01	Sunhair						05:43
	02	Strechy						06:51
	03	Feng Shui						10:24
	04	Half Light In Thillai						05:35
	05	Jurassic Shift						11:04
	06	Pteranodon						05:40
	07	Train Oasis						02:45
	08	Vita Voom						04:47
	09	Feng Shui Live (bonus track)						10:56

Ozric Tentacles - Jurassic Shift

Released: 1992/1998
Label: Snapper Music
Cat. No.: SMMCD547
Total Time: 52:51


Reviewed by: Keith "Muzikman" Hannaleck, June 2002
Jurassic Shift was recorded in 1992-93 and re-released by Snapper Music as a remastered edition in 1998. The label knew what they were doing when they chose this album as one of their remastered series from the Ozric Tentacles catalog. This has to rate as a career apex for the group. Every album I have heard thus far has been extraordinary, but this is one step above that. This is the kind of release that makes a group a well known commodity in a particular style of music. There are not too many groups that can claim they are doing something completely original or something no one else is doing, except for groups like this. They are, and remain the exception to the rule. I have always found it impossible to single out any one song on any of their recordings, every one is fantastic. An album is an event, one large endless jam session that is in a continual evolutionary state that's right on the edge of exploding into something entirely new, like a supernova. As each song begins and ends, and then the entire process starts again, you don't ever feel there was a break in between songs. They keep you entranced, excited, mystified, and always wondering what is going to happen next. And that after all is their strong appeal and a pioneering niche they created all for themselves.

The mind melting keyboards, the Middle Eastern influences, the hyper drive guitar riffs...its all here for you to throw yourself into. Be careful though, this stuff will carry you away; just remember to check back in.

More about Jurassic Shift:

Track Listing: Sun Hair (5:43) / Stretchy (6:51) / Feng Shui (10:24) / Half Light In Thillai (5:35) / Jurassic Shift (11:05) / Pterandodon (5:40) / Train Oasis (2:45) / Vita Voom (4:48)

Musicians:
Joie Hinton - Keyboards, Sampling, Atmosphere
Merv Pepler - Drums, Ethnic Percussion
Ed Wynne - Guitar, Keyboards, Koto, Sampling, Atmosphere
Roly Wynne - Bass
John Egan - Flute
Marcus ? - Percussion, Ethnic Percussion
Zia Geelani - Bass



JURASSIC SHIFT

This, their 5th release proper, (excluding the then cassette only releases) broke the Ozrics into the mainstream consciousness with their first Top 30 placing. Years of touring and an ever-increasing rate of recorded output saw the band's hard work ethics culminate in commercial approval. The Ozrics have perpetually evolved on each subsequent release and 'Jurassic Shift' consolidated the vast array of styles infusing the emotive vibes of ethnic, trance, funk and space rock influences. The listener is transported into the soundscapes of the mind as the hypnotic funky lead bass lines of 'Train Oasis' melts into the full rock explosion of 'Vita Voom'. The ethnic tinges of 'Feng Shui' contrasts with the strong rhythmic patterns of opening track 'Sun Hair' whilst 'Stretchy' sees the band embark on a more melodic refrain. The title track, arguably the most adventurously structured piece the Ozrics has undertaken up to this time, contains Ed's most impressive fretwork gymnastics. Opening with a beautiful sanguine, almost reflective mood the track progresses gradually and builds towards a culmination of a frenetic fusion of swirling keyboards and Ed's distinctive glissando guitar effect. Underpinned by the driving rhythms of Roly and Zia on bass and Merv's drum work Jurassic Shift scales new heights of musical excellence. The Ozrics, some say had reached their collective pinnacle with this album and that subsequent offerings have been but mere imitations and retreads. However for those with a more open-minded disposition this record may have well been their apogee of the early 90s output but is never the less complimented by an outstanding catalogue of work. Therefore I would recommend exposure to an audio feast of delights that are to be found in abundance in ALL subsequent recordings as affirmation of this extraordinary bands ability to consistently evolve and explore new musical themes and textures as they reach for the sonic stratosphere.

