Ramases - Long Long Time [Glass Top Coffin] 1975 скачать в хорошем качестве

Ramases - Long Long Time [Glass Top Coffin] 1975

Ramases - Long Long Time [Glass Top Coffin] 1975 Ramases (born Martin Raphael, sometime in the 1930s) was a central heating salesman until he was allegedly visited by the spirit of the Egyptian pharoah Ramses, who apparently informed Raphael that he was the reincarnation of Ramases and gave him the cosmic secret of the universe. Martin promptly changed his name to Ramases, and with his wife Dorothy, who renamed herself Selket, he began writing songs and working toward a record contract in order to spread his cosmic message. He got one with noted progressive rock record company Vertigo in 1970 and recorded Space Hymns in Strawberry Studios in England. Strawberry Studios was run by a group of musicians who would later become 10cc, and in essence 10cc provides the music on Space Hymns, although Ramases' album sounds absolutely nothing like 10cc. Ramases' music could best be described as a kind of spiritual, psychedelic space-folk with references to his own mythological beliefs. In spite of an impressive cover by Roger Dean, Space Hymns did not sell well. Ramases resurfaced in 1975 with the far more folkish Glass Top Coffin. He and Selket then dropped out of the music business, and Ramses moved to Felixstowe to care for his aging mother. He then dropped completely from sight. Sadly, he was reported to have died by his own hand sometime in the early 1990's. Co-produced by Ramases and keyboardist Barry Kirsch, 1975's "Glass Top Coffin" was equally eclectic, but sported a sound that was quite different from the debut. Exemplified by material such as the lead off track "Golden Landing", "Children Of The Green Earth" and "Sweet Reason" (where Ramases sounds like Marianne Faithful), the overall feel was far more polished; no doubt reflecting elaborate orchestral arrangements (courtesy of Rob Young) and support from members of the Royal Philharmonic and London Symphony Orchestra. Like the debut, there's clearly a concept buried in here, though the apparent references to aliens ("Golden Landing") and religion ("God Voice") are again largely lost on us. Not that it matters since the set's full of seductive melodies and some wonderful vocal performances, including the intriguing Ramases-Sel duet "Now Mona Lisa". As much as we like the debut (see our review), this one's even better and while musical comparisons are always frought with danger, this time around tracks such as the pretty "Long, Long Time" and "Saler Man" found Ramases and Sel pulling off a credible, low-budget take on The Moody Blues (had they been middle aged central heating salesmen). Perhaps we're being colored by Ramases' susbequent 1990's suicide, but tracks such as "Mind Island" and the spare "Only The Loneliest Feeling" seem to give the whole album an air of sad and dignified resignation which only makes the album all the more fascinating. Easily one of our top-50 personal favorites and a crime that it hasn't been heard by more people ... Designed by Ramases and artist Dave Field, the album also sports one of our favorite covers.... Sadly the album failed to sell, marking the end of Ramses recording career. Ramases and Sel appear to have slipped back into day-to-day obscurity. Ramses apparently committed suicide in the late-1970s." - from GCT]