Pulsating Dreams: The Complete Epic Recordings [Box set, Collector's Edition, Original recording remastered]

Our Kaleidoscope made four LPs for Epic, all included in full on this collection. Influenced by Turkish, middle Eartern and ethnic American music, they made some of the best psychedelic music to be released in the states.

The first LP, Side Trips contains 10 mostly excellent, short tracks such as 'Egyptian Gardens', 'Keep Your Mind Open' and 'Pulsating Dream'. Only 'Minnie the Moocher' and 'Hesitation Blues' let down the side.

The second LP has two long classics in 'Taxim' and the title track 'Beacon From Mars'. Also included is one of their best tracks, 'I Found Out'.

The third album is the most consistent. All the tracks are good and the playing is very tight. Listen to 'Banjo', 'Cuckoo' and 'Seven-Ate Sweet'.

Unfortunately, the band then seemed to go to pieces, and the final LP Bernice is very poor indeed. 'To Know Is Not To Be' is possibly the best track on a weak LP.

The band then broke up, reforming in 1976 to make a slightly better LP 'When Scopes Collide' and in 1990 to make a disappointing LP 'Greetings From Kartoonistan'.

Neither reformation LP is included in this set. Instead the time is rounded up with seven single only tracks and the three 'unreleased' tracks that previously made their debut on the Sony Legacy compilation. Only one track makes it's CD debut here and that is 'Just A Taste'. Odd thing about this track is that it appears to be a different mix to one I had already on a bootleg source. Mine sounds more produced than this, which makes me suspect that Evangeline may have released the 'wrong' one. Very strange. Regardless, it's good to have most of the rare tracks together in one place.

There are a few AWOL tracks though: First of all, Ptolomaic Terrascope released a two track EP containing 'Little Orphan Nannie' (included here in upgraded sound) and 'I'm A Hog For You Baby'. The latter is missing. Second, the band contributed at least two tracks to the film Zabriskie Point, and both of these are omitted.

Rumour has it that, not only Pink Floyd were asked to deliver music for the whole film. It would be nice to know if any Kaleidoscope material was unused. Rumours also exist about outtakes from the earlier in the band's career.

The problem is that the history was (deliberately) confused by Pete Frame in his 1970s Zig Zag articles, where he mixed fact with fantasy. Later writers perpetated the untruths. Thankfully, David Biasotti's 4 pages of sleeve notes correct at least one story, and cover the core history. From my perspective, I would have liked some discussion about unreleased material. In particular - are there are live tracks beyond the awful sounding Live at The Shrine bootleg?

The most amazing thing about this set though is the price - £10.99 for three CDs. You will never spend a better eleven pounds. Highly recommended.