Created: 14-FEB-1999
Perspectives on Purusha and the Spiritual Planet
Dave's latest recording is Purusha and the Spiritual Planet, a CD released
with his son Russell during mid-October, under the band name Crystal Radio.
This is Dave's entry into the area of ambient trance dance music-- a marked
departure from the rootsy rock-n-roll for which he is so well known. Don't
look for this album in the record stores, though-- it is only available through
his Web site, at http://www.davedavies.com
. Samples of various songs are available on the site.
Below you will find two perspectives on Purusha, from people who
don't usually buy techno or trance music.
A Visit to the Spiritual Planet
I
sent away for and received Dave's new CD, recorded with his son Russell, (available only from Dave's site http://www.davedavies.com)
and have been listening to it repeatedly for the last few days.
This CD is not the hard rocking, blues influenced stuff that Dave usually
is known for. This CD shows a new aspect of his talents.
The songs are mostly richly textured, multi-layered instrumentals. With
the possible exception of "Soothsayer" a song that has become one of my "particular
favorites" in the short time I've owned this CD.
For the work of a well known and talented guitarist, this CD features very
little of Dave's guitaring, instead is keyboard and synth dominated. Without
being droning like a lot of keyboard heavy songs can be.
The CD comes with a story line included. I didn't read the story until after
the first listen through, and I was still able to get a lot of the meaning
from just listening to the songs.
The stand outs are many, and I can't imagine even one of the songs not making
it onto this CD. Which for me is unusual ! I could easily see this CD as a
soundtrack for a short film.
This CD is not what I expected at all. I am now even more impressed with
the scope of the musical talents of Dave, and of course Russell too.
In conclusion, I'd like to urge those of you who were only casually considering
getting this CD, Purusha and the Spiritual Planet, to hestitate no longer.
And for those of you who were not considering it, to give it a try. You
may be pleasantly surprised, I know I was.
-Leslie Ohanian
The CD of this ambitious new work by Crystal Radio, featuring Dave and Russell
Davies, appeared in my mailbox yesterday. It doesn't sound even remotely like
The Kinks or Dave's previous solo work. There's hardly any guitar on it and
it is completely electronic. In other words, it is the total opposite of what
one would expect from Dave Davies. I think the fact that Russell, who is probably
in his late 20s, wants to work with his 50-something father on a music project
attests to Dave's overall coolness.
Electronic, "New Age" music, which I think is how you would define
this, is not a type I listen to very much. On a first listen, trying to be
objective and not love it just because it's Dave, I honestly did enjoy much
of it and some of it made me smile. There is a lightness and a humour about
it that I enjoyed; it doesn't get bogged down in repetitive phrasing, something
that I associate with this type of music. It isn't meditation music by any
means; a lot of it rocks. And "Soothsayer" at the end features a
good melody, sweet lyrics, and a pleasing vocal from Dave.
I hope that New Age music fans discover this CD because I think it would
be to their liking. Wouldn't it be ironic if Dave's (and The Kinks') popularity
got a lift from this audience?
-Joanne Corsano
