Genre: bizarre
Rating: *** (3 stars)
Title: Outer Space/Inner Mind
Company: Famous Twinsets
Catalog: PAS-2-1030
Year: 1974
Country/State: Boston, Massachusetts
Grade (cover/record): VG/VG
Comments: double LP; gatefold sleeve; little tape residue on side of cover
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 4390
Price: $40.00
Cost: $66.00
So sue me ... Yeah, I'll readily admit to having a bizarre fascination with so called 'golden throat' artists like Tele Savalas, Mrs. Miller and everyone's favorite Vulcan - Leonard Nimoy.
One of the things that's impressive about Nimoy is the fact the guy has an extensive musical catalog. I'm sure I've missed some, but to my knowledge, he's recorded at least a dozen albums and a handful of 45s.
Released in 1974, "Outer Space/Inner Mind" was a double album, 22 track compilation, pulling together the bulk of his 1967 debut "Mr. Spock's Music from Outer Space" with a bizarre series of rock covers from latter releases. There isn't much to say here other than you either get it, or you don't. Talking and croaking his way through this material Nimoy's apparently fairly earnest in his musical endeavors (he's also supposedly a poet), making you wonder why nobody had the guts to tell him that a musical career was probably not in his (or anyone else's) best interests. Thematically the material's basically split between Star Trek oriented camp ('Alien', 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Earth' and the hysterical 'Music To Watch Space Girls By') and a series of over orchestrated pop and rock covers. That said, there's something morbidly fascinating about hearing Nimoy fight his way through tracks such as 'Put a Little Love In Your Heart' and 'Abraham, Martin & John'. Besides, every time I think of John Fogerty getting a royalty for Nimoy's cover of 'Proud Mary' I have to smile. Personal favorites include the "Theme From Star Trek" (done as a 1960s surf instrumental) and 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Earth'. One word of warning on the sound quality - Paramount (which released the album) apparently didn't have access to the original master tapes, or simply didn't care about sound quality since these tracks don't sound nearly as good as the original releases.
"Outer Space/Inner Mind" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Theme From Star Trek (instrumental)
2.) Alien
3.) Where is Love?
4.) Music To Watch Space Girls By (instrumental)
5.) Beyond Antares (instrumental)
6.) Twinkle, Twinkle Little Earth
(side
2)
1.) Mission
Impossible (instrumental)
2.) Lost In the Stars
3.) Where No Man Has Gone Before (instrumental)
4.) You Are Not Alone
5.) A Visit To a Sad Planet
6.) Spock Thoughts
(side 3)
1.) I'd Love Making Love To You
2.) Sunny
3.) Both Sides Now
4.) Love is Sweeter
5.) Put a Little Love In Your Heart
(side 4)
1.) Abraham, Martin & John
2.) Proud Mary
3.) Everybody's Talkin'
4.) Gentle On My Mind
5.) If I Were a Carpenter)