra. I've done a poorer job of seeking it out than the Coleman Hawkins, but it is on my radar - mostly the Everyday I Have The Blues version, as it matches some of the other Savoy stuff I have stylistically.
 
avecigrec said:
Joe Williams - Sings Everyday (also reissued as Everyday I Have The Blues) is another hidden gem of early Sun Ra, while I don't believe he plays on it himself, he did the arrangements [uncredited] for the 6 songs which feature the Red Saunders Orchestra. I've done a poorer job of seeking it out than the Coleman Hawkins, but it is on my radar - mostly the Everyday I Have The Blues version, as it matches some of the other Savoy stuff I have stylistically.
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Amazing, thanks for bringing it to my attention. I love how different his early work is, super interesting.
 
I thought I would share some thoughts on the recent Strut reissue of Sun Ra ‎– Lanquidity.

I went for the 4LP 45rpm box set that contains the 1978 Philly Jazz Commercial Pressing (2LP's), the 1978 Philly Jazz Alternate Version (2LP's) and an additional booklet of interviews, photos, and track info.

First of all, I had never listened to the full album before so I was basically going into this blind. The music itself is fantastic and a great melding of straight-ahead jazz, funk, soul, and free approaches that create a really great set of tracks. From the different Sun Ra albums that I have heard, I get the impression that these are the building blocks to his music and depending on how he is feeling he sways more into different areas. For example, last years Egypt 1971 box set has a much more avant-garde/free approach to the music heard in the Lanquidity set. Another confirmation of this is that my fiancee managed to sit in the same room with Lanquidity playing (maybe even a subtle hint of foot-tapping?) whereas I would never dream of playing Egypt 1971 without risk of tuts, sighs, eye-rolls and exclamations of "How is this even considered music?"

The Alternate Version is the differently remixed album by New York producer Bob Blank that was originally pressed in a super limited quantity and sold at a Sun Ra gig at Georgia Tech in 1978. The mix is different enough that it's worth hearing but still obviously the same music/tracks. It's more that an emphasis has been placed on different instruments which is a really interesting approach (to me anyway).

The quality of the set itself is really solid. The box is sturdy and the mirror effect doesn't feel like it will scratch easily. The 'Commercial Pressing' is housed in a wide spined jacket with matching mirror effect and the 'Alternate Version' is in a wide spined white jacket with paste-on yellow-tinted graphics/track-listing. The Alternate Version also uses plain black labels which, along with the paste on, is likely a nod to its original DIY release.

There are some negatives to it though. The main one by far is the use of paper inners. For the love of God, I wish that companies would stop using these. They have clearly put so much effort into this set, with an emphasis on quality, but it means nothing if the LP's are covered in surface marks and debris from these shitty inners. I had a look on Discogs and several copies have surface noise as a result. My copy of the Commercial Pressing is fine but the first LP in the Alternative Version has pops and ticks throughout the A/B-side - I have taken a video and will be sending it to Strut to get that LP replaced (hopefully). The booklet IS good but I think I was spoilt with the one that was created for the Egypt 1971 set (which is essentially a detailed biography from that period). The booklet in the Lanquidity box has fewer pages and is made up of 4 short interviews (one page each) and a few photos. Finally, whilst the Commercial Pressing LP's are nice and flat, the first LP in the Alternative Version does have a warp which is annoying. Not bad enough to jump the needle but not far off.

As long as I am able to get the A/B Alternative Version replaced I will be really happy with it and certainly glad that I went for this over the standard release.

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Selaws said:
Another confirmation of this is that my fiancee managed to sit in the same room with Lanquidity playing (maybe even a subtle hint of foot-tapping?) whereas I would never dream of playing Egypt 1971 without risk of tuts, sighs, eye-rolls and exclamations of "How is this even considered music?"
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I feel this so hard! My wife typically flees if she even sees Sun Ra go near the record player, but there are some releases I'm able to sneak on and have her tolerate, if not reluctantly enjoy!
 
Selaws said:
I thought I would share some thoughts on the recent Strut reissue of Sun Ra ‎– Lanquidity.

