EMIL RICHARDS & THE MICROTONAL BLUES BAND: JOURNEY TO BLISS
(Impulse A-9166 © 196?)

TRACK LISTING
Maharimba
Bliss
Mantra
Enjoy, Enjoy
Journey to Bliss

PERSONNEL
Emil Richards - mallets, percussion; Hagen Beggs - narration; rest unknown

REVIEW
Emil was part of Don's Hindustani sextet of the mid-Sixties, and this album seems to be an extension of that group. Side one contains four playful takes on the blues, all in odd time signatures and all featuring an arsenal of mallet instruments. At times it gets downright confusing, with marimbas and xylophones machine-gunning different polyrhythms over a warbly clavinet, but it's all very cheerful and fun. Side two consists of a 6-part aimless raga (the title track) and is less interesting. Hagen Beggs occasionally chimes in with some dated hippie mysticism ("And now I'm emerging and floating and rising from layers and layers of silky brown sand") in a very drawn-out monotone. I guess you are supposed to meditate of this side of the album, but there is too much banging around for me to achieve enlightenment. Things start getting interesting by part 4, but by then I've forgotten my mantra.

Perhaps the liner notes explain this album a bit better...I've never seen them since I don't have the actual vinyl. I downloaded this album courtesy of the wonderful and very generous website basichip.com.