Ozric Tentacles
Jurassic Shift
IRS Records

Any guitarist knows that sometimes, no words at all can speak volumes. So it is with Ozric Tentacles' instrumental feast, Jurassic Shift, which sounds like Spyro Gyra with an attitude. Currently darlings of the U.K. rave scene, the Ozrics combine bass and drums with synth, flute, and one seriously whacked guitar to create a smooth, silky soundscape. And it is a soundscape: some of this is the kind of stuff you might hear on the Weather Channel, real mellow and atmospheric. Other tracks. specifically "Vita Voom," are anything but sedate. Guitarist and bandleader Ed Wynne gives the music a rock context, with a thousand rack effects at his disposal and the knowledge of how to use them. With amorphous titles like "Stretchy" and "Train Oasis," the sprawling songs on Jurassic Shift make great background music, or play-along jam sessions. Fans of the Phishful Dead Doctors will dig this.

- Dan Amrich.

October '93 issue of Guitar World.

===============

Jurassic Shift Country of Origin: UK
Format: CD
Record Label: Snapper Music
Catalogue #: SMMCD 547
Year of Release: 1993


Sunhair is very heavy on the synth side and later on features sharp guitar solos, resembling tracks like Eternal Wheel. Very Ozric, but also not very renewing. There's no real tempo or melody changes in this one.
Stretchy is another uptempo song with dominance by the keyboards. There are more ethnic influences in a break which takes place after about two minutes, followed by a guitar solo. Not a real stunning piece.
Fens Shui starts very ambient and soundscape-ish before proceedings with a reggae rhythm. After that the track just carries on for ages without really becoming very interesting at any time. Just endless streams of electronic effects. However, after 8 minutes the track suddenly changes into a punk/heavy metal influences chaos which isn't really pleasant to listen to. After that a couple of interesting chord progressions follow after which the track suddenly stops.
Half Light in Thillai is another one of the quiet, ambient pieces with ethnic percussion, weird chanting far in the background and keyboard soundscapes. Fortunately an acoustic guitar adds a bit more depth to the song, which is too monotonous and long for my taste.
The title track, Jurassic Shift, has a more prominent but rather simple bass line and a more jazz-fushion feel to it and also remembers me of those long jams Pink Floyd used to do in the early seventies (remember the original version of On the Run ?). The emphasis is on the guitar which jams along the basic track for 5 minutes. After a rather long keyboard intermezzo with Arabian influences of two and a half minutes, the tempo increases an sharp guitar and flute solos accompanied by bubbling electronic effects follow. During the last minute the pace of the song slows down again. Although 11 minutes seems a bit long, this might just be the most interesting track on the album.
Petranodon features a slow rhythm and a pumping bass in the background. Strange babbling and electronic effects introduce a guitar solo. The song continues for almost 6 minutes, with only an interesting percussion solo adding something extra, and then suddenly stops. Completely forgetable track.
Train Oasis is a very short track which could have been even shorter as far as I'm concerned since it hardly features any interesting music.
Vita Voom sounds more straighforward and less cluttered than other tracks on the album. It has a catchy bass/guitar line and a nice 'chorus' melody. The track also features weird electronic effects and flute. One of the more interesting tracks on this very mediocre album.
The bonus track on this remastered edition is a live version of Feng Shui which adds nothing to the original.

The bass is much further 'down in the mix' than on previous Ozric albums and the synths are very prominent. The melodies aren't as good as on other albums and the tracks go on quite long without real variation. The songs miss the variety of the other albums and don't leave the same impression as their previous work. And the things we hear have already been heard before.
Maybe if the band didn't have to rush against a deadline to finish this album while they were still fine-tuning their recording studio, the album would have been much better.
Still much better than some of the other stuff which is out in the market, but certainly not one of the most recommended Ozric albums. For die-hard only.

The artwork features a nice drawing of the Pongmaster walking through water on bubbles, while the booklet contains a rather dodgy picture of the band live on stage.

Conclusion: 7- out of 10.

Ed Sander





JURASSIC SHIFT
Written by Magnus Florin

Well, after listening to this band a while now I've grown more and more into them. Jurassic Shift is the second album reviewed from them, was a positive experience. And experience is defenitly the right word. With their instrumental rock/rave music, Ozric Tentacles really can surprise you. Moments, their stuff can really sound like any other rave party with the same drum/beat going on and on, then all of a sudden the music we all know similar to Marillion, YES can break out. I can't say that the album sound like anything, but it's for sure progressive. It's not the all-day-music-experience to put it right. "Jurassic Shift" is recorded in 92-93 and besides the 8 very spacey and moodful tracks includes a live track too. Ozric Tentacles, takes a while before you know them.