I recently pulled out my well preserved vinyl copy of Robyn Hitchcock‘s 1988 psychedelic opus, Globe of Frogs, and was quite surprised to find that it had aged very well under the cold modern microscope. It still sounds unique, fresh, as well as completely out of time to these ears. It’s a gentle merging of Robyn’s past Soft Boys aggressive rock surrealisms coupled with his early solo whimsical jangly storybook narratives converted into a touring unit. This group, The Egyptians, were extremely tight at this juncture after two studio albums and some touring under their belt. The songs on this album are beautiful (“Luminous Rose“), odd (“The Shapes Between Us Turn Into Animals“), harmonious (“Flesh Number One“), quirky (“Sleeping With Your Devil Mask“), cinematic (“A Globe Of Frogs“), bizarre (“Balloon Man“), and highly original. “Unsettled” is downright AMAZING, with it’s non-sensical lyrics and quick verses, the deft rhythm section of Morris Windsor and Andy Metcalf propelling this as well as the other songs with precision and solidity. This unit could really fucking play! They went to to make 3 more genre-defying records until they disbanded in 1993, with Robyn going into the future with 11 solo albums as well as countless groups and collaborative records. All highly recommended. Links below.
Dancing in the Moonlight of our Existence 