Here's a quick one as I'm not quite ready to write my review for Futuristic Sounds of Sun Ra. I've also JUST wrapped up all my grading and want to wind down. A review for Futuristic Sounds won't get me there, but Holiday for Soul Dance (1960) is a chill out album if ever there was one.Unlike the 56 material which pushed that brassy aggressive sound that just never strikes me the right way, this one plays the horns for their cool moods (well, most of the time.) Virtually ever track here is a cover, and they're all straight as hell. This one is just playing beautiful music just for the sake of it, and it's hard to find fault there.
I think it's fair to say I really dig the second side while the first side is just OK. Autumn is a great song (with vocals), while I Love You, Porgy and Body And Soul are nice quiet numbers which show off the bands more subtle qualities. Keep Your Sunny Side Up is a louder swinging number (more like side 1) but is a nice close to the album.
Like Sound Sun Pleasure, this might be an unlikely disc for purchase. It is good music, but none of it is original, and there's nothing to hint at what Ra was really doing at the time. Still, it is amazing to hear that the Arkestra was as good as any band at a time that they were doing some seriously twisted music. When you hear this album there is no question how talented those guys are. I'd recommend Sun Sound Pleasure over this in part because it is better but also because it includes half of Deep Purple, but I could see plenty of Sun Ra fans (like myself) not owning either.
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