Steve Linnegar's Snakeshed-South African Psych Prog Rock

$

30

Steve Linnegar's Snakeshed - Music For Shogun - South African Pressing - 1983

Team 33(V)116

Sleeve: VG+

Record: EX Minus

Steve Linnegar's snakeshed: music for shogun
Original South African pressing on Music Team. Had Steve Linnegar been more fascinated with the Middle East rather than his obvious interest in the Far East, we may have been treated to Sultan Linnegar flavoured music. However, the three Snakeshed albums all show an Oriental influence and none more so than Music for Shogun. I believe that this album was inspired by the TV series Shogun that starred Richard Chamberlain.
The album opens with a keyboard driven instrumental that features a woman speaking a little bit of Japanese. The piece is flighty and spacey, reminiscent of Vangelis, but with more of an eastern sound to it. Throughout the album the music remains slightly ethereal, which makes for an atmospheric and mystic feel. And it is the music that dominates. Vocals are used sparingly, allowing the musicians space to explore and create.
Perhaps the most vocal intensive and hardest rocking track is 'Kamakura
Dragons' which also appeared on the classic 'Classic Epics'. This song
features a searing guitar that battles against a passionate almost screeched vocal. It's a hard fought battle with the guitar narrowly winning on points, but leaving the vocals with their honour in tact and the listener looking forward to the return match.
Although 'Karmakura Dragons' is the hardest rocking track, one can in no way regard the album as raucous. The rock here is finely controlled, and laid back. It seems that Linnegar took the Eagles seriously when they told us to 'Take it Easy' as that is what he does. However, he does it in a more meditative way than bands of the Eagles ilk did.
There are spoken parts in some of the tracks, talking of samurai and Zen Masters. The deep voice that delivers these pieces has a wonderful resonance, which is slightly spoilt by the South African accent. Not that I have a problem with the accent, but it seems at odds with the Japanese feel of the album.
Overall this album has the feel associated with the beauty of the Japanese countryside and the spiritual meditative side of Oriental culture. This is more geisha than sumo.
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LP'S - $26 FOR THE FIRST RECORD AND $4 PER RECORD THEREAFTER.

SINGLES - $10 FOR THE FIRST SINGLE AND $2 PER SINGLE THEREAFTER

COMBINATION OF SINGLES AND LP'S - $26 FOR THE FIRST LP AND $4 PER RECORD AND $2 PER SINGLE THEREAFTER.

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