Already established as the recognised master of electronic ambience, Eno combined with Talking Heads frontman David Byrne to produce this landmark experimental record. Worldbeat, African rhythms and funk are mixed with sampled snippets of vocal seductions to stunning effect. An expanded 25th anniversary edition was released in 2006.
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Fried Julian Cope 1984 [Mercury]
With the demise of the Teardrop Explodes ex-frontman Julian Cope embarked on a somewhat eccentric solo career. Nowhere is this more apparent than on the aptly-titled Fried, featuring Cope on the front cover wearing nothing more than a turtle shell. Maybe he was a few cards short of a full deck, but the music here is delectable.
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Yerself Is Steam Mercury Rev 1991 [Columbia]
Early Mercury Rev records are characterised by their experimental psych sound laced with plenty of avant-noise, although also showing ample signs of their melodic future. Here the whole band gets production credits, with bassist Dave Fridmann going on to become a sought after helmsman in the neo-psych world.
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Pure Guava Ween 1992 [Elektra]
Saturated with their unique brand of psychedelic gonzo humour, Ween's major label debut found them somewhere in between Frank Zappa and the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. Yeah… these guys have a fascination with naughty juvenile jokes, but they do it so damn well. 'Push Th' Little Daisies' was even a hit single. Different.
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Rings Around the World Super Furry Animals 2001 [Epic]
The quaint brilliance of Radiator (1997) stands in stark contrast to the polished accessibility of this fine record. It's a long story, but dabbling with a major label saw SFA join the mainstream with their artistic credibility intact. For many, however, the loss of innocence is a major drawback. Start with Radiator, then give this a go.
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The Coral The Coral 2002 [Deltasonic]
A wave of critical excitement swept over the UK with the release of this diverse record, eventually materialising as commercial success. The unifying component is its guitar-based psychedelic tone - but sea shanties, skiffle, ska, Merseybeat, acid rock and a host of other styles can be found within. It's a wild ride for the willing and able.
De-Loused in the Comatorium The Mars Volta 2003 [Universal]
One has to wonder if Cedric Bixler-Zavala's and Omar Rodríguez-López's mushroom haircuts are the result of some magical natural progression. This experimental neo-prog band keeps everyone guessing as to what the next album will sound like. This one has shades of hardcore and frequently goes wildly metallic.
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Ta Det Lugnt Dungen 2004 [Subliminal Sounds]
Realising that very few knew what Swedish psychedelia sounded like in 1968, Dungen decided to fix the problem by going completely retro right down to the instruments they play. The songs are all sung in Swedish, so this album's international success surprised almost everyone. The band eschews major labels in favour of artistic integrity.