I went for the 4LP 45rpm box set that contains the 1978 Philly Jazz Commercial Pressing (2LP's), the 1978 Philly Jazz Alternate Version (2LP's) and an additional booklet of interviews, photos, and track info.

First of all, I had never listened to the full album before so I was basically going into this blind. The music itself is fantastic and a great melding of straight-ahead jazz, funk, soul, and free approaches that create a really great set of tracks. From the different Sun Ra albums that I have heard, I get the impression that these are the building blocks to his music and depending on how he is feeling he sways more into different areas. For example, last years Egypt 1971 box set has a much more avant-garde/free approach to the music heard in the Lanquidity set. Another confirmation of this is that my fiancee managed to sit in the same room with Lanquidity playing (maybe even a subtle hint of foot-tapping?) whereas I would never dream of playing Egypt 1971 without risk of tuts, sighs, eye-rolls and exclamations of "How is this even considered music?"

The Alternate Version is the differently remixed album by New York producer Bob Blank that was originally pressed in a super limited quantity and sold at a Sun Ra gig at Georgia Tech in 1978. The mix is different enough that it's worth hearing but still obviously the same music/tracks. It's more that an emphasis has been placed on different instruments which is a really interesting approach (to me anyway).

The quality of the set itself is really solid. The box is sturdy and the mirror effect doesn't feel like it will scratch easily. The 'Commercial Pressing' is housed in a wide spined jacket with matching mirror effect and the 'Alternate Version' is in a wide spined white jacket with paste-on yellow-tinted graphics/track-listing. The Alternate Version also uses plain black labels which, along with the paste on, is likely a nod to its original DIY release.

There are some negatives to it though. The main one by far is the use of paper inners. For the love of God, I wish that companies would stop using these. They have clearly put so much effort into this set, with an emphasis on quality, but it means nothing if the LP's are covered in surface marks and debris from these shitty inners. I had a look on Discogs and several copies have surface noise as a result. My copy of the Commercial Pressing is fine but the first LP in the Alternative Version has pops and ticks throughout the A/B-side - I have taken a video and will be sending it to Strut to get that LP replaced (hopefully). The booklet IS good but I think I was spoilt with the one that was created for the Egypt 1971 set (which is essentially a detailed biography from that period). The booklet in the Lanquidity box has fewer pages and is made up of 4 short interviews (one page each) and a few photos. Finally, whilst the Commercial Pressing LP's are nice and flat, the first LP in the Alternative Version does have a warp which is annoying. Not bad enough to jump the needle but not far off.

As long as I am able to get the A/B Alternative Version replaced I will be really happy with it and certainly glad that I went for this over the standard release.

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As you well know I've been eagerly awaiting your thoughts on this and I appreciate how thorough you've gone in here. It's got me even more excited to finally get my copy whenever that happens! You've definitely got a knack for great breakdowns/reviews - I've appreciated them throughout the site for a while now.

THE SLEEVES!!!!!

This is such a real thing. A very unfortunate real thing! Especially when it comes to a deluxe box set edition of something, it feels like they got to 99% amazing and then said, "fuck it!"

I hope you can get your A/B of the alternate mix replaced. And am thrilled that overall you really love this set. Thanks for sharing!
 
avecigrec said:
As you well know I've been eagerly awaiting your thoughts on this and I appreciate how thorough you've gone in here. It's got me even more excited to finally get my copy whenever that happens! You've definitely got a knack for great breakdowns/reviews - I've appreciated them throughout the site for a while now.

THE SLEEVES!!!!!

This is such a real thing. A very unfortunate real thing! Especially when it comes to a deluxe box set edition of something, it feels like they got to 99% amazing and then said, "fuck it!"

I hope you can get your A/B of the alternate mix replaced. And am thrilled that overall you really love this set. Thanks for sharing!
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Ah thanks for that, I love deep diving into records and albums.

Yeah completely! I replaced them but at that point any damage is likely done. I had a look at the LP's under the light and whilst the Commercial Pressing looks like it got away unscathed, there are obvious marks on the Alternative Version....which has the pops. Very annoying that they went with paper inners especially when the companies will know damn well that they can cause issues compared to lined inners. I don't know what the price difference would be between lined/unlined for them but I cant imagine it would be a deal breaker.
 
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