Genre: weird/bizarre
Rating: *** (3 stars)
Title: Black Mass/Lucifer
Company: Uni
Catalog: 73111
Year: 1971
Country/State: US
Grade (cover/record): VG/VG
Comments: original inner sleeve with liner notes; minor ring and edge wear
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 4617
Price: $50.00
Cost: $31.50
In spite of the goofy title which leaves one wondering whether the band's name was 'Black Mass' or 'Lucifer', 1971's "Black Mass/Lucifer" is actually Mort Garson solo effort. An all original and instrumental set composed on then state-of-the-art Moog synthesizers, it's kind of hard to decide whether Garson was trying to make an artistic statement about the dark arts, or was simply having fun showing off the technology's potential. The set's attracted a significant cult following over the years (I don't think it's seen a CD reissue), but to be perfectly honest, it's hard to see what all the excitements about since the early-1970s technology sounds rather quaint and dated today. That in turn diminishes the set's longstanding reputation as being sinister and forbidding. Being stoned probably helps the ominous side a little bit. Material such as the title track, 'Solomon's Ring' and 'Exorcism' is certainly interesting (in a time warp kind of fashion), but this stuff isn't atmospheric enough to make it on a video game soundtrack. Elsewhere the title track sounds like it served as an inspiration for Michael Oldfield's "Tubular Bells", while 'The Rider of Aida (Voodoo)' sounds like a Kraftwerk outtake ....
"Black Mass" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Solomon's Ring (instrumental) (Mort Garson) - 3:20
2.) The Rider of Aida (Voodoo) (instrumental) (Mort Garson) - 3:07
3.) Incubus (instrumental) (Mort Garson) - 3:29
4.) Black Mass (instrumental) (Mort Garson) - 3:39
5.) The Evil Eye (instrumental) (Mort Garson) - 2:10
(side
2)
1.) Exorcism (instrumental) (Mort Garson) - 3:45
2.) The Philosopher's Stone (instrumental) (Mort Garson) - 3:27
3.) Voices of the Dead (The Medium()(instrumental) (Mort Garson) - 2:05
4.) Witch Trial (instrumental) (Mort Garson) - 3:27
5.) ESP (instrumental) (Mort Garson) - 2:05